Factoids

Miscellaneous tidbits of information

ART IN THE PARK. The Adult Scholar and the Arts, a free cultural arts festival celebrating the work of older adult creative arts students, will be held Sunday, May 21 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. in the Casa del Prado area of Balboa Park. This 10th annual presentation is underwritten by a benefactor of The Pacificaires of Centre City Center. Under the direction of Gwen Stumman and coordinated by Stewart Shaw, choral and instrumental groups of Continuing Education perform for the public, and art students in ceramics, Chinese brush painting, stationery-making and clothing display their wares.

CLEAN AIR TRANSIT. One of the world’s most technologically advanced transit buses was demonstrated for the first time at Miramar College at a meeting of the San Diego Regional Clean Fuels Coalition in September. The 30-foot transit bus, which utilizes a “ThunderVolt” hybrid electric drive system, is energized by a small propane-burning engine augmented by a pack of 48 lead-acid batteries. The bus, one in a fleet of seven to be used by the City of Los Angeles in the near future, was unveiled here to encourage increased use of alternative fuel vehicles in the San Diego region. The National Clean Cities Conference, coming to San Diego in March, will include visits to Miramar College’s advanced transporation studies programs.

ON THE AWARDS TRAIL. City College graphic design students received two important community awards starting with the Alonzo Horton Award, from the Downtown San Diego Partnership, for their Urban Art Trail project which added creative flair to downtown with bright paintings on transformers, building walls and flower boxes (featured in the Spring 1999 issue of this newsletter). The EVA Award from the East Village Association was given to the students for their paintings on the plywood construction wall along F Street between 9th and 10th depicting art history using drawings of dogs in various art styles.

COOKING UP A STORM. What do La Jolla’s posh Top ‘O the Cove Restaurant and Mesa College Gourmet Dining have in common? Guy Sockrider is head chef for each. The food service occupations program adjunct professor is joined in the kitchen at the legendary La Jolla restaurant by other Mesa culinary graduates and current students, including chefs David Campbell, Nick Fiddler, Jason Hill, Franz Laubert, Dean Vasquez and Zachary Zeigler.

MEMBERSHIP DRIVE. The San Diego Mesa College Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (Beta Beta Upsilon) is in line to win its first international award, the “Journey Challenge Award,” for conducting a highly successful membership drive. Beta Beta Upsilon increased membership by 20 percent by inducting approximately 125 new members since January 1999. Beta Beta Upsilon is expected to receive the award in April 2000 at the honor society’s international convention in Orlando, Florida. Out of the 1,200 Phi Theta Kappa chapters nationwide, Mesa’s chapter ranks in the top 100 in terms of membership.

CANDLELIGHT VIGIL. Paying tribute to those whose lives have been cut short by HIV and AIDS, Mary Meiners once again organized a Candlelight Memorial Service at Miramar College on National AIDS Awareness Day, Dec.1. As students, professors and friends gathered on campus, each person was handed a candle and hospital bracelet with the name of someone who had died of AIDS. Closing the ceremony, participants approached the microphone, read the name on their respective hospital bracelets and blew out their candles, followed by Margaret Elmore singing “Amazing Grace.”

HIGH-FLYIN’ JOBS. B. F. Goodrich Aerospace recently approached Miramar College in search of eligible students and recent graduates to fill job openings in sheet metal, heavy structures, flight control systems, interiors and avionics throughout the Pacific Northwest. These $10-15 per hour jobs have promotional opportunities. Miramar College’s FAA-certified aeronautics instructional programs enjoy an excellent reputation as evidenced by industry’s aggressive pursuit of Miramar graduates.

LET THE FESTIVITIES BEGIN. Mesa College will celebrate its annual Festival of Colors on April 4, 5 & 6 with the theme “Cultural Intersections” featuring chronological perspectives on a wide array of topics related to the rich ethnic groups in our society. Take a look at the past, the present and into the future. The three-day event will include Learning Passport seminars, entertainment, an international arts and crafts food fair and festival. The festival is on campus and open to students and district faculty/staff. For a list of activities, visit the college website at www.sdmesa.edu or call 858-627-2706.

CLASS REUNION. In February, the office of District Advancement and the Management Association hosted the first annual Retired Administrators' Luncheon at the Doubletree Hotel in Mission Valley. More than 50 reitrees attended this successful event, where they were updated on district growth, plans for the future and exciting fund development opportunities.

IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE. For the second year, Continuing Education has reaped rewards from advertising. Brightly colored billboards and exterior bus panels combined with strategic print ads resulted in more than 11,000 calls and internet requests for schedules in an eight-month period.

NEW ON THE JOB SCENE. An overall low unemployment rate coupled with competitive pay by other colleges and agencies has made it difficult for the district to recruit and retain highly qualified support staff. That necessity led to a new invention by the district Human Resources department––the half-day “blitz” called Job Scene ‘99 intended to refill the classified applicant pool. HR abbreviated the usually lengthy hiring process, to the praise of participants. Half of the 278 people who took the written basic skills test passed; so far 28 have been hired and their success rate will be tracked.

NEW TAXPAYERS. In the last six months of 1999, 30 more persons with severe disabilities are in the workforce earning wages (average $8 per hour) and higher self confidence, and 13 are in internships that could lead to jobs, thanks to the efforts of the WorkAbility III staffers Greg Cusick, David Pontius and Leslie Upton. WorkAbility is a cooperative program between the district and the California State Department of Rehabilitation that provides vocational counseling, work experience and job placement for students with severe disabilities.

HOT IDEA Pamela Kozminska began teaching ceramics at the Educational Cultural Complex 13 years ago as an adjunct (hourly) instructor. Her classes are very popular. She serves primarily the older adult population and also teaches classes for Disabled Students Programs and Services. Right away, she noticed that the kiln at ECC, which was then 10 years old, was no longer completely effective as an instructional tool, and she began a series of annual requests for a new kiln. In 1999, she finally has one, a Geil Doundraft 30-cubic feet Cone 10 Gas Kiln. It’s more fuel efficient, with better distribution of heat from top to bottom, she explained.
“Now we can get some better reduction to get some great copper red colors,” said Kozminska. Proud as a new parent, Kozminska is looking forward to the new firing with the beginning of the spring semester. Two times a year, immediately prior to Mother’s Day and Christmas, Kozminska’s students hold sales of their work, with 100 percent of the proceeds going into a supply account. After saving for six years, the student profits of $4,800 were used to buy new shelves and posts for the kiln.

Building Communities
Mesa architecture and interior design students have been assisting the town of Julian in developing its new community park. Professors Rob Fender and Mimi Moore organized an intense, two-day workshop in which students traveled to the mountain town to gather information, design new facilities and landscaping, then present the ideas at a community forum. The student designs will be part of a request for a Community Development Block Grant. If approved, the student designs would be used to develop a park and recreation center, ball fields, a skate park, a gazebo, an amphitheater, parking areas, restrooms and other projects identified by the community of Julian. Also participating were former Mesa students who are continuing their architectural studies at Woodbury University as part of the Mesa/Woodbury five-year baccalaureate program.

Going by the
Numbers
Numbers junkies will rejoice in the wealth of data about the district now available online. The office of Institutional Research launched its website in January with reports on student demographics and enrollment, student equity reports, “Research in Brief” reports, Partnerships for Excellence information, transfer data and FTES summaries. New reports are going online all the time, and a searchable database of reports is being developed. The site, at http://ntweb.sdccd.edu
/sdccd/research, has a link to request reports or data, as well as links to other college research websites statewide.

City’s Dreamcoat Charms Audiences
The extravagant musical production “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” was the fall semester smash hit at San Diego City College.

The cast of 30 actor-students was supported by a 12-piece orchestra and a technical staff and stage crew of 21. The climax to the nine performance run was an appearance in BRAVO SAN DIEGO!, a benefit presented by the San Diego Performing Arts League at the Westgate Hotel where City’s drama department was the only college invited to perform at this black-tie event.

Former Hollywood scenic designer Duane Gardella and his crew developed the striking sets, and June Richards, New York actress and director, plus Alicia Rincon, choreographer, and Jerry Fenwick, music director, masterfully transformed an amateur cast into a professional troupe. The same faculty team will mount “Midsummer
Night’s Dream” in April at the college.