2.26.20 NEWS 3
therampageonline.com
Students for Change Janine Tate | Reporter jtate@therampageonline.com
“Students of color were not always accepted on this campus. Our courses, were not always accepted as part of higher education,” said Karla Kirk, secretary of the African American Faculty and Staff. Photo/Dan Wong
The AAFSA and The Importance of Black History Month Natalie Gallegos | Reporter ngallegos@therampageonline.com
As Black History Month comes to an end, we must recognize why this annual month is important. “We should take every opportunity to learn about our past and more about experiences of people in the past that have been different from our own,” said history professor Kathleen Crawford. “Unless you reach out beyond your own experiences, your knowledge of life will be narrower and more truncated and not as full, as rich as it can be and your understanding of life will be narrower,” Crawford said. Author and English professor Lee Herrick founded a working group comprised of faculty working together to establish a social justice and cultural center on campus. “I think it’s important to know history, to know this history so we can more fully understand our present in all its positive aspects and its challenges we still face,” said Herrick. Herrick would encourage people to learn, celebrate, research and discover yearround beyond the icons that are understandably taught in schools. This could be music, education, medicine, technology, politics or any areas where Black culture and Black history is important. “There is not a large representation of African American faculty and staff on this campus. Sometimes there is just one person in the whole division,” said Karla Kirk, secretary of the African American Faculty and Staff. The African American Faculty and Staff is an organization
that strives to support students, looking out for their needs and interests. The AAFSA also provides scholarships, mentors students through the IDLE program and put on the end of semester African American graduation, a celebration for African American graduates. Their motto is, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Although the AAFSA are a small group of a dozen active members, they are a united group that strives to go far. “As a group, we have tried to stay connected to each other to make sure that we have that sense of family and that sense of not feeling alone here,” Kirk said. According to Kirk, it’s important that African American students see African American educators and leadership so they feel as though they have a place and voice on the FCC campus. “Students of color were not always accepted on this campus. Our courses, were not always accepted as part of higher education,” Kirk said This organization started back in the 80’s when students of color had to do a lot of fighting and insisting to have a place on the FCC campus. “Those fights were done for us and it’s important that we maintain that space we occupy, because the minute we stop fighting for it, they’ll take it away,” Kirk said. The AAFSA have received support from retired members who make monthly contributions, so the organization can offer scholarships and book vouchers. Kirk also added that the reason Black History Month is
important for our nation and our country to recognize is because this information is not really taught as a part of shared American History or American identity. “This is something that for students in kindergarten through twelvth grade, when you’re in primary school, what they get about African American history is slavery and then they get Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks, and then they get Barack Obama,” Kirk said. “And so, that minimizes the impact that people of African descent have had in building the nation that we live in today,” Kirk explained that much like the other months that we’ve had as to classify, there are other stories to tell other than the European version of how America got started, like Mexican American heritage month, Asian American heritage month and Native American history month. “All of these months are to remind our country, that more than Europeans built this country, more than Europeans are a part of this country and more than Europeans make up the history of who we are as American people,” Kirk said. As cultural heritage months continue throughout the year, it’s important to recognize these specific months more than just once a year. “What concerns me is that we define ‘month’ and we forget about the rest of the year,” said Ronda Kelley, Art instructor and African American studies professor. “Just like people of African descent are black year-round, the history is all year round,” Kelley said.
Students for Sustainable Action is the only environmental club on campus with the goal of making Fresno City College a zero-waste campus. The club noticed recycling bins have been an issue at FCC and is working to obtain more for the campus. Trash cans on campus were overflowing with recyclables, so the club took an inventory, said Kiernan Morris, the club’s president. “We found a ratio of 7 to 1, trash cans to recycling bins,” added Morris. “There were like 147 trash cans on campus and only 20 recycling bins.” Recycling keeps reusable plastics and other resources out of the landfills, said Morris. “A lot of the stuff that doesn’t get recycled either ends up in a landfill where its polluting the environment around it,” added Morris. “Or it ends up in our environment leaking BPA and other really harmful biochemicals into the ground, into our water supply and its around our kids which isn’t healthy.” Morris explained that the goal is to get all recycling bins out on campus by Earth Day. Aside from working to make FCC zero-waste, the organization has another purpose. “We want to lower the waste streams coming through here, focus on resources that different departments are using, work with the school to minimize the impact it’s having and reevaluate the culture the campus has in regards to environmental consciousness,” said Morris. Michelle Gerome, the vice president, explained what the club will promote in the spring 2020 semester. “Education, awareness, issues facing climate change,” Gerome said. “We also just want to create a community of people who are like minded that care about these issues and can work toward these issues.” Club officers encourage students interested or concerned for the environment to join their organization.
“I feel like a lot of people are aware of the environmental crisis going on, but aren’t exactly sure how to do something to change their part,” said Isaac Chacon, the club’s Inter Club Council (ICC) representative. Chacon said joining the club is a good way for students to get their foot in the door. “It’s a really multifaceted club, so there really is a lot of different things for everyone to enjoy,” said Brooke Lutz, the club treasurer. There are so many activities to get involved with and there’s a lot of fun, cool people in the club, Lutz continued. The club also participates in and hosts different events. Club members interact with different local organizations, volunteer at gardens, go on hikes and bring speakers to campus, Gerome said. The club will be hosting an event with the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), said Chacon. The event is called “Exposing the Pentagon: Hidden Polluter of Water” and will expose the military’s contamination of drinking water. It will be held in the Old Administration Building, Room 251 on Mar. 19 at 7 p.m. For more information visit www. militarypoisons.org. The club will be going on a project hike called the “Blue Oak Monitoring Project”, said Morris. “We’ll be taking measurements of blue oak trees to contribute to a larger project that monitors the health of different tree species in the area,” Morris added. The hike will be on March 28 in the Sequoia National Forest. Earth Day is on April 22 and the club will be planning an event for the day on their own or with other organizations, said Morris. Club meetings are held every Wednesday from 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. in SO-110. To sign up and get more information students can attend Club Rush, visit the meetings or contact Paul Gilmore from the club list on the FCC website.
Kiernan Morris discussed the agenda at the club meeting with Isaac Chacon, Michelle Gerome, other club officers and members on Feb. 19, 2020. The club addressed upcoming club activities and events, the issue of recycling bins, finances and other affairs in progress. Photo/Janine Tate