Take a visit to Tehnopia on Page 6, in the Features section.
The
Inside View
Revel in the Trojan’s Victory on page 11, in the Sports section
The
Skyline View The Voice of Skyline College, San Bruno, California
www.theskylineview.com
September 17, 2009
Volume XXIV - Issue 2
Two Weeks After the Skyline Shooting Marc Arguello News Editor
Rachel Leung/Skyline View
Construction workers laboring in front of building 8.
New Additions to Skyline Underway Construction continues around campus Joe Fogel Entertainment Editor
If you were a student at Skyline five years ago, then you know how much has changed around the campus. From small changes in the landscaping to the addition of new buildings, Skyline has been transformed. However, with the Capital Improvement Plan’s second wave (CIP 2) underway, more and more change is on the horizon. CIP 2 is funded by bond money given to the district and is made up of two main projects, the first being the construction of the Facilities Maintenance Center. Contracted to John Plane Construction, the Facilities Maintenance Center is a central area for the groundskeepers to use as a base of operations. This part of the
project is wrapping up. The second part of CIP 2 is known as the Design-Build project. Contracted to Hensel-Phelps Construction Company, this project includes parking lot improvements, more landscape changes, new pathways and the addition of new buildings. The buildings being constructed as part of the Design-Build project include Buildings 4 and 11. Building 4 will house the Cosmetology department, the new Multicultural Center and administration offices. The building will also serve as a place to hold events and gatherings. Building 11 is an addition to the Automotive department, expanding the program facilities with service bays and new equipment. “In the spring the auto building will
Enrollment fees increased by 30% Helen Tran Chief Copy Editor
Skyline students were confronted with many new changes at the beginning of this fall semester. From the ongoing construction and related parking shortage to the new smokefree policy, students juggled many distractions along with their class schedules. Lost in this entire ruckus was the enrollment fee hike mandated by the state. Because the change took place during summer break, there was no easy way for Skyline College to
inform fall students of the imminent rate increase. Enrollment fees increased 30% from $20 to $26 per unit in a statewide mandate that affected all California community colleges. Despite some bill notices being sent out to students who had prepaid the old fees and a handful of online announcements, many students started the fall semester with little to no knowledge of the fee increase. Due to the state budget crisis that occurred earlier this summer, it had seemed likely that there would be major cuts in education but it wasn’t until the budget passed in late July that community colleges learned of the exact financial impact to their budgets and subsequent fees. The irony, according to district spokeswoman Barbara Christensen, was that “The fee used to be about $26 and went down to $20 a few years ago. We never know [about
open and…about fifteen months from now the other building will open up,” says Victoria Morrow, President of Skyline College. According to Morrow, everything is on track and going according to plan. The district is also trying to get all of our new buildings LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficient Design) certified. President Morrow said that certification is based on “national standards that classify buildings in terms of how many elements of sustainability are in the construction process and ongoing maintenance of the building.” Some example elements that factor into this certification are energy efficiency, heating, lighting and overall recycling.
Skyline has been awarded by an organization known as Sustainable San Mateo County for its progress in preserving the environment. Their annual Indicator Report lists that Skyline has recycled over 80 percent of its trash whereas the standard is only 50 percent. “Our district has actually been working on issues of sustainability for quite a while,” Morrow said. Expect construction to continue around campus, but know that everything happening at Skyline is heading to a more efficient school and a better tomorrow. -----
fee changes]…I would like to see some kind of system where we are given advance notice, like a set cost of living increase.” This current lack of advance notification was distinctly reflected by the confusion some students exhibited when asked about the fee hike. Full-time Skyline student Maria Climaco never learned what the exact fee increase was even though she has already paid her enrollment fees. “I still don’t know exactly how much they went up,” she said. When asked if she learned about the fee hike from Skyline College or the school district, Climaco replied, “Not really, no. I never saw anything specific. I just knew about overall fee increases for all community colleges and education in California. I wasn’t really aware of the actual effect.” Sandra Iber, Director of College Development, Marketing & PR at
Skyline said “The fee hike happened after the state budget passed, so obviously it was late in the summer when not many students were on campus.” She recommended that students refer to the college website for more information on this issue as well as some tips on financial aid. Some students did were informed of the fee hike in a timely manner when they were sent bills for the new enrollment amount, but this only applied to those who had already paid for the fall semester. Other students had no idea until they logged into WebSMART, where three innocuous sentences addressing the fee increase were posted on the registration page: “The California State Legislature and the Governor have approved a new state budget that increases enrollment fees at the state’s community colleges. Enrollment fees are now $26 per unit (a
For more information on Sustainable San Mateo County, visit their website at www.ssmc.org.
It’s been two weeks since the shooting on Skyline’s campus. For the most part things are back on track for the semester. However, there are still some lingering questions and issues that students and faculty alike are wondering about. According to Vicki Morrow, President of Skyline College, the staff performed admirably during the incident and she gave them an overall A- rating in their handling of the situation. Procedure was followed correctly and students were cooperative during the incident. The only major problem that arose during the incident was in the area of campus communications. There were two minor issues regarding announcements and text messages. Some campus buildings are not wired with a public address system so they did not broadcast the official announcements during the incident. The text messaging system worked well overall but some students received the texts hours later or not at all. Approximately 80% of Skyline students are registered for the emergency text messaging system. Skyline faculty highly recommends that students register with the messaging service. One of the three men apprehended by San Bruno Police has pleaded not guilty to the felony charge of bringing a firearm onto a school campus. After his hearing in San Mateo County Superior Court, 18-year-old Germaine Benjamin was ordered held on $50,000 bail. The two other men arrested with Benjamin have been released with no charges brought against them. San Bruno Police are still investigating the cause of the shooting. Information provided by: Kenny Martin, San Bruno Police Department and sfgate.com
typical 3-unit class is now $78). We are required to collect these fees from all students enrolling in Fall Semester 2009 classes – including those who have enrolled and already paid the old fee.” According to Christensen, Director of Community and Government Relations for the San Mateo Community College District, this fall saw the largest amount of financial aid ever with more than $1.25 million distributed within the district. Additionally, students received about the same amount, approximately $1.28 million, in Board of Governors waivers so far this year. “Normally there is a bit of retraction when fees go up. But enrollment is up 12.5% across the district so that is encouraging news,” said Christensen. “During these times, students need to be on their toes to take advantage of all opportunities.”