WE Online Spring 2001: In the Spirit of the Season

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Science and the City Urban ecology has perfect locale at downtown college… Championship Turf Tender Mesa College gridiron gets facelift… Sounds of Success KSDS scores ratings, awards… New Home in Urban Village Mid-City Center opens in revitalized area… Reaching Out to Local Teens Outreach coordinator goes into high schools to talk college… In the Spirit of the Season Faculty/staff support holiday charities… Pace Yourself Self-paced GED and basic skills brush-up… Fill 'er Up With Fries Biodiesel is fuel source of tomorrow… Chancellor's Column Students need better info on transfer… Development News Fund-raising activities… Factoids Miscellaneous tidbits of news… Newsmakers Accomplishments by faculty and staff…	In the Spirit of the Season MESA COLLEGE Kids’ Bazaar For the fourth consecutive year, the Mesa College Classified Senate brought joy to abused children sheltered and schooled at the Center for Children near the college. More than 200 children have benefitted from this volunteer project, an effort that has grown annually since it began in 1997. Each year, the Classified Senate raises money on campus, then in December produces a holiday bazaar at the children’s center where the children can “buy” gifts for their foster parents, guardians and custodians with play money. “This also makes the project an educational experience for the children,” said Kathy Fennessey, a secretary in Student Affairs and classified senator, who came up with the idea for this annual holiday project. This year the project raised $2,164, more than quadrupling last year’s amount. Joyce Skaryak, Classified Senate president and secretary for Dean Al Taccone, credits the jump in contributions to a new way for students to get involved, too. “Koins for Kids” jars were placed around campus, including in the cafeteria at cashier stations where $760 was collected. Other donations came from the Associated Students ($300) and the Academic Senate ($500). They counted on Michelle West of the accounting office to get the most out of the money–and it took her eight hours of shopping to do it. “The Classified Senate is grateful for all of the people who donated money and/or gifts and those who helped out with the bazaar and wrapping of presents,” said Skaryak. “Seeing the children happy and smiling brings happiness to our hearts.” DISTRICT OFFICES Toy Drive A truck-load of toys brought smiles to the faces of local children, thanks to the generosity of District Office employees who contributed to the Channel 10/Salvation Army Toy Drive this year. For the past three years, the Purchasing Department has lead District Office participation in this holiday project. Paul Taylor, a purchasing buyer, spearheaded this year’s effort and even hauled the 100-plus toys to the TV station in his pickup. MIRAMAR COLLEGE Toys for Tots Miramar College’s EOPS, CARE and CalWORKs programs hosted a Toys for Tots holiday event one December Saturday afternoon for 28 local low-income student families, including 58 children. The special day included holiday movies with snacks for the children and a room filled with donated gifts from which parents could choose and wrap on campus, then give to their children for the holidays. Toys, hot cider, cookies, gift certificates, stockings, candy and wrapping paper were donated by a large number of campus and student clubs, local businesses, and caring individuals. EOPS staff members Elizabeth Winona Stoll, Bernice Reyes and Kimi Rodriguez led the effort. Miramar’s own “Santa,” Ray Quon, thrilled the children. Other noteworthy Miramar volunteers included Pat Owens-Rodriguez, Lowrie Lewis, Pat Keir, Edith and Lissa Pollack, Christof Emery, Bob Valdez, Lisa Barrett, Therrie Esposito and the college cafeteria staff. DISTRICT OFFICES Adopt a Family The kids jumped for joy, but grandmother Maria Lopez broke into tears when she saw the van-load of food and gifts the district Student Services department brought to their home. The Lopez family was identified through the Neighborhood House and Volunteer Connection at UCSD as a family in need of help if they were to have a Merry Christmas. Grandparents Rodolfo and Maria are caring for their seven grandchildren, ages 4 to 13, in their two-bedroom, one-bath Logan Heights home. Student Services, led by David Pontious to translate for the Spanish-speaking family, delivered an outfit (shirt and pants, or dress) plus sweater, jacket or sweatshirt for each child, as well school supplies, children’s games, a “Razor” scooter (a special request from the youngsters!) and a bike helmet. Not left out, the grandparents also got presents. The holiday table was piled high with traditional fixin’s of turkey, potatoes, yams, pies, vegetables, cranberries and sparkling cider, and the family pantry restocked with staples and paper goods. Dianne Buchanan and Rowena Awa helped deliver all the goodies, and Alejandra Prado worked with the family to get a list of what they needed. MIRAMAR COLLEGE Meals on Wheels More than 120 Miramar College faculty, staff and students decorated and filled “shoe boxes” with gifts that were distributed to elderly persons in San Diego County by the Meals on Wheels program. Janice Hecksel, technology specialist for SCT at Miramar College, led the effort, which also included donations from SCT, Mesa Financial Aid and friends. Children from Miramar’s Child Development Center got into the act by decorating boxes; their parents filled them with gifts. COLLEGE POLICE Shop with a Cop Usually when you see a mile-long motorcade of police cars, it’s a funeral procession. But not this time. This was a happy occasion, indeed–and noisy. With lights and sirens, the police cars from agencies all over the county, including the district’s College Police Department, each carried a law enforcement officer, a Santa’s Helper and a child on a holiday shopping spree to the Target store on Sports Arena Boulevard. Shop With a Cop raises money from corporate sponsors, a golf tournament, the sale of pins and T-shirts, and from individual contributions at a stadium fund-raiser. The project’s goal is to give 300 children $100 each to shop with, while they experience a positive interaction with law enforcement. This year, proceeds exceeded the goal so 350 children got to shop ’til they dropped. The children, selected from low-income families, were bussed to Sea World on Saturday, Dec. 2, for a show and breakfast, then were paired with “their officer” for the day. Often the children will buy presents for everyone else in their families, but have to be coached to buy gifts for themselves, officers report. They can also get a photo taken with Santa and Mrs. Claus, and volunteers wrap their presents. Officers Jordan Mirakian and Anthony Abutin served on the 2000 organizing committee. Next year Mirakian will join with police from UCSD, SDSU and City Schools to lead the project. All officers participate on their own time. COLLEGE POLICE Teddy Bear Drive Scores of cuddly stuffed animals–75 of them from Miramar College–were collected this year by the College Police Department as part of the Teddy Bear Drive for Children’s Hospital. Officer Dave Vasquez coordinated the department’s participation this year in this citywide tradition to collect comforting stuffed animals for young hospital patients.
		‘Twas the month before Christmas and all through the district Rang the joys of good cheer for a season so mystic. From every center and college in our district so wide, We gave toys, we gave food, we reached deep down inside. It was from this well of our hearts that we drew Our warmth and our kindness for people we barely knew. We took pride in our projects, sometimes quadrupling our stash, We have teddies and scooters, warm clothes and some cash. From children to adults, foster parents and more, The smiles on their faces cut straight to our core. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of giving, Unconditional, rewarding, it makes life so worth living.