During World War II, more than 120,000 Japanese and Japanese-Americans were forcibly removed from their homes, first to “Assembly Centers” like Tanforan and Santa Anita, and next to concentration camps. Many Japanese Americans, including Bay Area college students, were never able to return home.

On February 25 at 3:00pm, please join us for Remembering Resistance: Narratives of Wartime Memories and Japanese Incarceration, a virtual talk by Skyline College faculty members of Japanese descent. This month marks the 80th anniversary of Executive Order 9066, the federal government’s incarceration order.

All members of the Skyline College community are invited to connect for intergenerational sharing and discussion for racial solidarity at this zoom link: https://smccd.zoom.us/J/4936699624, no registration is required.

Faculty interested in offering extra credit are also encouraged to promote the event to their students. Please direct any questions to Prof. Yonemura-Fabian at fabianr@smccd.edu. You’ll find more information here: https://guides.skylinecollege.edu/JapaneseAmericanIncarceration

SparkPoint at Skyline College and the Business Division, in partnership with United Way of the Bay Area’s Earn it! Keep it! Save it!, are excited to announce free income tax preparation assistance for students, faculty, staff and community members (households that earned less than $57,000 in 2021). Taxes will be prepared every Saturday, February 26 – March 26, 2022, from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Building 8, Room 8-209.

 

VITA Free Tax Prep at Skyline College

• Day/Date: Every Saturday, February 26 – March 26, 2022
• Time:  12:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Location: Building 8, Room 8-209

 

Please note these important guidelines:

• All clients must bring government issued ID’s for all taxpayers, and Social Security or ITIN cards for everyone who will be on the tax return (taxpayers, dependents, etc.).
• If filing a joint return, both spouses need to be present for the return prep, review, and to sign the consent forms.
• THE SITE WILL NOT PREPARE RETURNS FOR ANYONE BRINGING IN DOCUMENTS FOR ANOTHER PERSON(s) (i.e. preparing a return for their children, parents, etc.)
• Our VITA site is not currently preparing taxes for clients with self-employment income. To find another VITA site, please visit earnitkeepitsaveit.org or call 211.

 

For information about other SparkPoint services at Skyline College, please visit the SparkPoint website. To make a free tax preparation appointment, please call SparkPoint at Skyline College at (650) 738-7035.

Black history is American history and this month, Skyline College hosted a variety of events aligned with the national theme of Health and Wellness to honor the Black diaspora.

The Belonging at Skyline College series hosted by Umoja-ASTEP Coordinator Chad Coates was an opportunity for students and faculty to connect and share ways they felt or wanted to feel connected at Skyline College. One of the events featured a student panel including Umoja-ASTEP, Women’s Mentoring & Leadership Academy (WMLA), and TRiO students who shared their Skyline College journeys and how they overcame challenges. The series provided students a safe space to share their experiences and recommend resources to take advantage of whilst a part of the Skyline College community.

Umoja-ASTEP student Kassidy Corbin stated, “Attending the event even as a panelist allowed me to learn from other students who had completely different experiences and gave me new insight on how I should be an advocate for myself and my education.”

The panel Structural Racism in Healthcare: Showing up for Mothers of Color held on February 17, 2022 provided insight into the field of doula work, how unconscious biases affect patients (especially those of African American descent), and standing up for oneself as a patient. Organized by Black Students Union (BSU) Vice President Aryssa Muhammad and hosted by the Associated Students of Skyline College (ASSC), the guest speakers included doulas Azraa Muhammad and Jaya Pruitt, Stanford Healthcare CNA Angelica Goodman and Skyline College Dean of Student Equity and Support Programs (SESP) Dr. Cheryl Johnson as moderator. The discussions were honest and ranged from personal and professional experiences, to medical studies and even to pop culture references. Students who attended found the information very valuable and ASSC Senator Caroline Cotton commented, “Panels like this need to happen once a month!”

B.E.A.Ts, Rhymes & Life; Healing through Hip Hop was a collaborative event hosted by CIPHER coordinator & counselor Nate Nevado, TRiO counselor Brianna Clay and WMLA advisor Danielle Powell on February 23, 2022. The session focused on healthy ways to discuss mental/academic/spiritual/physical trauma through the lens of Hip Hop, and contextualized Hip Hop’s influence on culture and its impact on people’s lives through an “individual and community empowerment” framework (adapted by Travis & Deepak (2011)). During the session, students were provided a safe space to discuss past trauma through the (B)reak it down.(E)valuate/Expose.(A)ction/strategy.(T)ransformation. process. Students were empowered to find their voice, be their authentic self and tell their story voluntarily through an open mic event by using the writing/MCing element of Hip Hop.

 

Article by Kassidy Corbin and Brianna clay

Lunar New Year is an important holiday around the world especially for many Asians and Asian-Americans not only to honor ancestors and mark the start of the new year, but also to reunite, gather, and celebrate the new year with their families, friends, and loved ones.

On Wednesday, February 9, 2022, the International Students Program (ISP) and Associated Students of Skyline College (ASSC) celebrated Lunar New Year at the Fireside Dining Room in Building 6 to provide the Skyline College community an opportunity to experience Asian cultural heritage through Asian snacks, traditional crafts, music, and many more. As soon as the event began, attendees began to gather around the booths; students, staff, and faculty members who participated in the event were excited and enjoyed the activities.

At the ISP booth, participants were introduced to a traditional craft made out of red envelopes called “Hong Bao”. Using Hong Bao, they were able to make Red Packet Fish while learning about the relationship between fish and the verse “Nian nian you yu (年年有余)” which means overabundance throughout the year. The word “yu (余)” means surplus or overabundance, but it also sounds similar to the word “yu (鱼)” that means fish. This is why people celebrating Lunar New Year like to have a fish dish on the dining table.

Some students were also able to make an 8-piece Hong Bao coin from the red envelopes as well. Students who made Red Packet Fishes received rewards in the form of snacks and stationery from ASSC. Although it was challenging and confusing at first, most people did not give up and made beautiful red packet fishes and 8-piece Hong Bao coin.

ISP and ASSC thanks everyone who stopped by our event and celebrated the Lunar New Year with us. May the Lunar New Year bring you happiness and prosperity!

Article by Lasheana Dilian Husni | Photo by Chikako Walker

Free PCR testing is now available for employees, students, and the broader community via the District’s partnership with COVID Clinic.

COVID Clinic testing sites are operating at Cañada College, College of San Mateo, and Skyline College Monday – Friday. You can make an appointment via the COVID Clinic Testing website or visit the District’s COVID-19 Testing webpage for more information.  

Follow all the latest info at: https://smccd.edu/return-to-campus/employees.php 

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
• Business, Entrepreneurship & Management Jobs
• Science, Technology & Health Jobs
• Society & Education Job
• Just In Time Jobs

 

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
• Science Technology & Health Internships
• Society & Education Internships

 

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!

The State of California has announced that it will lift the statewide mask mandate on February 15, as scheduled. San Mateo County has announced that it will align with the State and will lift the countywide mandate at the same time, but no official health orders have yet been issued.

At this time, the San Mateo County Community College District will maintain its masking requirements, to allow for appropriate time to consult with District stakeholder groups and discuss this policy matter with the Board of Trustees.   

As such, all employees, students and visitors entering any District facility are required to wear a face mask in all indoor settings, regardless of vaccination status (surgical masks or higher-level respirators (e.g., N95s, KN95s, KF94s) with good fit are recommended). Signage to this effect is posted in all buildings throughout the District. Face masks are not required only when actively eating or drinking in designated areas.

Masks are widely available throughout all District and campus buildings.

Follow all the latest info at: https://smccd.edu/return-to-campus/employees.php

Black history is American history and this month, Skyline College has a variety of events to honor the Black diaspora aligned with the national theme of Health and Wellness. The month kicked off at College Hour on February 2 with tabling from the Associated Students of Skyline College (ASSC), the Black Student Union (BSU) and the Umoja-ASTEP Learning Community.

On Friday, February 4, the Skyline College and Cañada College Black Student Unions hosted a mixer allowing students to get to know each other and discuss their goals and issues that affect them followed by a fun round of Kahoot! testing their knowledge of the movie Friday.

The Stewardship for Equity, Equal Employment and Diversity (SEEED) Committee’s Black/African American Students task group hosted a Spring Welcome Back & Open House on February 8 and 9 introducing students to resources on campus such as TRiO, Brothers Achieving Milestones (BAM), Black Student Union, Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS), Umoja-ASTEP and Women’s Mentoring and Leadership Academy (WMLA).

Students, staff and faculty were given an in-depth lecture by Dr. Tony Jackson mixing psychology and history for “Health and Wellness through the Lens of Black Psychology” on Wednesday, February 9. If you missed this fantastic workshop, you can view the recording on the ASSC YouTube page.

Next Week’s Events

Monday, February 14: All About Love: Celebrating bell hooks’ Love Ethic – Share your favorite excerpts from bell hooks or other cherished artists or even your own personal works related to the theme of love.

February 16 & 22: Belonging at Skyline College: Fostering a Culture of Place – A discussion series centers on the reflections of our Black students, faculty, and administrators/staff at Skyline College.

February 17: Structural Racism in Healthcare: How to Show Up for Mothers of Color – Black mothers are six times more likely to die within a year of pregnancy than their white counterparts, higher than the national average. How do we address this?

Learn more about this year’s Black History Month events and updates on the ASSC Padlet: bit.ly/skyBHM2022

On Valentine’s Day, Skyline College Library will hold a virtual celebration of the life and writings of the late feminist author, cultural critic and social activist bell hooks (1952-2021). All members of the community are invited to join “All about Love: Celebrating bell hooks’ Love Ethic,” where we’ll explore hooks’ thoughts and works on love. “All about Love” takes place virtually by Zoom on Monday, February 14, from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m..

Participants are encouraged to share, in any format they choose – spoken word, art, music, or by sharing a quote or excerpt, video clip etc. –  the ways they’ve been inspired by hooks. To learn more about hooks’ life and writings, we recommend this library resource guide as a starting place: https://guides.skylinecollege.edu/bellhooks

Students are also encouraged to ask their instructors to consider offering an extra credit for attending this event, which coincides with Black History Month as well.

For details, contact Skyline College librarian Prof. Pia Walawalkar <walawalkars@smccd.edu>.

Zoom link: bit.ly/Skylinebellhooks