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For the past three years, beginning in 2001-02, the amount of funding provided by the State for each community college student has either declined or remained essentially the same. During these same years, costs due to cost-of-living, benefits, and energy have increased. In addition, Santa Monica College has also preserved quality by providing salary increases for teachers, but not for administrators or staff.
While these have been lean years, we have kept our budget balanced by using reserves, reducing costs, and reducing some programs while still preserving access, affordability, and quality for our students.
The Governor’s budget for 2004-05 brings welcome change. Despite continuing State constraints, the adopted budget provides a 3.2% increase in funding Statewide for each full-time community college student.
It also provides the first significant effort at leveling the playing field among community colleges. “Equalization” will bring $3.6 million in new State funds to Santa Monica College this year, allowing the College to provide each student with additional support and service.
Through careful management by our Board of Trustees and with the continued support of our community, we expect 2004-05—our 75th anniversary year!—to be one of renewed vigor and optimism.
We will continue to keep you informed of our progress.
In yet another example of academic excellence, three SMC students, Christoph Seitz, Kristen Glasgow and Alexander Gabrovsky, each won a prestigious UCLA Regents Scholarship award this year. All three will start classes at UCLA in the fall.
“It makes me feel special because very few people get this scholarship,” said Seitz, who is majoring in Political Science. “It’s a validation of the effort that I’ve put in for the last three years at SMC.”
“I have tremendous gratitude for what the world of art history has offered me thus far,” said Glasgow, an art history major, in her application essay. Glasgow, inspired by her classes at SMC, will pursue an academic degree at UCLA.
The award is worth $5,500 per year with additional funds available based on need. The Regents Scholarship Program was established by the Regents of the University of California in 1962. It is considered one of the highest honors awarded to students attending UCLA. Recipients are selected on the basis of demonstrated academic excellence, leadership and exceptional promise.
SMC Spanish professor Rebecca Anderson—whose teaching has been called exceptional, creative and eclectic—has been named Outstanding Teacher for 2004 by the California Language Teachers Assocation. The association, which represents language teachers statewide in both Kindergarten-through-12th-grades and community colleges, gives the award based on nominations from colleagues throughout California and letters of recommendation.
Anderson goes beyond the expected, often augmenting class work with outings where students can explore Spanish and Latin cultures. Yearly student field trips include Day of the Dead celebrations, drama performances at the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts and the annual Snow Goose gathering at author Victor Villasenor’s ranch. She also likes to take students to see Spanish movies or go to the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, she said.
“The camaraderie she helps create among her students fosters future success for them,” noted Araceli Espinosa, vice president of programs at the Modern and Classical Language Association of Southern California.
SMC’s Corsair newspaper has won seven awards, including two first place honors, in the first California College Media Competition, which was judged by the Los Angeles Times and the Sacramento Bee.
The Corsair captured top honors in best headline and in feature photograph, for a picture by Margaret Molloy. Second-place honors went to the Corsair for general excellence, sports section, opinion section and sports photo. The student newspaper also received third-place awards in news section.
The awards are another feather in the cap of the Corsair, which recently won 21 awards, including top honors for general excellence for its online publication, in the statewide Journalism Association of Community Colleges’ competition.
The general excellence award for the Corsair online was given to Jesus “Z” Aguirre, its editor. In addition, SMC students captured first-place awards in the on-the-spot competition: Nicholas R. Chen and Margaret Molloy tied with Mark Sandstrom and current Corsair editor Marie-Claude Hamel in the photo-illustration category. A second-place award went to the Corsair staff for best overall use of photo and graphics, and third-place honors went to Danny Grace for column writing.
Several other students won fourth-place awards and honorable mentions in both the mail-in and live competitions.
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SMC is preparing for a yearlong celebration of its 75th Anniversary with concerts, parties and other special events. The official anniversary is Sept. 10., but the party will start at SMC’s “Celebrate America” festival on July 3. In addition, the local Chamber of Commerce will honor the college with a special recognition for its contribution to the community.
SMC was founded in 1929 on the second floor of the old brick Santa Monica High School building with just 153 students. Since then, enrollment has grown to some 30,000 students and it has earned a reputation as one of the best community colleges in the country, with alumni that included Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dustin Hoffman and astronaut Walter Cunningham.
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Approximately 500 SMC students received a total of $400,000 in scholarships from the SMC Foundation earlier this summer. Awards ranged from $250 to $2,000 and included awards to freshmen. The SMC Foundation, founded in 1956, acts as the fundraising entity for the college and solicits donations from local clubs, businesses, government agencies, and individuals. The scholarships were awarded based on need, leadership skills and academic achievement.
SMC Geology professor Rich Robinson has launched a highly successful paperback book drive for our troops in Iraq, collecting more than 8,300 book in just three months.
Inspired by an article in the Los Angeles Times about how important books were as diversions for the troops, Robinson decided to get to work, putting out calls for donations at SMC and through the Calabasas-Agoura Hills-Thousand Oaks community where he lives. He personally visited over 100 businesses and set up drop-off bins on campus, in front of his home and around his neighborhood.
The community responded. In just a few weeks, SMC students and employees donated 1,500 books, with another 6,800 coming from his neighborhood schools, businesses, temples, churches and more. The total haul: two tons of books, packed into boxes and stacked in a pile 15 feet long, 3 feet wide and 4.5 feet high.
“Our troops are in a terrible position,” Robinson said. “They’re truly in harm’s way, and whether you agree with the war or not, they need all the help they can get.”
Marian Winsryg, a Santa Monica College art professor and gallery director known for her work with digital technology, has been named the recipient of the Sam Francis/Martin Sosin Chair of Excellence.
Winsryg will receive $5,000 a year for three years to be used for teaching projects of her choice. She plans to use the funds to get training in and do research on the use and impact of digital technologies in fine art.
“I cannot think of a more worthy recipient of this chair of excellence,” said SMC President Dr. Piedad F. Robertson. “Not only is she a gifted artist and distinguished teacher, she has been on the cutting-edge of the use of technology in fine art, developing and teaching new digital courses at SMC.”
In the small town of Nelahozeves, Prague, “The Fantasia On a Theme” could be heard coming out of the modest church the great Dvorak used to play in. Surrounded by beautifully crafted frescoes that decorated the walls and high ceilings of the building, the Samohi Orchestra enjoyed one of their most passionate performances ever last April.
Just outside the church’s front door was the home Dvorak grew up in, and across the street was the elementary school he attended. The orchestra could not have asked for a more ideal setting in which to perform for the many Europeans who had gathered to hear them.
“It was exciting that our students could experience musically rich cities such as Prague and Vienna,” shares Samohi Director of Orchestras Joni Swenson. “Much of the music we had been studying was composed in these cities, and I knew that if students could experience these cities it would make our subject matter so much more meaningful.”
The opportunity to travel to Europe came from Perform America, when it invited the Samohi orchestra to be part of the Dvorak Centenary Festival. After submitting a tape and being accepted into the program, Swenson, other faculty members and the parents of the Samohi musicians organized fundraisers to make sure all students would be able to go. With the exception of a few students who already had other plans, everyone was able to participate in the journey.
“This trip was by far the most amazing music-related experience I have ever had,” shares Lizzy Glennon, a 10th grader. “I realized what a huge effect music has had on my life, not just from playing the cello, but from making friends and having incredible opportunities like this.”
Glennon, along with the other orchestra students, was impressed with the strong appreciation of music shared by those who lived in these cities. “In Prague and Vienna there were countless inexpensive opportunities to see musicals and chamber groups perform,” elaborates Glennon, “which people took advantage of. We saw tons of kids our age at ballets and operas, which you don’t see that much in the U.S.”
Aaron Elgart, a senior, felt his experience in Europe definitely strengthened his relationship to music as well. “We were in such cultured cities and it felt like the people there appreciated the music more than here. This made me more serious as a player because I felt like the attitude was more serious there, and they expected more.” He then adds, “It was just a great experience to have and I will probably remember it my whole life.”
The 10-day trip featured four performances for the orchestra: Schoenbrunn Palace in Vienna, Janacek Conservatory in Brno, Rudolfinium Concert hall in Prague, and Dvorak’s church in Nelahozeves. Three of the four performances were standing room only, and the audiences sometimes numbered over 1,000 people.
Between performances and practices, the students had packed itineraries. They visited Mozart’s house, Dvorak’s birthplace, old castles, art museums, and ballets and operas.
“I think this was a highlight of some kids’ lives,” says Tom Whaley, the Fine Arts Coordinator for SMMUSD, who also attended the trip. “That’s what the arts do—they gives kids an outlet to express themselves; a chance to have pride in themselves in a way they might not otherwise have. This trip is something they’ll take with them for the rest of their lives.”
David Legaspi has certainly left his mark on Los Angeles. For the last several years Legaspi has been busy painting thematic murals at public schools all over the city, including many in the Santa Monica/Malibu school district.
After completing artwork at most schools in the district—including Juan Cabrillo Elementary, Lincoln MS and Malibu and Santa Monica High School—Legaspi is now just finishing up his latest masterpiece at John Adams Middle School, a large mural overlooking the school’s new soccer field.
“This is the last major mural I’m doing for the SMMUSD,” shared Legaspi, who makes his work affordable to the schools. “I’ve done murals with specific themes for each school. For John Adams, a little part of all the other themes all come together in this one.”
The mural has two parts: a sign with the school’s name combined with colorful pictures that symbolize the story of President John Adams and his namesake school. This design incorporates history, the school’s ethnic diversity, and the “six pillars of character” the middle school is governed by.
The Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA), which funded the mural, felt the artwork would improve the school’s appearance while increasing its identity in the neighborhood. “Because the soccer field is used so heavily by people in the community, this mural is a way of making more contact with the neighborhood. And for our students, we hope it will help them gain a sense of school spirit and be an impetus to continue making improvements,” said PTSA President Judith Meister.
“When I’m playing sports,” offered eighth grader Brittany Carriger, “I don’t want to see a big yellow wall, I want to see something that gives me some motivation. And this does. I think color can influence the way you perform athletically.”
Francisco Gallegos, another eighth grader, likes the symbolism and diversity reflected in the mural. “I like how it explains different things about the school, like the different clubs and classes and programs. It represents what we do in school here.”
Born and educated in the Philippines, Legaspi closed his architectural practice three years ago to devote himself full time to doing mural projects for the SMMUSD district. “I do these murals to make a visual statement of the importance of arts to school children. Art is vital to a child’s education,” said Legaspi, who always recruits student painters to work with him.
“I would not paint at the schools if I could not work with the students and parents,” he added. “To watch the joy and excitement they get from painting is the gift I receive from them.”
“One of the wonderful things about working with David,” said Lise Reilly, Principal of John Adams Middle School, “is that even though he paints by himself, he works collaboratively with all of us, so the design has been very much a group effort.”
Recognizing the continuing need to modernize and provide facility improvements, the Santa Monica Community College District Board of Trustees voted unanimously Aug. 6, 2004, to place a $135 million bond measure (Measure S) on the November 2004 ballot to fund capital improvement projects.
The bond measure, which will be submitted to Santa Monica and Malibu voters Nov. 2, needs a 55 percent approval vote for passage.
“This is a blueprint for our College,” said SMC Board of Trustees Chair Margaret Quiñones. “This measure would help preserve educational quality and at the same time would assure that these facilities can be shared with the community.”
“Our community lacks a child development lab, a career opportunity center, a performing arts complex, and the athletic fields that are available to most other communities in California,” said SMC President Dr. Piedad F. Robertson. “Nor have we been able to offer a college program in Malibu since the early 1980s. This bond measure would strengthen our ability to provide career and transfer opportunity for all our students.”
If approved, Measure S would:
• Enhance educational quality and improve safety.
• Renovate and replace deteriorating buildings.
• Provide a new Career Opportunity Center for workforce training in emerging technologies.
• Provide a new childcare center and child development lab facility. Santa Monica College is the major trainer for early childhood educators in our community, yet lacks a teaching laboratory commonly available at other colleges.
• Provide a Performing Arts complex to meet new UC admission standards implemented in 2003.
• Provide new athletic field space, especially for women’s soccer, for instructional and community use. Santa Monica and Malibu are both severely deficient in field space for youth and adult sports.
• Restore instructional programs, including field space, in Malibu. The College would partner with the City of Malibu to solve community concerns.
• Modernize energy systems and achieve energy savings.
• Provide fire safety and environmental upgrades and complete earthquake repairs.
In addition, several projects that would be funded by the bond measure are proposed as potential joint projects with other public agencies, in order to achieve cost reductions, including the acquisition and development of field space and a childcare center with the City of Santa Monica and a new instructional facility in Malibu that would be developed in a joint powers arrangement with the City of Malibu.
In approving the bond measure for the Nov. 2 ballot, the Board of Trustees relied on a year-long Facility Assessment report that surveyed existing campus buildings and remaining campus deficiencies.
The report found that four buildings remain seriously deficient on the SMC campus, including the childcare center, the health and fitness building, and two music buildings that should be replaced or renovated. In addition, the report noted that compared to other community colleges, athletic field space is inadequate; also, that there is no facility to support new programs in emerging technologies.
The report also noted that Santa Monica would require 75 more acres of parks to reach the average amount available to residents of other cities in Los Angeles and Orange counties.
The Board of Trustees also relied on a survey of public opinion taken in July 2004 to determine public priorities. All projects were deemed worthy of public support, with the highest support for the Career Opportunity Center, retrofits for energy efficiency, a childcare center and lab, and a performing arts complex. 40% of those polled believed that the best single reason to approve the bond measure was to improve the quality of education; 33% believed that the best single reason was to improve the quality of life for our community; and 14% believed that the best single reason was to improve the health and fitness of children.
The average cost of the bond would be $13 a year for renters and $77 a year for the average homeowner in Santa Monica and Malibu. The first year cost would be $18 per $100,000 in assessed valuation and the average cost over the life of the bonds would be $18.17 per $100,000.
Proposition 39, approved by California voters in November 2000, allows schools and community colleges to propose facility improvement bond measures which require a 55 percent majority “Yes” vote for passage.
In return, Prop 39 imposes strict accountability rules:
• Funds may not be used for administrators’ salaries.
• Bond measures must include a list of specific projects.
• Annual performance audits are required to ensure funds have only been spent on the approved projects list.
• Annual financial and performance audits are required.
• An independent oversight committee must be appointed, to review and report on expenditure of bond proceeds. The committee must include seniors, a representative from a taxpayer association, a student, business people, and community members.
• The maximum annual cost is limited to $25 per $100,000 of assessed valuation.
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SMC is back to a full offering of classes this Fall, as a result of ongoing cost containment,
stabilization (a special one-year cost reduction program available under State law), and new revenues from this year’s budget, including equalization. |
It’s easy to assume that State funding for each student is similar in amount, regardless of where in California classes are offered or what the level of coursework is. After all, equity in funding has been the law for K-12 public education since 1976 and has been the practice since the 1960s for the University of California and the California State University systems of higher education.
Not so for community colleges.
Currently, two community college districts may serve the same number of full-time equivalent students and receive dramatically different funding levels. Santa Monica College is actually the lowest-funded district in the State, receiving 50% less per student than the second-highest district and 14% less per student than the Los Angeles district, its next-door neighbor.
The actual level of funding granted to each community college district is based on an apportionment formula that includes historical property tax levels prior to 1978 and several modifications dating from about 15 years ago. Though well intentioned, the apportionment formula perpetuates funding disparities among the districts.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2004-05 budget, signed July 31, 2004, provides the first serious effort to equalize funding for community college students. The enacted budget provides $80 million statewide for the equalization of per student funding, an amount that provides approximately one-third of the total multi-year resources that will be required to completely address the need.
The equalization formula is consistent with the current formula used for K-12 districts.
The plan calls for 90% of the statewide community college enrollment to eventually receive per student credit funding of the same amount; only 10% of the students can be in districts with higher levels of funding.
The equalization funding is general purpose funding, allowing maximum discretion to the colleges to improve student services, add additional course sections, or enhance instruction in other ways.
Santa Monica College will receive $3.6 million this year from equalization, which will be added to the College’s base funding. Efforts are ongoing to secure funding in future State budgets to achieve the full benefits of fairness, efficiency, and simplicity that are provided through equalization.
As any woman can testify, being a teenage girl is anything but easy. To help create an extra level of support for sixth grade girls at John Adams Middle school struggling with issues of self-esteem, assertiveness and even pregnancy prevention, parents and school district administrators teamed up with the YWCA two years ago to form Girls in Action.
Meeting on campus during lunch, YWCA facilitators help teach the girls leadership and life skills that will help them cope effectively with the growing responsibilities of becoming a young woman—including health and wellness, careers, financial literacy and volunteerism. The program, not taken for credit, is funded by the Dwight Stuart Youth Foundation and Ralph’s Food4Less.
Research shows that “just say no” is a difficult concept for many young girls entering the dreaded teen years. They don’t want to be seen as “unladylike,” and nothing is more important than the need to fit in. In addition, many young girls would like to discuss issues such as sex, relationships and future careers, but they don’t feel comfortable broaching the topics. GIA is a safe place where young girls can find guidance and awareness about these and other teen issues.
GIA sessions are structured very differently from a typical class. “We never lecture,” said Robin Young, YWCA Programs Administrator and lead GIA facilitator. “ We want them to talk—it’s their program.” Instead, girls are engaged in fun and creative games like play auctions using fake money to learn about financial responsibility—as well as group discussions and social outings.
Regular GIA attendee Natalie Barba appreciates the bonding aspect of the female peer group. “There’s a lot of people there and sometimes they go through the same things you’re going through, so they understand you.”
“And what we talk about is private,” added Laura Perez, another GIA participant. “In school, if you tell a secret to someone else—like your friends—they may spoil it and tell someone else. But in GIA you don’t have to worry about that.”
“I’ve learned to be respectful to other people and to treat them how I want to be treated,” further reflected Perez. “And how to be responsible and kind. The program gave me an open spot to help others and give them ideas.”
Young and her co-facilitator, Genevieve Ene, survey the girls before and after each program to measure what they have learned. “At the beginning, the girls tended to be introverted, quiet and shy. But by the end of the program they have more confidence, more self-esteem, and felt more comfortable speaking up about something instead of just going along with their friends,” said Young. The girls tell them they’ve learned a great deal about acceptance of both themselves and others. “But most importantly, they tell us they’ve learned that it’s important to be true to who you really are.”
Four of SMC’s brightest students are participating in this summer’s Dale Ride Internship program, with front row seats at the White House, on Capitol Hill and other governmental offices in Washington, DC. The program offers an unbeatable opportunity for students to explore future careers in public service.
“It’s an awesome program that is very beneficial to students; it’s a life-altering experience,” said Dale Ride Intern Sanam Dabir-Babakan, a women’s studies major focusing on international relations. “It’s important that students come out here so they can actually be a part of the system.” As part of her internship, Dabir-Babakan, who works for Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind), sits on the International Relations committee with her boss and takes notes for the congressional staff.
“We’re not just photocopying and faxing—we have lots of opportunities to meet people and do projects and research,” added intern Terez McCall, an SMC sociology major and Phi Theta Kappa honor society member, who is working on the White House initiative for education excellence for Hispanic Americans. Her job description includes setting up meetings and events, including receptions and speeches at the White House. “I look around and think: wow! This is incredible.”
“It’s a great chance to see how Washington, DC works,” said intern Ray Emanuel, a double-major in economics and political science, who is interning with the National Institute of Health. “It’s also a good chance to see if public service is something I want to go into.” Emanuel, who is also president of Phi Theta Kappa, said he is planning to transfer to an Ivy League school in the fall.
Also in the program is Juanette Davis, who is working for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Davis is a broadcasting journalism major and a recipient of the Jean Litsy O’Brien Scholarship, with plans to transfer to USC’s Annenberg School of Communication.
The eight-week summer internship is funded by the SMC Foundation President’s Circle, Stratton-Petit Foundation, US Bank and Verizon. Dale Ride taught political science and served in administrative posts at SMC for 33 years until his death in 1989 at the age of 67. Since its inception, 71 students have participated in the program.
“Whether or not a student chooses this career path, it’s important for them to see how it all works and what roles they can play,” said Dabir-Babakan, who is currently a licensed para-legal and plans to become a lawyer. In Emanuel’s case, the role he’s playing as an intern is to research a project on community colleges. “I’m supposed to identify the top community colleges,” he said. “Since I’m from SMC, they figured I would be the right guy for the job!”
“It’s all about listening,” professional mediator Pearl Georgen always tells her students on the first day. “That’s how you get what you want in life.”
Georgen teaches a negotiations class once a week as part of SMC’s school of continuing education. Georgen, who has taught negotiating technique for eight years, makes listening a primary lesson of her class. “I even make it an assignment—students have to go out and listen to someone they have not listened to before.”
If listening is key to negotiating, then Georgen’s course definitely teaches the kind of skills area residents and students are looking for.
Take Gary Tharler, a massage therapist and illustrator, who was looking to expand his professional horizons. “I wasn’t making enough as an illustrator and I wasn’t quite making a living as a massage therapist, so I started to think about mediation,” he explained.
He heard about Georgen’s class and jumped right in. Today he’s doing work with the LA City Training office.
Paul Parra, an emergency medical technician, also took the class. He was interested in sharpening his skills as a shop steward with his union, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). “We have a contract negotiation coming up,” he explained. For Parra, the most useful part of the class was its lab sessions, in which students act out different negotiations to help hone their techniques. “You give your own scenarios, you work in a group and you present your argument,” he said.
“The classes exist to meet people’s professional development needs and personal interests,” said Erica LeBlanc, acting assistant dean of the 20-year-old continuing education program. Both Tharler and Parra plan to take more classes.
As for listening, Georgen will tell you, even when it doesn’t help in negotiations, it helps in life. “I had one student come back and tell me that he used his new-found skills to reach out to someone in his office who had never gotten along well with his peers,” she explained. “The grouchy employee was so pleased someone was listening to him the two ended up going out to lunch together and eventually they became friends.”
Noted Latina poet Michele Serros, whose work has been hailed as “magnificent, sassy, witty and brilliant,” has performed her work on National Public Radio, at ivy league universities and in front of thousands at the Lollapalooza music festival. But the SMC alum says she always jumps at an invitation to speak at a community college.
“Some of the best work I’ve read comes out of community colleges. The language is so raw and free and uninhibited,” the author of Chicana Falsa and other stories of Death, Identity and Oxnard recently told more than a dozen hopeful writers in professor Daniel Cano’s creative writing class. “Students at community colleges aren’t on a traditional track. Whether it’s their family background, or that they’ve taken a detour in life, it’s usually a story that’s worth hearing.”
Born and raised in Oxnard, Serros had a turbulent childhood herself. Her parents fought—“the kind of fight where the cops come,” she explained. For her, writing was an escape to a place where her “home was more peaceful and her neighborhood was more exciting.” But for a poor Latina girl who didn’t grow up reading any authors with Spanish surnames, writing didn’t seem to hold much of a future.
Convinced that only white men could be writers, she signed her poems for years as “Michael Hill,” the English translation of “Michele Serros.” When SMC visiting professor Jimmy Santiago Baca saw her raw talent and introduced her to Chicano literature, it was a real awakening for the budding writer. “It was such a turning point for me. For the first time I was reading literature where no one changed their names and there were female writers,” Serros marveled.
But where had these wonderful writers and role models been when she was growing up?
Why weren’t they in her libraries? In her classes? “It made me angry at my teachers all those years. We have so many stories to tell, so many experiences to share.”
She began writing about her own experiences. And she wrote and wrote, finding her own unique voice in Baca’s creative writing classes at SMC. And when her mother became ill that year and was dying, writing became her salvation. She dropped all her classes that semester except creative writing. “Writing was my outlet during my mother’s sickness. It kept me going.”
She emerged from the experience with a new dedication to her writing and had her first book, Chicano Falsa, published while she was still a student at SMC. When Putnam Press later called her to launch a second, larger run of the book, she thought it was a prank call. It wasn’t, and the book earned her a glowing feature in the Los Angeles Times, and a listing as one of Newsweek’s “top young women to watch for in the new century.”
In 1994, Serros got her AA degree from SMC and transferred to UCLA, where she graduated two years later with a BA in Chicano Studies. Since then, Serros has published a second book, How to be a Chicana Role Model, had her poetry placed on MTA busses throughout Los Angeles, and has written for the The George Lopez Show. Earlier this year, she was one of eight recipients of the Latino Spirit Award from the California Latino Legislative Caucus.
After a lifetime of growing up with everyone telling her what she couldn’t do, Serros broke out and proved them all wrong.
“I never thought I’d be a success. My only concern at SMC was to get the grades I needed,” she said. But you have to learn to trust yourselves, she told the young writers at SMC. “Write in your own language—don’t copy or try and be like another author. Writing is a selfless act and very courageous. It would be a gift to hear your stories.”
When Chief Petty Officer Tom Lamont (not his real name) was called to active duty recently from the Naval reserves, he thought he’d have to put his college plans on hold.
But then the Santa Monica College student learned about the college’s distance education program which would allow him to continue his studies from anywhere in the world. Best of all, he could do it on his own time. The college’s wide variety of online courses, which range from biology to economics and even cinema appreciation, offer the same content as well as the same number of units as in-class courses.
Most of the over 90 classes offered through the Distance Education Department are done completely off-site, using a combination of conventional textbooks, online instruction and CD-ROMs. Today, the sailor is continuing his classes during his off hours on the USS Pearl Harbor, one of 3,500 SMC students taking electronic classes from as far away as Africa and Europe.
“Online classes are so convenient,” explained animation student Daniela Burza. “You can take the class when you have time—even if it’s in the middle of the night! Plus I like that you have a week to do your assignments, so you schedule your own time.”
“The best part is not having to get up at 6 in the morning and go to class,” added Des Manttari, a busy student who works and goes to school. “Plus I like the computer logging my hours online so I am able to track how much time I am putting into each unit. For time management, it is much more flexible.”
According to Winniphred Stone, Dean of Distance Learning at SMC, the distance learning classes use web cameras, internet conferencing, DVDs and specialized electronic learning software to help make students’ lives easier. “Students pay the fees online, take the class online and study online,” said Stone.
The real question is whether or not these courses are a substitute for conventional classrooms. Can all courses be taught online? “It worked well with the History of Animation class I took,” said Burza. “But I don’t know if it would be good for a class where you need to interact with other people face to face.”
Stone agrees. Still, retention rates and academic performance in the two-year-old program are on par with conventional classes, she said. “And so far the grades between ground and distance learning classes are about the same,” she said.
Same or not, for a sailor at sea or a lot of other people who can’t get to the campus, distance education courses can certainly be a lifesaver.
What about classes that don’t lend themselves to the web? For those courses not suited to the solitude of distance education, professors are coming up with innovative solutions that combine the best of online elements with conventional classroom environments.
Maria Erickson’s hybrid Spanish class has much of the convenience of distance ed classes, but also offers the camaraderie and face to face interaction needed to teach a foreign language. “It’s a conventional classroom that uses every high tech teaching aid imaginable to produce a comprehensive learning experience,” she said.
The formula is pretty simple: Normal Spanish classes meet for five hours a week on campus. In the hybrid class, students meet for only two hours, but are required to spend many more hours doing a battery of computer and internet-based exercises.
The formula seems to be working. Kirsten Bersch, an elementary music teacher found the convenience of the hybrid class to be a real plus. “As a full-time teacher, being able to work more on my own schedule rather than spending so much time on campus was a huge advantage. We were able to work independently while still having the class support,” she said.
For Kristin Mozzillo, a school teacher in Fullerton, the class worked for different reasons. “I needed repetition and the CDs and web pages helped me continuously repeat them. The way Professor Erickson set it up, it was a five-day-a week class. We just did four of them at home.”
Voice-enabled internet chat rooms are key to the hybrid class. Students leave voice mails and conventional typed emails for each other in Spanish on the class web page so they can practice pronunciation with each other. The instructor listens to these exchanges, notifying students when they’ve pronounced or written something incorrectly.
Michelle Tabencki, an anthropology student, noted, “You could access material any time you wanted, you didn’t have to wait for teachers’ hours. Professor Erickson would get back to me within the hour. If I emailed her at eight I’d have an answer by ten. That was really great.”
There are also online and CD-ROM based Spanish videos that include questions and exercises. In one exercise, students conjugated verbs. If they made a mistake, the computer immediately notified them and gave them a chance to fix it. Full-time student Janelle Orange liked the fact that “we could quiz ourselves online. Even if we couldn’t be in class late at night, we could speak back and forth and have lots of interaction online.“
Erickson agrees that there is a camaraderie that develops in the Internet chat rooms that is somewhat surprising. Of course, she said, there is one major drawback to her course: “If a student can’t use a computer, they can’t take the class!”
Friday, Sept. 10 - Saturday, Oct. 9. Absurd Person Singular. The Morgan-Wixson Theatre, 2627 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405. This hilarious comedy by Alan Ayckbourne peeks in on three couples of different social standings in their respective kitchens on Christmas Eve on three successive years. Our behind-the-scenes view of the disasters and misunderstandings of each holiday party provides wild comedic moments, while, over the course of time, we observe the changing relations between the couples and their friends. Times & ticket prices vary. Info: (310) 828-7519.
Tuesday, Sept. 14 – Sunday, Oct. 24. Take Me Out. UCLA Geffen Playhouse at the Brentwood Theatre, 11301 Wilshire Blvd., Building 211, West L.A. Richard Greenberg's acclaimed play won the Tony for Best Play and Best Actor. Slugger Darren Lemming has a secret he wants to share with the world in this drama directed by Randall Arney about a superstar gay ballplayer that is ripped from today’s headlines. Ticket prices and times vary. Info: (310) 208-5454, or email boxoffice@geffenplayhouse.com.
Ongoing through Sept. 26, Saturday and Sunday, 12:30 pm & 3 pm. Snowhite. Santa Monica Playhouse Main Stage, 1211 Fourth Street (Wilshire & Fourth), Santa Monica, CA 90401 One block east of the Third Street Promenade. Snowhite, a brand new musical for kids of all ages, based on the original European fairytale, with a gaggle of comic woodland elves and gnomes, a most romantic heroine, a well-meaning, if misguided, Queen, and a singing two-way mirror. Written & directed by Chris DeCarlo & Evelyn Rudie. Admission prices: children 12 and under, $10; adults, $12. Info: (310) 394-9779 ext. 1.
Ongoing through Sept. 26, Saturday and Sunday, 6 pm. Author! Author! - An evening with Sholom Aleichem. Santa Monica Playhouse Main Stage, 1211 Fourth Street (Wilshire & Fourth), Santa Monica, CA 90401. Santa Monica Playhouse presents the 28th Anniversary revival of this award-winning musical comedy, the single most requested of the Playhouse’s acclaimed Sholom Aleichem plays. Tickets are $21.50, with discounts available for students, teachers, seniors and groups of 16 or more. Info: (310) 394-9779 ext. 1.
Thursday, Oct. 14 – Sunday, Oct. 24, 1 pm & 7 pm. Beyond Therapy. Santa Monica College Theatre Hangar Stage, 2800 Airport Avenue, Santa Monica. By Christopher Durang. In this hilarious and incisive comedy, Bruce and Prudence are deeply into therapy. Her therapist wants her to be more assertive, while his therapist wants him to meet women (a situation that, understandably, does not please Bruce’s male lover). Neither knows what to do with the other, but Bruce and Prudence do learn to live beyond therapy. Preview: October 14, 7 pm; October 15, 16, 22, 23, 7 pm; October 17, 23, 24; 1 pm. $11/$8; Preview, $5. Info: (310) 434-4393.
Tuesday, Oct. 19 – Friday, Oct. 22, 7 pm. The Children of Herakles. USC Bing Theater (BIT), University Park Campus. Famed director Peter Sellars brings his multimedia production of Euripides’ classic Greek play about people forced from their homes by a hostile regime to USC, inviting the audience to look longer—and thinkharder—about what it means to be a refugee. Described as “a compelling look at a timeless issue,” Sellars’ production is intended to acquaint an audience with the underlying themes of brotherhood and the courage to fight for what’s right. Admission prices to be determined. Info: (213) 740-8686.
Nov. 23, 2004 – Jan. 9, 2005. Paint Your Wagon. UCLA Geffen Playhouse at the Brentwood Theatre, 11301 Wilshire Blvd., Building 211, West L.A. Adapted by David Rambo and directed by Gil Cates. This newly revised classic is a revival of Lerner and Loewe’s 1951 Broadway musical. Gold was the lure for American adventurers to flood the mining camps of the Wild West. They came for the boom and stayed for the bust. And the songs. And dances. Ticket prices and times vary. Info: (310) 208-5454, or email boxoffice@geffenplayhouse.com.
Thursday, July 1 – Sunday, Sept. 26, 11 am. Artful Weekends. The Getty Center Family Room Patio. Join your children in an outdoor, drop-in workshop designed to exercise the imagination. Create your own masterpiece, and don't miss seeing others in the galleries. Offered in English and Spanish. Free. Parking is $5 per car.
Aug. 5 - Jan. 30, Luxury Textiles East and West: Opulent Interiors. LACMA. This exhibit celebrates the 50th anniversary of LACMA’s Costume and Textiles Department by highlighting a number of its finest treasures. Through the exhibition, visitors will come to understand the critical role textiles have played, historically and culturally, in aesthetically enhancing living spaces from the United States to Europe and China. Examples range from a 15th-century Flemish millefleur tapestry to a five-color, 17th-century Mughal velvet tent panel. $9/adult, $5/student. Info: (323) 857-6000.
Ongoing through Sunday, Sept. 5. The Arts of Fire: Islamic Influences on the Italian Renaissance. The Getty Center. Glass and ceramics are often united under the term of “arts of fire” because of the heat required to create them. The technological development of both glass and ceramic decoration occurred in the Islamic Middle East between 800 and 1350. Free. Parking is $5 per car.
Ongoing through Sept. 12. Made in Mexico. UCLA Hammer Museum. Made in Mexico is an exhibition of contemporary art inspired by or created in Mexico. It examines how the diversified, socioeconomic atmosphere and the distinctly Mexican vernacular has impacted the contemporary generation of Mexican and international artists alike. Accompanying the display is a film series presenting four classic and contemporary Mexican films, screened outdoors in the Museum courtyard on consecutive Friday nights. Bringing a picnic is encouraged. $5/adult, children 17 and under free. Info: (310) 443-7000.
Tuesday Sept. 14 – Sunday, December 5, 2004. Byzantium and the West. The Getty Center. This exhibition explores the interaction between Byzantium and its eastern and western neighbors in the Middle Ages, highlighting the manner in which three very different regions—Germany, Italy, and Armenia—responded to the artistic heritage of the Byzantine Empire. Free. Parking is $5 per car.
Thursday, Sept. 30 and Friday, Oct. 1 thru Sunday, Oct. 3. Arts of Asia & Oceania. Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, 1855 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401. Come see an exhibit of arts and antiques from Asia, Africa, South America and the Oceanic Islands. Thursday Preview 6 pm-9 pm; Friday & Saturday 11am-7 pm; Sunday 12pm-5pm. Admission: Preview $50.00; Regular hours $10.00. Info: Caskey-Lees, (310) 455-2886 or email caskeylees@caskeylees.com.
Tuesday, Sept. 7, 7 pm. Henry Mancini Institute Jazz Alumni Quintet & The Pink Panther. Santa Monica Pier. The Santa Monica Drive-In at the Pier gets a special musical component with a live jazz concert by the Henry Mancini Institute Jazz Alumni Quintet and an outdoor screening of that hilarious and timeless classic, The Pink Panther. Musical selections include well-known film scores, culminating with the infamous “Pink Panther” theme by Henry Mancini. Presented by the Pier Restoration Corporation and DEFMAN to benefit The Cancer Relief Fund. Cosponsored by the Madison Project of Santa Monica College, the Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corporation, and The Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation. Info: www.smff.com/smdi/info.html. Free (tickets required).
Thursday, Sept. 16, 7:30 pm. USC Thornton Symphony. USC Bovard Auditorium (ADM), University Park Campus. Sponsored by USC Flora L. Thornton School of Music. Composer and Conductor-in-Residence Stanislaw Skrowaczewski leads the USC Thornton Symphony in his own “Concerto for Orchestra”—short-listed for a Pulitzer Prize in 1999—and Hector Berlioz’s “Symphonie Fantastique.” Admission: General, $18; USC faculty, staff and non-USC students, $12; Free admission at the door for USC students with valid ID. Info: (213) 740-2584 or www.usc.edu/music.
Saturday, Sept. 18, 8 pm. Christopher Parkening and Jubilant Sykes. One of the world’s preeminent classical guitarists, Christopher Parkening is also a distinguished Pepperdine faculty member. Jubilant Sykes is among today’s fastest-rising baritone stars, with a voice at home in classical, jazz or gospel music genres. They will perform a program of Spanish and American music. Stotsenberg Recital Series, Smothers Theatre, Pepperdine University, $60. (310) 506-4522.
Thursday, Sept. 30, 8 pm. Balé Folclórico Da Bahia. Be forewarned: Pulses may quicken and feet may tap uncontrollably when these exuberant Afro-Brazilian dancers, singers and drummers take the stage. Hot with dance fever, audiences have been known to samba en masse out of the theatre following one of their sizzling performances. Smothers Theatre, Pepperdine University. $40, Juniors 17 and under admitted for $30. (310) 506-4522.
Saturday, Oct. 9, 8 pm. Lila Downs. UCLA Royce Hall. Creating a strongly layered and emotional music in which blues and jazz cohabitate with ranchera, and honky-tonk swings alongside romantic boleros, singer Lila Downs reimagines American and Mexican music as an ongoing conversation between two great traditions. Downs will perform songs from her new album, “One Blood,” inspired by women whose lives were dedicated to justice and human rights, and lauded as her most diverse and captivating effort yet. Info: (310) 825-2101.
Sunday, Oct. 10, 4 pm. Santa Monica College Orchestra. Dr. James Smith, Conductor. Guest artist features tenor and SMC alum Rodell Rosel. Admissions $10. Santa Monica College Concert Hall, 1900 Pico Blvd. Tickets: (310) 434-3000.
Sunday, Oct. 10, 7 pm. Eva Ayllón. UCLA Royce Hall. Along with Susana Baca and Perú Negro, Peruvian diva Eva Ayllón is among the world’s greatest interpreters of Afro-Peruvian music. In 2000, Ayllón celebrated her professional career of 30 years before 30,000 adoring fans in Lima. This Latin American legend makes a rare appearance at UCLA live in a mesmerizing concert spreading the joy of black Peruvian music. Tickets: $30 - $40. Info: (310) 825-2101.
Wednesday, Oct. 13, 8 pm. Caetano Veloso. UCLA Royce Hall. Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Caetano Veloso, among the most influential artists ever to emerge from Brazil, returns to UCLA live, performing the Los Angeles premiere of music from the critically acclaimed “A Foreign Sound” featuring songs from Irving Berlin, Rodgers and Hart, Cole Porter, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan and David Byrne, as well as a gritty take on Kurt Cobain’s “Come as You Are.” Info: (310) 825-2101.
Friday, Oct. 15, 7 pm. Nancy Wilson and the USC Thornton Jazz Orchestra. USC Bovard Auditorium (ADM), University Park Campus. Renowned jazz vocalist Nancy Wilson takes the stage with the USC Thornton Jazz Orchestra in a performance of big band classics directed by Ron McCurdy. Wilson’s music is a smooth blend of jazz, R&B and pop. General, $20; Senior citizens, USC faculty and staff, $15; USC students with valid ID, $7. Info: (213) 740-2167 or visit the website at www.usc.edu/student-affairs/spectrum.
Friday, Oct. 22, 8 pm. Gods, Goddesses and Ancestors: Masked Rituals of Kerala, India. UCLA Royce Hall. Featuring the U.S. Premiere of Ravi Gopalan Nair, Artistic Director. Kerala, a lush state at the southernmost tip of India, maintains a distinct culture, rich in spectacular folk and performing arts traditions. Touring for the first time in the U.S., these dancers recreate the sacred beauty of the region’s most dramatic ancient dance ritual, the Theyyam, or “God’s Dance.” Info: (310) 825-2101.
Friday, November 5, 5:30 pm. USC Thornton Chamber Orchestra with Yo-Yo Ma. USC Bovard Auditorium (ADM), University Park Campus. World-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma returns to USC to perform an evening of film music by Italian composer Ennio Morricone with the USC Thornton Chamber Orchestra, a concert set to video pieces created by students from the USC School of Cinema-Television. Ennio Morricone’s son, Andrea, conducts this performance. Admission price to be determined. Info: (213) 740-2584 or visit the website at www.usc.edu/music.
CALENDAR offers a selection of events from area schools and cultural institutions. For a complete listing of Santa Monica College events, please go to events.smc.edu.
THE EDUCATION STANDARD is published five times a year, in winter, twice in spring, and twice in fall, providing information and comment about Santa Monica College, Santa Monica and Malibu schools and educational topics.
Santa Monica Community College District Board of Trustees: Dr. Margaret Quiñones, Chair; Carole Currey, Vice Chair; Dr. Dorothy Ehrhart-Morrison; Dr. Nancy Greenstein; Graham Pope; Herbert Roney; Annette Shamey; Dina Cervantes, Student Trustee; Dr. Piedad F. Robertson, Superintendent/President