CAMPUS NEWS
Commencement Ceremony Moved to Saturday, May 29
To celebrate the college’s 40th Anniversary, the annual commencement ceremony will be moved to the quad.
The annual commencement ceremony will be moved to Saturday, May 29 at 10 a.m. and will be held in the upper quad. The ceremony will include the recognition of students earning certificates as well as degrees. “This will be a more inclusive ceremony,” said President Tom Mohr. “We wanted to do something special for the 40th Anniversary celebration and we felt it was important to include students earning certificates.” Holding the ceremony in the upper quad will take advantage of the natural beauty of the campus, Mohr said. “A morning ceremony held in the upper quad will be quite beautiful. Holding the ceremony outside will also help facilitate the growing crowds that have been attending commencement. We’ve literally had to turn away the friends and family of graduates at the last few ceremonies.”
Fashion Design Department Holds Luncheon for Prospective Students
Students learn about majors, certificates and new classes.
The Fashion Design Department held its annual luncheon on Thursday, April 1 to introduce prospective and returning students to course content and the various certificates and degrees available in the program. More than 70 people attended the event and before they left, most students had determined which courses they were going to take. “This is the third semester the department has planned such a party for the purpose of assisting students with curriculum,” said Fashion Design Professor Ronda Chaney. “The informal presentation allowed instructors and students to compare goals of the curriculum. Each student received a flier with a list of upcoming classes before the college schedule was available on campus.” Chaney said five instructors and four assistants were at the event as were current students who had taken the classes. “Current students are the best ones to explain to prospective students what is involved in course work, the amount of homework required and also what they enjoyed most about the class. Students stayed well into the afternoon as they discussed the classes and course content.”
Cañada to Honor Scholars May 7
Scholarship recipients, Honors, MESA, and transfer students will be celebrated.
The 2010-11 Cañada College Scholarship Awards & Transfer Recognition Reception is set for Friday, May 7 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Building 1, Main Gym. In recognition of the college's 40th Anniversary four celebrations have been consolidated into one grand event that will recognize the following accomplishments:
- Scholarship Recipients
- Transfer Students
- Transferring Honors Transfer Program scholars
- Transferring MESA scholars
The evening will begin with a light buffet menu served in the Dance Room (1-208) from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. The awards presentation will follow in the Main Gym. Immediately following the awards presentation, weather permitting, cake, punch and coffee will be served outside by the Colonnades.
PEP Brings Local High School Students, Parents to Campus
Participating high school seniors earned priority admission to summer and fall classes.
A strong showing of local high school students and their parents participated in this year's Priority Enrollment Program held April 24. Workshops on financial aid and other services were well attended by both students and parents. Campus tours, student and parent panels, information tables, and a chance to have lunch with faculty and staff helped introduce students to campus life at Cañada. In addition, students were able to take placement tests and participate in group counseling or make an appointment for one-on-one counseling.
Cañada College Theater Arts presents Shakespeare’s celebrated tragedy Othello, the Moor of Venice.
Two "pay-what-you-can" matinees will be held on Thursday afternoons.
The year is 1570. Othello, a man of African descent and Muslim heritage, having attained fame, respect, and fortune as a general of one of the world’s most powerful armies, dares to marry Desdemona - a young, beautiful woman of Venice, and the daughter of a senator, no less. Their love survives the ensuring storm, but not the insidious, corrosive, and brilliant intrusion of Iago, a tormented man whose hatred drives him to destroy all that is beautiful in his world.
Performances will be held:
Thursday, May 6 and Thursday, May 13 at 1 p.m. (pay-what-you-can Thursday matinees!)
Friday, May 7 and Saturday, May 8 at 8 p.m.
Friday, May 14 and Saturday, May 15 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, May 16 at 2 p.m.
All shows will be held in the Flex Theater, Building 3, Room 129, on the Canada College Campus, 4200 Farm Hill Blvd., Redwood City. Tickets are $15 general admission, and $10 for students and seniors. Tickets will be available at the box office, or reservations can be made at brownpapertickets.com.
High School Engineers Gather to Test Their Skills
More than 150 trebuchets are tested.
The 16th Annual Cañada College Engineering Design Contest for high school mathematics and physics students brought 112 students from Carlmont, Capuchino, and Woodside high schools to campus to compete for cash prizes and trophies. The event was sponsored by the Cañada Science and Engineering Club and the Cañada MESA (Math, Science, and Engineering Achievement) Program. This year, students gathered in front of Building 9 to participate in the trebuchet design contest. A trebuchet is a siege engine that was employed in the Middle Ages either to smash masonry walls or to lob projectiles over them and into the castle under seige. A trebuchet works by using the mechanical advantage principle of leverage to propel a stone or other projectile much farther and more accurately than other catapults, which swing off the ground. Each team of high school students had to design a trebuchet that could toss a standard-sized hacky sack. Teams were given two chances to launch the hacky sack for a maximum range. The trebuchets had strict weight and size limitations and had to be powered solely by gravity. Students from Carlmont High School won the top prize.
Fashion Show Set for May 15
The show will feature garments made by Cañada students.
The Cañada College Fashion Department's annual fashion show is set for Saturday, May 15 at 7 p.m. in the Main Theater. Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door. The show will feature garments produced by the Cañada College Fashion Design students.
Students, Employers Meet at Career Fair
Students learned how to improve their resumes and interview skills.
Bay Area employers and Cañada College students met face-to-face on April 27 as part of the college's annual career fair. Representatives from Bay Area businesses were on campus to discuss full- and part-time employment opportunities as well as career tracks, volunteer opportunities, and answer questions. Students also learned important interviewing skills and tips for their resumes.
FACES OF CAÑADA
Retirement Reception Set for Monday, May 3
Sharon Finn, Barbara McCarthy, and Jeannie Mecorney will be honored.
A special retirement ceremony will be held on Monday, May 3 at 1:30 p.m. in Building 3, Room 142 to honor Sharon Finn, Barbara McCarthy and Jeannie Mecorney. All staff and faculty are invited to attend along with all past retirees. "It's terribly important to honor those who have given so much of their lives to teaching and supporting students and who are quite naturally the foundation of the future of the college," said President Tom Mohr.
President Mohr Receives PTK Award
The Shirley B. Gordon Award recipients provide outstanding support for PTK
President Tom Mohr was one of 17 college presidents nationally to receive the Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction at Phi Theta Kappa’s annual convention in Orlando, Fla., earlier this month. The Gordon Award recipients have provided extensive support and a variety of resources for their colleges’ Phi Theta Kappa chapters, including faculty advisor release time, a line-item budget for the chapter, financial support for chapters to participate in regional and international events and scholarships for PTK members.
Don Lariviere Joins Cañada College
Lariviere replaces Ricardo Flores who returned to graduate school.
Don Lariviere has joined Cañada from Skyline College and is working half-time in the Learning Center and half-time with DSPS as the new alternate media specialist/instructional aide II. He replaces Ricardo Flores who returned to school. Don has been in the Bay Area for 13 years and was teaching in DSPS at Skyline College before transferring to Cañada.
“Don has a wealth of experience in alternate media software and assistive computer technology,” said Regina Block, DSPS Director.
Don said he’s happy to be working at Cañada where the faculty is open to new ideas and technology to serve students with disabilities. “This campus is extremely open,” he said. “The faculty is eager to try a variety of applications to help students.”
Don said the technology for helping disabled students is evolving rapidly and he enjoys introducing that technology to faculty. “People at Cañada really want to help students,” he said. “That makes this job so much more rewarding.”
Editor's Note: If you have ideas for the Faces of Cañada section of the online newsletter, please contact Robert Hood at ext. 3340 or by e-mail at hoodr@smccd.edu.
SPOTLIGHT ON STUDENTS
Cañada Students Present Original Research
The Presentations Will be Part of the Third Annual Community College Honors Research Symposium at U.C. Berkeley on May 1.
Katherine Leviste
Can someone taste shapes? See sound? Visualize time? Katherine Leviste is intrigued by these questions and has developed a research project on Synesthesia, the neurological experience of cross-sensory perception. “Synesthesia has been linked to creativity and abstract thought, and being an artist myself, I wanted to learn more,” she said. “I was surprised to learn that a lot of people have not heard of Synesthesia.” Synesthesia is a rare condition that occurs when the senses act in unison to elicit a highly memorable experience for the individual. “Synesthetes” have reported abilities to taste shapes, visualize music and perceive colored letters on a black and white page.
Caleb Beckett
The class discussions in Caleb Beckett’s honors seminar on politics and religion motivated him to investigate the issue further. “Most people had some idea of where they thought the role of religion and morality should be, but no one really knew where it was in modern America,” he said. Beckett’s research examines the hypothesis that high levels of religious affiliation in America – especially the large number of people who identify as Christians – correlate with a strong presence of religious morality in American politics and culture. “After examining a large number of nationwide surveys, statistics, and public policy related to religion, I don’t think this hypothesis is true,” he said.
Violeta Crow
As a female engineering student, it’s easy for Violeta Crow to see that the opportunities she has can be traced to the feminist movement. “Feminists have had a great impact on many aspects of the lives of both men and women in today’s society,” she said. When asked in class to study love, Crow was excited to connect the effects of feminism on love and sexuality and how it changed society. “My analysis suggests that the second-wave feminism changed romantic relationships and marriage because women became more confident and independent of men,” she said. “This independence leads women to marry more for love than for other interests.”
Constance Fergus
Like many Americans, Constance Fergus was raised to believe that marriage was a religious institution. But when she decided to research the same-sex marriage debate she was surprised by what she learned. “My research shows that marriage started as a civil contract, taking a historical view that as society’s morality changes so does the view of marriage,” she said. “I examined different movements that have brought changes to the institution.” Because of her research, Fergus said she believes bans on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional. “By taking the religious element out and returning marriage to a civil institution would allow all relationships the same protections.”
Veo Rice
Veo Rice is passionate about advocating for the voiceless so researching the issue of children’s medical rights versus parental religious rights was especially rewarding. “My method was to compile information regarding the progression of the child from chattel to citizen,” she said. “Children are used as pawns all the time and I find the journey from being viewed as property to an actual citizen quite amazing.” Rice said the Constitution clearly indicates all citizens have equal protection under the law. “Government intervention to secure life saving medical treatment on behalf of a minor child should not be cited as a violation of the parental religious rights,” she said.
Aldo Garcia
Aldo Garcia couldn’t understand why Andy Warhol’s art was classified as art. “To me, it looked more like advertising than art,” Garcia said. That’s why Garcia decided to research Warhol. Garcia developed an analysis of the materialist and glamorous world portrayed in Warhol’s art and persona. “His works were reproductions of the real object or person without making it sublime as artists used to do,” Garcia said. “He was only interested in the surface, in what the object represented. A can of soup is not only a can of soup, it is the can of soup that every American loves and consumes.”
Archaeology Spring Class
Students learn what it’s like to be an archaeologist in the field.
A group of 19 students spent Spring Break analyzing and cataloging a collection of material from an archaeological site, touring a working archaeological site, and learning from U.C. Berkeley anthropologists. It was all part of the annual Spring Break anthropology class. “The students went to the coast to view some archaeology sites, toured the U.C. Berkeley anthropology museum and listened to an archaeologist lecture on his research, and then they spent class time analyzing and cataloging a collection from eastern California,” said Anthropology Professor Jessica Einhorn. “This is a great way for students to get hands-on experience.” As the students cataloged and performed basic lithic analysis of the collection from Baja they were also communicating with the archaeologist who excavated the collection. “We used SKYPE to communicate,” Einhorn said. “It put the collection in perspective for the students. They were able to hear directly from the archaeologist about the importance of the site and the collection that they were analyzing.” The students were also responsible for a series of readings to prepare them for each project.
Darnell Spellman Elected ASCC President
Spellman has been advocating for students for the past year.
Darnell Spellman has been elected president of the Associated Students of Cañada College. Spellman has been advocating for students actively for the past year. He sits on the College Planning Council and helped organize the Cañada contingent during the March in March. Katie McKee was elected secretary while Gabrielle Kasley, Pilar Hazin, Uriel Mendoza, and Jithan Tennakoon were all elected to the Senate.
Editor's Note: If you have an idea for a student feature, contact Robert Hood at ext. 3340.
CAMPUS CALENDAR
Please see the EVENTS CALENDAR for the latest event listings.
Editor's Note: If you would like to submit an event to the Cañada Calendar of Events please contact Robert Hood at hoodr@smccd.edu.
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