On November 14, the Beta Theta Omicron (BΘO) team, led by VP of College Project Deniz Scarpace, held their first ever Disaster Preparedness Symposium in building 6. The Symposium brought 50 attendees to engage in workshops and meet with community partners for critical resources. The event gave attendees the opportunity to learn and be prepared for various disaster scenarios that require specialized knowledge.
The idea was “born” during the officer training in June 2025. Deniz led the initial outreach to then-former VPAS Joe Morello, and through that effort, VP Morello connected Deniz and BΘO with the district team, Ben’Zara Minkin, Emergency Preparedness Manager, and Vince Garcia, CSM Firefighter Academy Instructor, in the Public Safety Department. Once the BΘO team had assembled their support team, they all began developing the symposium. As the symposium began to take shape, Jessica Hurless, Dean of Science, Math, & Technology, then connected the group with Ilyan Baalbaki, an Instructor from the Skyline College EMT program, to further support these efforts.
The Symposium featured three main workshops on the second floor of building 6, which attendees could rotate every hour. While the Skyline College EMT Program was covering emergency first aid, Ben’Zara Minkin and Vince Garcia delivered presentations on different types of fire extinguishers and how they are used, and guided participants on assembling “go-bags.” Participants assembled customized first aid kits with supplies donated by ASSC and storage bags contributed by Skyline College’s MCPR department. These bags were distributed at the registration table to all registered attendees. All symposium participants were also provided with light breakfast refreshments and Ike’s sandwiches for lunch, both sponsored by the Associated Students of Skyline College (ASSC). The community partners tabling in Fireside Dining were SAGE and HOPE, providing additional information on natural disasters and overdose prevention, respectively.
The Disaster Preparedness Symposium provided an opportunity for attendees and the institution to engage in critical conversations that highlight important aspects of human experience. Skyline College students, faculty, and staff are now prepared more than ever to support disaster relief efforts.
Article by Christian Sanchez
