Inside View
Hear about Pablo Gonzalez’s book signing on page 3, in the Features section.
Editor’s Note
Learn everything there is Opinions and Entertainment to know about Skyline’s were cut from this issue due to lack Badminton class on page 4, of adherence to deadlines. They will in the Sports section. be back in the next issue.
The
Skyline View
-Andrew Lidwell
The Voice of Skyline College, San Bruno, California
www.theskylineview.com
April 2, 2009
Volume XXIII - Issue 5
Skyline student wins first place Gui Oliveira Staff Writer
Skyline student Jonathan Tolentino won first place in the American Society for Micro Biology on March 14. His lab partner, Claudia Briones, also worked alongside to produce a plant experiment. Tolentino worked under the guidance of Dr. Christine Case in the biology department. No prize money was awarded but the real prize is in the “glory” of it all, said Dr. Case. Tolentino and Briones spent the previous summer gathering weed plant specimens and testing it in the laboratory. Together they collected six weed plant samples, all grown in California - some of which can be located on campus. They tested the plants for “anti-bacterial activities.” “We found that four of the plants tested were effective in either inhibiting or killing Staph, Aureus, or E. coli,” said Tolentino. With their research completed, it gave them the opportunity to shine in the science community. Such prominent events included the NIH Science Scholars Program at SFSU and the Basic and Advanced Science and Technology Academies of Research (BA-STAR) held in Sacramento. The scope of their findings established various awards including
the most “creative” at the Northern California American Society of Microbiologists. Their research was also published in Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans (SACNAS) Abstract Journal. “These opportunities are usually always given to post-graduate students,” said Dr. Case. With opportunities showing up, Tolentino is “deciding in between UC Davis for research or UC Santa Cruz for their beautiful forests and beaches,” he mentioned. His commitment to scientific research “definitely helps him with getting in prestigious Universities and career opportunities,” said Mike Williamson, Dean of Science, Math, and Technology. The science division is located in building 7 and includes the math and technology departments. The new building supplies students with enhanced laboratories for experiments in the different fields of science. The “new” MESA center is also located in building 7, a helpful way for students to receive help on their science, math, and engineering studies. “The science department and its faculty at Skyline have been successful in accommodating more and more students with a rich and stimulating experience,” said Tolentino.
Jonathan Tolentino poses with his award after taking first place at the American Society for Microbiology.
Academic senate sets new policies Kenny Martin Copy Editor
The new smoking policy beginning in the Fall 2009 semester and the Chapter 6 policies were the main focus of the Academic Senate meeting that was held on Friday, March 27. The smoking policy is going to be changing to only allow people to smoke in designated smoking areas within the parking lots. There will be no more smoking on campus. Designated smoking areas will be included in staff parking lots as well, and students can smoke in staff parking lots and vice-versa.
One parking lot that will be excluded is the one near the child development center, for obvious reasons. Even though there are currently designated smoking spots on campus, they are often in the way of students who do not wish to smell smoke but have to cross through it to reach their classes. Lori Adrian, Vice President of Student Services, said that “there is basically a smoke free zone on campus now.” The goal for the people in charge of this project is to clearly indicate where, why and when these changes will be put into effect. Permanent
Kenny Martin/Skyline View
Ray Hernandez spoke at the Academic Senate meeting on March 27.
signs will be posted in the designated smoking areas as well as at the entrance to each of the parking lots and will include pockets containing flyers detailing all of the information, including FAQ, regarding the new policy. All teachers will be told to announce to their classes the new smoking policy. In addition, the new “parking lot only” smoking policy will be put in the class schedules and syllabi. Enforcement of this new policy will be more lenient during the first year. The team wants people to follow this rule and to become informed. If after a year, however, people are caught smoking outside designated smoking areas, student disciplinary action will be taken, such as suspension or expulsion. Next, the members of the Academic Senate council voted on whether or not individual policies compiled into section 6 should be approved or not approved. 6.21 states that a student can receive either an A, B, C, D, F, P, NP (No Pass), I (Incomplete), IP (In Progress), RD (Report Delayed), W, MW (Military Withdrawal). 6.22 states that a previously recorded D, F, or NP grade may be disregarded if it isn’t reflective of a student’s ability, sort of a “fresh start.” An example would be if someone got Ds five years ago, but now they are consistently getting As and Bs, then they can petition to
have their Ds removed. 6.24 states that “appropriate articulation” will be provided to help students transition from one school to another. 6.26 states that students will receive full transfer credit in their major field but will still have to complete all of the graduation requirements in their new school in order to graduate. 6.35 states that academic freedom be required and also old ideas will be tested and new ideas proposed. It also mandates, however, that in-class discussions be relevant to the program. 6.45 states that the District will pay for the students who are going on a field trip that is a requirement for a class. 6.60 deals with nursing programs (this wasn’t really discussed because Skyline doesn’t have a nursing program). And lastly, 6.90 states that fee-based classes will be offered for no credit, and the instructors will not be required to meet minimum qualifications. In a collaboration, the Academic Senate approved 6.21, 6.24, 6.26, 6.35, 6.45, and 6.60 but tabled 6.22 and 6.90. Their main motivation for not approving 6.90 was the professor not having to meet minimum qualifications. The Academic Senate meets the second and fourth Fridays of every month, and will meet again after Spring Break.
courtesy of
Jonathan Tolentino
Skyline College at JACC Jessica Belluomini Staff Writer Around noon on Thursday, March 26, crammed into three cars, seven staff members of The Skyline View, three other Skyline students interested in journalism, and teacher/advisor Nancy Kaplan-Biegel drove into the hot and dry Sacramento climate to attend the JACC convention hoping to learn more about journalism and have a good time. They arrived in the lobby one carload after the other into the Double Tree Hotel waiting to check into their rooms, not knowing what to expect and barely knowing each other. Ushered into the Grand Ballroom of the hotel, orientation began. with an enthusiastic “Hello!” Marjie Lundstrom, keynote speaker, Pulitzer Prize winner, and investigative reporter for The Sacramento Bee, welcomed those attending. The mood turned serious when Lundstrom shared her current project about Sacramento’s Child Protective Services and their being investigated for not protecting several children from being murdered by their neglectful parents. Lundstrom’s articles in The Sacramento Bee have opened the eyes of residents and caused an investigation into Sacramento’s...
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