LACC WEATHER FORECAST MONDAY
90/72
TUESDAY
82/69
WEDNESDAY
79/68
THURSDAY
82/69
FRIDAY
86/68
Collegian Los Angeles
Wednesday, September 16, 2015 Volume 175 Number 1
NEWS BRIEFS
‘#Blacklivesmatter’ Exhibit Comes to Campus
fits,” said LACCD Trustee Mike Eng who chaired the Board committees overseeing the District’s application process. “This is just the beginning of a real ride for the students.” The California Career Pathway Trust Grant will be available to 6,298 applicants. Seventy-two percent of the applications will be designated for students who face economic academic challenges. The remaining 28 percent are reserved for students who major in one of the five fields.
A review set for March 2016 has the staff, faculty and administration inundated with processes and paperwork to ensure the campus clears the accreditation hurdle. Accredited institutions of higher education guarantee graduates certified degrees. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) certify all California educational institutions that offer students an accredited degree. A WASC accreditation legitimizes the credits a student obtains upon the completion of an appropriate course. In order to offer students a WASC accredited degree, an institution must uphold the principles in the associations mission statement– thus, being re-accredited as an acceptable institution at least every 10 years. LACC must be re-accredited. Dr. Dan Walden, vice president of Academic Affairs says students will suffer tremendously if the accredited stamp of approval is removed. Walden is also the accreditation liaison officer, and he is confident that LACC should not fear the loss of accreditation. “To lose accreditation would mean that you were ignoring the commission and were not following through to fix what needs to be fixed … that you have substantially deviated from the standards,” Walden said. Accreditation also plays an important role in determining whether a school gets any federal assistance. In California, if an institution is not WASC accredited it will not receive, nor be able to offer federal financial aid to qualified students. Although the seal of accreditation is from WASC, the agency responsible for reaffirming LACC’s accreditation is the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. “Many dedicated faculty, staff and administrators are working on [LACC’s] formal report to the ACCJC,” said to Dr. Dan Wanner, the LACC Accreditation Co-Chair. “[Faculty, staff and administrators] are reviewing how well [LACC’s]
SEE ENROLLMENT GRANT PAGE 5
SEE WASC PAGE 5
Elephant’s Graveyard to Kickstart Theatre Academy Fall Opening Elephant’s Graveyard, by George Brant, will launch the fall season for LACC’s Theatre Academy. The play highlights revenge, spectacle, lynching and legends, when a circus enters a small struggling Midwest town. Show dates are Oct. 2, 3, 8, 9 and Oct. 10 at the Camino Theatre. Check the Theatre Academy Box Office for show times.
UC Representatives Visit Campus to Assist Students Students who apply for UC Transfer Admission Guarantee can attend the UC TAG Workshop today from 4-5 p.m. Students will learn the requirements and application process. The TAG deadline is Sept. 30. Students may also attend workshops on Sept. 24 from noon to 1 p.m., and Sept. 30 from 1-2 p.m. Workshops are in Room 203 of the Administration Building.
CSUN Welcomes Future Transfer Students CSUN admissions representatives will be at L.A. City College on Wednesday Sept. 22, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. To schedule an appointment, visit the Transfer Center in the Administration Building, Room 109.
40 Universities Coming to Transfer Fair
LACC’s Transfer Day is Tuesday Sept. 22, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Quad. Forty universities from across the nation will attend the first transfer fair of the semester. Students can contact the Transfer Center for more information on the participating universities.
Astronomy Club Invites Students to Lunar Eclipse The LACC Astronomy Club welcomes students to observe a total lunar eclipse on Sunday, Sept. 27. Viewing will be on the third floor observation deck of the Sci-tech Building from 6:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m.
INDEX Opinion Features News Scholarships
2 3,4 5 6
ACCREDITATION REVIEW LOOMS BY AMBAR QUINTILLA
Artist Isabelle Lutterodt’s Erasure/Agitation #Blacklivesmatter art exhibition will be on display inside the Da Vinci Gallery at Da Vinci Hall until Sept. 30. Anyone interested in signed art pieces and interacting with the artist can attend a discussion Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 5:30 p.m. in the Da Vinci Gallery.
Students who want to take a class on a Pass/No Pass basis must file by Friday, Oct. 2. The last day to drop a class with a “W,” which means you withdrew from the class and are ineligible for a letter grade is Sunday, Nov. 22.
SEE PAGE 4
The Voice of Los Angeles City College Since 1929
COMPILED BY SORINA SZAKACS
Deadlines Arrive Soon for Class, Schedule Changes
MEET N’ SWAP: SOAK UP DEALS, LOCAL COLOR
COURTESY OF THE LOS ANGELES COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
Multimillion Dollar Grant Promises Internships for District Students
M
BY SORINA SZAKACS
ore than 6,000 students have 15 million reasons to be happy, thanks to funds available from the California Career Pathway Trust Grant. The California Department of Education awarded a $15 million grant to the Los Angeles Community College District that offers 4,000 internships in five career areas. The LACCD received $15 million in the form of a one-time competitive grant for a program aimed at
merging traditional academics and technical training. The program will connect employers with schools and train students for jobs in high-demand fields such as advanced manufacturing, information technology and healthcare. District officials and business partners gathered for the grant award ceremony on Thursday, June 4, in front of the Metro Headquarters Building at L.A.’s Union Station. Among the 115 people there were Phil Washington, CEO of Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Frank Spaeth, CEO of NIC Technology Partners and Tracy Rafter, CEO
of BizFed. The program will help over 6,000 students by offering 4,000 internships, which will be available over the next four years. With more than 100 partners, this program is one of the largest collaborative models in the history of California, and focuses on high-demand industry sectors that are projected to grow and offer job opportunities into the future. “This grant is a win-win-win for the students, the employers and our colleges because we know that when we work together to create career pathways, the economy grows, and the whole community bene-
Shirley without Laverne Shares Memoirs BY MAE BRADLEY Actress Cindy Williams spoke about her struggle and zeal while presenting her first memoir, “Shirley, I Jest: A Storied Life,” at the Camino Theatre on Sept. 12. Williams told the crowd of her life’s journey finding solace through the arts. After 45 years of hard work, her career in Hollywood still continues. She says she lived a life focused on making people laugh, having fun and staying positive. Although famous for her role as Shirley in the sitcom “Laverne & Shirley” and the film “American Graffiti,” Williams says she struggled with academics due to dyslexia. She says her ability to read, write, spell and speak properly was often misunderstood during her era. “You had to be enthusiastic,” Williams said. “Have a lot of hope, and be like Pollyanna every day of your life to say, ‘maybe tomorrow something wonderful will happen.’ I found a great beauty in that.” Many of the audience members had comments about the event, including Jonathan Elias, the head of Los Angeles City College’s programming board, and Leslie Ferreira, the Theater Department chair. Ferreira says that Williams’ visit to LACC strengthens the legacy and tradition that has been established in the program since 1929.
STUDY ABROAD CAPTIVATES STUDENT, ENCOURAGES HER TO STAY IN SCHOOL BY TOMAS RODRIGUEZ
PHOTO BY TOMAS RODRIGUEZ/COLLEGIAN
“The way she looks at life is inspiring, day to day as something new,” Elias said. First semester LACC student, James Datu says Williams inspired him. He believes the Theater Department lead to some of her success. “Seeing alumni that are successful … fills me with pride for being in this program,” Datu said. Al Rossi, a retired theatre faculty member, and Alumni Director for the LACC Foundation, Leigh Stenberg coordinated with Williams’ publisher for the speaking engage-
ment and book signing. Although admission was free for students, the general public paid $15. All ticket and book sale proceeds will help send LACC theatre academy students to the 2016 Kennedy Center Honors for Performing Arts Awards in Hawaii. “I love when alumni come back… and want to give to their alma mater,” Stenberg said. Williams revealed that there is another book in the works titled, “The Rest of the Jest.” In this book, she says she continues her life story where “Shirley, I Jest” leaves off.
Brenda Guzman sat and ate crepes with her classmates while enjoying the scene. In Paris, at that moment, she realized her potential as a Hispanic woman, a single mother and a community college student. Study abroad programs allow students to travel overseas. They spend one month in Spain and have a three-day conclusion in France. In Spain, the students stay in the dorms at Colegio Mayor Mara, the local university that is minutes away from the city center. Attendees also have the opportunity to tour many historic landmarks and museums. Guzman made it out of Los Angeles. She traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to Madrid and Barcelona, Spain. Then she spent three-days in France. She started to envision traveling with her daughter. Together, they could sit under the stars of the Eiffel Tower. “My dorm was comfortable,” Guzman said. “I posted pictures of my daughter so it would remind me of home.” Guzman says she thanks the Foreign Language and Humanities Department at Los Angeles City College for being able to see Spain, and take a course in Spanish while experiencing the culture in Spain.
She says in the mornings when she woke up and looked out her window from the fourth floor, she saw many students just like herself. They were from all over the nation and possessed the desire to travel. While abroad, Brenda had class for three hours most days. In her free time she would take public transportation to the Plaza De Sol, a tourist attraction in the center of Madrid. During her trip, historic architecture surrounded her. She says it reminds her of Hollywood but without the calamity celebrities and noise. She took the opportunity to see the Palacio Real de Madrid – the Royal Palace of Madrid. “I entered the place in awe,” Guzman said. “First, I noticed the enormous paintings high above, [on the ceiling] of the palace. I felt like I was in a fairy tale.” Brenda went to Paris for the last few days of her trip. She arrived in her hotel, unloaded her stuff in a hurry and went straight to the Eiffel Tower. During the day, the tower captivated her, but at night it sparkled and created the illusion of a million stars in the dark starless sky. SEE FOREIGN LANGUAGE PAGE 5