On Thursday, October 7, 2021, six student-researchers shared their experiences doing research in a first-time, hyflex program with five student-researchers–Amanda Sayaseng, Brendan Murtagh, Faith Valencia, Jiries Kaileh, Madeleine McSwain available in person, on campus–and student-researcher Shannon Hoang available online through Zoom.

 

Honors Transfer Program Faculty Coordinator Janice Sapigao welcomed everyone to the event, with close to 20 people attending in person and 20 people attending online. The event started with all students, professional staff, and faculty at the event engaging in a getting-to-know-you icebreaker led by fellow event co-organizers, Chemistry Professor Susanne Schubert and Professor Librarian Pia Walawalkar. After familiarizing ourselves with the space, as most of us were on-campus together either for the first time ever or after a long time away, we transitioned to the student panel.

The panelists primarily consisted of students in various stages of the research process, with some in their first or second years of the Honors Transfer Program. Five out of the six students are in the Next Enriched Xenon Observatory (nEXO) Program, of which Skyline College is the only community college participant.

 

The student-researchers answered questions about how they first got started in research, how they found faculty-mentors, how they overcame initial self-doubt, how feasible it was to start research projects while taking on regular coursework, and how to find resources for support. Student Juries Kaileh said he didn’t know he could ask for help with his research, but once he did, his research got easier. Madeleine McSwain said that finding the right resources has helped her figure out how to keep going. Shannon Hoang shared, “Most of the challenges I have faced was a lack of monetary resources. I strongly believe that the technology needed to fix climate issues already exists but the money made from bigger corporations  is of higher value in this country. In order to make strides in the STEM industry, we must place the health of the people to a much higher level than it is now.” All of the students mentioned and expressed gratitude to their faculty-mentors who supported them throughout the duration of various research projects.

 

Student Faith Valencia said that she got started in research after her Professor, Erinn Struss, reached out to her about the Honors Transfer Program. From there, she joined the program and enrolled in Interdisciplinary Studies 105 (IDST 105), the Honors Research Seminar, and she realized that she wanted to learn more about something she’s really interested in: fashion. She ended up doing a creative research project on how Japanese fashion evolved from the 1800s to the twenty-first century.

 

Anyone who would like to be involved with the Honors Transfer Program can find more information on our website.

 

We will be hosting another event featuring professional researchers at various stages of their careers. The hyflex event will take place on Thursday, December 2, 2021 from 4:00-6:00 p.m. on-campus in the Skyline College Library, and on Zoom. You can register here.

 

Article by Janice Sapigao

Photos by Marisa Thigpen

The end of the year is just around the corner. The BAEC team is preparing local businesses owners with skills and tools they can use in 2022.

From a basic “How To Use Zoom For Your Business” workshop to a more intermediate level financial workshop, “How To Understand Your Business Costs” – all five workshops are tailored for the everyday business owners.

Three of the workshops will be led by guest speakers. One of them is a past micro-grant winner. Each guest speaker brings a new source of knowledge for business owners.

• Tax Law Updates 2021 hosted by Tiffany Razo
• Understanding Your Business Costs hosted by Nicholas Deinzer
• Reducing Your Business’ Carbon Footprint hosted by Gabrielle Hildebrand

We invite you to attend our workshops by RSVPing on Eventbrite.

The Bay Area Entrepreneur Center is a hub of resources for anyone looking to start and grow their business idea.  Skyline College students, faculty, and staff are welcome to book a business coaching session or attend a workshop!

Questions? Interest? Contact us at baec@smccd.edu, 650-738-7994, or visit us at skylinebaec.org.

 

Article by Nicole Moreno-Deinzer

This year our District’s three Dream Centers and the Skyline College Dream Center Task Force have teamed up to present our 5th Annual Undocu-Week taking place (mostly) virtually this Monday, October 18 through Friday, October 22. This year’s timely theme is Change in Action.

 

The week’s events aim to celebrate achievements, answer questions, raise awareness about SMCCD’s undocumented students, and most importantly, to grow and inspire our community to action!

 

Included are a series of virtual events including our “homegrown” live and virtual activities, important webinars from the CCC, and a free AB540 20th anniversary conference hosted by the non-profit organization Immigrants Rising.

 

All members of our Skyline College community are welcome to attend a mixer, stop by Wednesday’s Dream Center/FIRE Club booth at College Hour, join a book club, get up to date legal information related to our undocumented community, visit the Library’s Undocu-Week display, and join Game Night activities.

 

Finally, don’t miss Friday’s keynote speaker, San Francisco based FilipinX author Lysley Tenorio at 10am. You may know Tenorio from Monstress: Stories. About his debut novel, The Son of Good Fortune, he explains:

 

“There’s a part of me that wants to believe that the majority of Americans have a lot of empathy for undocumented young people and are more willing to welcome them than a lot of the news would suggest… If I’m fortunate enough to have this book fall into the hands of someone who may not normally pick it up, I hope that it shows them another perspective and maybe even persuades them to look at things another way.” – San Diego Tribune, July 4, 2020

 

You can also show your solidarity by downloading an Undocu-Week zoom background and contributing to the week’s padlet.

 

Registration information, links, and all you need to participate is here!  https://bit.ly/UNDOCUWEEKINFOSITE

 

Questions? Please contact Paola Mora Paredes, (650) 574-6120 or Chad Thompson.

 

Article by Jessica Silver-Sharp

On September 24, 2021, Skyline College’s International Student Program (ISP) went for a walking tour of Chinatown, the North Beach neighborhood, and Telegraph Hill/Coit Tower in San Francisco. The eighteen students who attended the event had the opportunity to meet, talk, and get to know each other in person. Something especially important since Skyline College is primarily online due to the ongoing pandemic.

 

Fortunately, despite the utterly temperamental weather of San Francisco, it was a beautiful day. The tour stopped at a variety of locations including, the beautiful Dragon Gate at the southern entrance of Chinatown and the Saints Peter and Paul Church, a Catholic institution located in North Beach, a traditionally Italian neighborhood.

 

Thais Aoyama, an international student from Brazil and one of the ISP’s student ambassadors, said her favorite part was the fortune cookie factory, “We were able to try fresh ones. It was really warm.” On the other hand, Win Mar Oo, an international student from Myanmar, preferred climbing to the top of Coit Tower, “I can feel nature, [and] see the ocean and the city view from there.”

 

Throughout the tour Clair Yeo-Sugajski, Interim Program Services Coordinator, talked about the city and its history. She shared how San Francisco’s financial district was built on ships originally used in the gold rush and how the corner of Post and Montgomery Street, where the tour met, used to be underwater (today it is at the heart of San Francisco’s downtown).

 

Furthermore, everyone noted the tour was decidedly social. Michelle Amaral, Interim Retention Specialist, said people were shy starting out. However, gradually everyone began happily talking to one another. Win said, “meeting new friends in person, taking pictures together…it was so much fun.”

 

It wasn’t always easy; they had to take frequent rests while walking up onerous stairs to get to the top of Telegraph Hill, where Coit Tower is located. However, even after that, according to Thais, “everyone was talking, having fun, laughing.”

 

Overall, students got to meet new people, see new places, and walk up a new set of stairs. The ISP is thoroughly grateful to all the students who came and helped make it a truly wonderful event!

 

​​

If you are interested in learning more about future ISP programs and events, contact the ISP office at skyinternational@smccd.edu

 

Article by Evelyn Rossi

How may we assist you in landing your dream job? Whether you’re interested in short- or long-term career planning, the Career Readiness & Job Placement team offers a variety of services and career readiness experiences to assist you with your specific career needs. If you want to work with a Job Placement Coordinator, please fill out this brief welcome form and someone will contact you soon to schedule an appointment!

 

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—

• Arts, Language & Communication Jobs_10-15-2021
• Business, Entrepreneurship & Management Jobs_10-15-2021
• Science Technology Health Jobs_10-15-2021
• Society Education Jobs_10-15-2021
• Just In Time Jobs_10-15-2021

How may we assist you in landing your dream job? Whether you’re interested in short- or long-term career planning, the Career Readiness & Job Placement team offers a variety of services and career readiness experiences to assist you with your specific career needs. If you want to work with a Job Placement Coordinator, please fill out this brief welcome form and someone will contact you soon to schedule an appointment!

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—

• Arts, Language & Communication Internships_10-15-2021
• Science Technology Health Internships_10-15-2021

The Poetry Corner Series of virtual readings and discussions is pleased to celebrate “Non-English Poetry” on Thursday, November 18, at 4:30pm. Students are welcome to bring one poem (self-written or a favorite) in a non-English language and then read a translation of the poem in English. If you have questions or would like to contribute as a reader, please contact Pia Walawalkar, Equity & Outreach Librarian. <walawalkars@smccd.edu>.

For more information, please visit: bit.ly/skylinepoetry

Register here: bit.ly/skypoetryRSVP

The Poetry Corner Series is hosted by Skyline College Library and supported by a President’s Innovation Fund (PIF) award.

Article by Jessica Silver-Sharp 

Mindful Mondays has been offered weekly either in person in the STEM Center, or virtually on Zoom, since Fall 2019.  It has created a safe environment for students, faculty and classified employees to take a break, share their struggles and the techniques they use to lower their anxiety.

Mindful Mondays has been hosted by Emilie Hein, Physics Professor at Skyline College, who has been offering a range of guided mindfulness activities, including the creation of gratitude trees, guided meditations, breathing exercises and mindful eating. The activities change weekly based on the needs of the attending community and current events. This semester, we are excited to also include special guests, who are experts in mindfulness awareness. Although it has mostly been attended by the STEM community, it is open to all.

 

We were honored to have our first guest speaker on September 27, 2021. Wini Linguvic is the boss lady at The Elevate Practice, a yoga subscription service that takes the guesswork out of HOW to practice yoga at home. A New York Times best-selling author, Wini specializes in making yoga useful and usable for all levels.

 

She led a wonderful session of stretching and breathing, which left us feeling relaxed and ready to tackle a new week. Attendee Professor Maryam Khan described the session as “wonderful! I loved how she was able to make her practice so relatable to ours.”

 

We also asked Wini about how our students and community can benefit from dedicating some time to mindfulness in their lives.

 

What does mindfulness mean to you?

Wini: “Mindfulness is paying attention. In day to day life it means not rushing your mind to the next thing but attending to the moment. This is not the easiest thing to do but the best way to start is to heed the old Buddhist saying…Feel your feet in your shoes.”

 

How can students in STEM relate to the work that you do? Your approach seems very scientific in many ways. 

Wini: “I always say be a researcher and not a judge. In other words as you start to integrate yoga and mindfulness do not be so quick to evaluate. Instead experiment and see what works. Add in three minutes of alternate nostril breathing and see how you feel. Sign up for an excellent yoga class once a week and see if you feel better.”

 

What are your strategies for dealing with anxiety, especially as we all navigate through a global health crisis and trying times?

Wini: “There are SO many things we can’t control we need to focus on the things we CAN. Identify what you can control, such as the water you drink, turning OFF the news, spending time with goof friends, or spending five minutes practicing simple breathing exercises. when you can identify what you CAN control and what you can’t the pressure is off to try to manage everything.”

 

What kind of teacher do you strive to be? 

Wini: “I want to be the teacher that gets you fascinated by your yoga practice. That inspires curiosity about how a simple combination of stretching and breathing can really help you feel better. “

 

What do you expect from your students?

Wini: “I expect students to show up and to remember the three goals of class. Number one is that first and foremost the goal is to FEEL better. Number two is that each time we practice yoga we have a chance to learn something new about a body we have lived in ALL our life. And number three is to discover for ourselves how one good practice a week really does make the WHOLE week better.”

 

Interested in joining us for our next session?

Start the week right and join us on Mondays from 12:30p.m. to 1:00 p.m.. https://smccd.zoom.us/j/98991907714

Meeting ID: 989 9190 7714

Pass code: 403526

Feel free to log in at any point and leave as you need. No judgment here. We understand your schedule needs and want to offer a place of serenity and comfort.

If you are interested in participating as a facilitator or have any questions, please contact Emilie Hein (heine@smccd.edu).

You can also follow the STEM Center on Facebook and Instagram to get weekly updates.

 

Article by Emilie Hein

Photo by Wini Linguvic

 

The Congressional Gold Medal, one of the two highest civilian awards in the United States, is one of “Congress’s highest expressions of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by people ‘who have performed an achievement that has an impact on American history and culture’.”

During Fleet Week in San Francisco,  a special Northern California presentation was held to award the Congressional Gold Medal to family members of Chinese-American World War II veterans from all the military branches.  Though belated, it represented recognition of the service and sacrifices of 20,000 Chinese Americans during World War II.

US Army Major General Stephen D. Tom (Ret.) presented the Congressional Gold Medal to History Professor James I. Wong and two of his brothers for their father, who had served with the famed Flying Tigers.  Bless Our Veterans!

Article by James Wong

On September 23 and 30, 2021 the Fall 2021 Puente Learning Community students were able to come together for the first time in-person through the Outward Bound California ropes course in McLaren Park, San Francisco. Due to Covid restrictions, the cohort was split into two groups over two dates which helped to support students and Puente faculty getting the chance to get to know each other in smaller groups (16 or less). Students and Puente mentors feasted on pan dulce and hot chocolate for breakfast and burritos and horchata for lunch and received Skyline College bags filled with academic supplies at the conclusion of their ropes course experience.

After the Puente Learning Community students participated in the challenge course, they were asked to share their reflections on their ropes course day. One student shared, “During my ropes course experience I learned many things about myself. I very quickly noticed that I don’t trust people. It was scary trusting in someone, and believing that they will take care of you. The ropes course made me feel safe and happy. I feel that recently the whole covid situation had made me more reserved, which I had realized. Joining everyone on the day gave me a feeling of happiness alongside my Puente Community or “family” that I haven’t felt in a while. The ropes course was a great opportunity for me to rela

x and let go of all the stress that has accumulated within me during these couple months. Being there with everyone and the people who helped all of us, made me feel comfortable. I realized that I really enjoy being outdoors and would like to surround myself around nature. Overall, the whole experience was amazing and I would do it all again if I could.”

Another student shared their impressions of the day, “The ropes course is definitely a memorable experience. It was out of my comfort zone in the sense of being motivated and pushed to do new things and accomplish things, when you thought you couldn’t for example, climb up 10 feet or more from the ground. Trusting complete strangers to support you. I know this was a learning experience to build trust and team bonding, but it did more than that in the end. The best part was being outside and finally meeting some of my classmates, teachers/mentors in person. The pandemic has been a difficult time for everyone and it was amiable to see team building and bonding. It built a bridge for our class community to be more united and familiar.”

 

One student shared that she is usually an introvert but was excited to be part of this day and was glad to have decided to come when she was originally unsure if she wanted to participate. Many students commented that they enjoyed meeting their fellow Puente Learning Community students for the first time in-person and were eager to hear about other upcoming in-person events like College Hour, a Sunday morning Sweeney Ridge hike/cleanup and a Halloween get together.

 

The Outward Bound staff provided a safe space for students and program faculty to engage with mental and physical challenges, be pushed out of their comfort zones, and build community through warm-up group dynamic games and discussions prior to getting harnessed up for the high ropes course.

We want to give a warm thank you to Dr. Newin Orante, Golda Margate, Luis Escobar, Jackie Flores, Roger Perez-Vaughan, Barbara Lamson and Roxanne Brewer for helping to make this field trip happen for our Puente Learning Community students! Si se Puente!

 

Article by Marisa Thigpen and Alex Urbina