Comment
Duarte
TUITION HELP THROUGH AMERICORPS SERVICE The state of California and eight universities are partnering on a firstin-the-nation program to help students pay for college through public service. Cal Lutheran will receive about $340,000 in grants for its program. An inaugural cohort of 25 AmeriCorps Fellows will work with local organizations to increase school completion rates for students and literacy rates for adults in lowincome and immigrant communities in Ventura County. Upon completion of their fellowships, the students will receive up to $10,000 in federal and state scholarships and additional money from the university. Cynthia Duarte (above), an assistant professor of sociology and director of Cal Lutheran’s Sarah W. Heath Center for Equality and Justice, will lead the program with the help of a community engagement specialist and community service coordinator Madeline Liberti. Students will intern at Cal Lutheran’s Rising Scholars Academy partnership with Moorpark
College, the Safe Passage program of the Thousand Oaks Police Department and Conejo Recreation and Park District, the Omega Initiative for men of color at Oxnard College, and the Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project. The other participating universities are CSU Los Angeles, CSU Stanislaus, Dominican University of California, San Jose State University, UC Berkeley, UC Merced, and University of the Pacific.
ART WORKSHOPS BRING HEALING An associate therapist with the university’s Community Counseling Services, Adam Neal heard from people affected by local wildfires that they wanted to do Neilson something therapeutic, but less clinical than going to therapy. That’s when he got the idea for a series of free art workshops offered early this year at Art Trek in Thousand Oaks. PROVOST WINS “We really wanted to NATIONAL HONOR create a way for commuThe Council of Indepennity members to come dent Colleges awarded Cal together to have a differLutheran Provost Leanne ent kind of conversation Neilson its 2019 Chief than people are used to Academic Officer Award. having about this type of The annual honor recogevent, through the arts, nizes exemplary contriin a safe space,” Neal butions in this role at the told Spectrum News in nation’s private colleges. February. “You have guided the Local resident Natasha academic enterprise Kissler, who evacuated at California Lutheran with her family, told the University with excable television channel traordinary skill since that children and adults 2008,” said Glenn R. both benefit from using Sharfman of the CIC at art as an outlet. the Nov. 2 ceremony “I think sometimes in Baltimore. “You also we try to find the right have played a leadership words to say and we role in the workshops don’t really say what we for department and really feel. We just try to division chairs, helping calm everybody around colleagues who are new and not to panic,” she to leadership positions said. “Maybe our artwork strengthen all of our allows us to really tell institutions.” what we feel.”
LETTER: CAPITALISM MAKES THE PLANET A BETTER PLACE
A
few comments on your article in the December 2019 issue about Dr. Moe-Lobeda [“Hope in All Climates,” Page 10]. Dr. Moe-Lobeda states in the article that the Earth cannot “support” capitalism. Capitalism is not static. It is developing daily. Capitalism has made the planet a greener place. Electric cars, solar and wind energy, developed under capitalism, are just a few examples of how capitalism has made the planet a better place to live. To say the Earth cannot “support” capitalism is a fallacy. As for “changing” capitalism to another system, God help us if this happens. Ask the people of Bolivia, Venezuela, Cuba, how the socialist revolution is going. Capitalism has taken millions of people out of poverty, including in Mexico, where I live. A systematic economic change would cause worldwide chaos. Sincerely, Christopher Groff ’88 (Guadalajara, Mexico)
ALUMNI BOARD OF DIRECTORS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Candice (Cerro ’09) Aragon President and Regent Representative Andrew Brown ’09 Vice President, Alumni Involvement & Recognition Julie (Heller ’89) Herder Vice President, University Relations Karsten Lundring ’65 Vice President, Development Jean Helm, MBA ’00 Secretary Erin (Rivers ’97) Rulon, MBA ’06 Immediate Past President
VOTING MEMBERS Joanne (Satrum ’67) Cornelius, MA ’74 Sal Sandoval ’78
AT-LARGE MEMBERS Sergio Galvez ’03, MPPA ’09 Irene (Tyrrell ’00) Moyer Reggie Ray ’92, MBA ’04 Brandi Schnathorst, MBA ’10
REPRESENTATIVES John Basmajian ’20 ASCLU-G Jennifer Jones McIntyre ’17, MBA ’20 GASC Angela (Namba ’02) Rowley, MS ’05 Faculty
OFFICE OF ALUMNI & FAMILY RELATIONS Rachel Ronning ’99 Lindgren Senior Director Stephanie Hessemer Associate Director Steven Guetzoian Assistant Director Jana Weber Administrative Assistant
APRIL 2020
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