CAMPUS NEWS

Guadalajara Book Fair Provides Unique Opportunity

Librarian Michelle Morton purchases hard-to-find academic literature.

One of the world’s largest book fairs, La Feria Internacional del Libro in Guadalajara Mexico, provides a unique opportunity for Cañada College Librarian Michelle Morton to purchase Spanish-language textbooks unavailable in the United States.

 “The Redwood City Public Library has been traveling to the book fair for several years, but this is the first time we have been able to attend” she said. “The trip was made possible by a grant from the American Library Association and support from the college. We focused on buying books for classes unique to Cañada, like our Early Childhood Education classes taught in Spanish, our Latino Literature classes, and our Spanish for Heritage Speakers classes.”

 ESL Professor Alicia Aguirre said the college is fortunate Morton is able to travel to the book fair. “This is one of the best book fairs in the world,” Aguirre said. “It is well known for the excellent publishers and authors it draws both from the Americas as well as Europe. The books available at this book fair are one of a kind.”

 Aguirre said she often chooses books for her Latino Literature class that are a challenge to import because of the cost to students. “Michelle was able to bring back an excellent array of books that students in various classes and disciplines can access. These are the classics and students can’t wait to check them out.”

 Leslie Baxter, another ESL faculty member, said she is grateful to have the new Spanish language materials available in the library. “The students I’m teaching are learning English, while working in the field in early childhood settings. They need access to both age appropriate books to use with bilingual children in their care, and informational books on child development and child psychology. They are more easily able to access this material in their primary language.”

 Morton said the Early Childhood Education materials, in particular, are very difficult to find in the United States. “It was great to be able to bring back some classic literature in addition to new works that speak to current conditions,” she said. “These materials are valuable because they both recognize and build on our students’ strengths.”

Cañada College Installs Bat House to Aid Surrounding Ecosystem

Bats consume vast quantities of insects, many of which are agricultural pests.

A new bat house installed near the Facilities Maintenance Center could attract a colony of hundreds of the Chiroptera to campus and help the native ecosystem.

“Bats are extremely beneficial to the ecosystem,” said Greg Tatarian of Wildlife Research Associates in Santa Rosa. “Local bats are insectivores and consume vast quantities of insects, many or most of which turn out to be agricultural pests, or pests of ornamental and native trees and shrubs.”

Tatarian, who helped design and place the 4.5-foot-tall and 4-foot-wide bat house, said the campus is located in good foraging habitat for bats. “There are about 16 bat species that occur in the region, and with nearby water, woodland forest, and grassland, the habitat diversity is good, which attracts bats. Because bats are roost-limited, enhancing roost habitat can be an effective approach at augmenting local bat populations.”

Tatarian was contacted by Linda Rizzoli, construction project manager for the newly constructed Facilities Maintenance Center, to help with the bat house. “Bats like to roost in wooden structures,” she said. “We know bats live in the barns in this area so we’re hoping this bat house will help augment the population.”

Rizzoli said the bats will not roost in other campus buildings because they do not like the activity. “This is a nice, quiet location where they won’t be disturbed,” she said. The bats will also provide guano for plants on campus.

Bats are selective about their roost sites, which is one reason why populations of many species are at-risk, Tatarian said. “Their natural roosts are unavailable or disturbed, and successful reproduction and rearing of pups requires safe, undisturbed roost sites. While several bat species will sometimes use human-occupied structures, the buildings at Cañada have been in place since 1968, so if any had been found by bats to be suitable roosts, they would have used them before now.”

The best way to encourage bats to roost in the new house is to leave it alone, Tatarian said. “Don’t shine lights into it. Don’t kick the supports. Don’t pick up any bats that may fall to the ground.” The incidence rate of rabies in bats is low – about one in a thousand – and there are no “outbreaks” of rabies in bat colonies, he said. “They don’t fly after people to bite them whether they are sick or not, and they do not contact ‘furious’ rabies like canids or other wildlife species.” However, Tatarian warns against handling any potential rabies vector by an unvaccinated person.

It could take bats a couple of years before they occupy the house, Tatarian said. “There is no immediately adjacent bat colony, and we don’t know where the nearest one may be, which could serve as a ‘seed’ population, so patience is needed,” he said. “The bat house should be monitored from time to time in the summer by standing in the parking lot and NOT shining lights at the house,” he said. In time, when the house is occupied, Tatarian said quiet groups of people can assemble in the parking lot and watch them emerge at twilight.

Patricia Winters, the education and rehabilitation director of the California Bat Conservation Fund, will be coming to campus in March to give a “bat chat” complete with live bats. Rizzoli is also working with Carol Rhodes, professor of biology at Cañada, to incorporate the bats into learning opportunities.

Rizzoli said the bat house is also helping the San Mateo County Community College District achieve “gold” rating status with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System for the Facilities Maintenance Center.

Othello Becomes a Learning Experience

Theater Arts Professor Anna Budd and drama students use scenes from the play to illustrate racism in Shakespeare's time.

A packed house in the Flex Theater learned how the issues of race haven't changed much since Shakespeare's time thanks to a live performance of scenes from Othello by Cañada drama students. The event was co-sponsored by the Diversity Committee, Theater Arts Department, and Black Student Union.

"By examining Shakespeare's writing we can see what race relations looked like between Africans and Europeans at the time," said Theater Arts Professor Anna Budd. "Does it look familiar?" Drama students performed several scenes from the play followed by discussion from the audience. "The racial tensions in the play are very apparent," Budd said. "It's fascinating to think that these same tensions remain in our society hundreds of years later."

Budd said she would like to do similar programming in the future to help students better understand some of society's issues through drama. "Students begin to think differently when they are outside a traditional classroom setting."

Marcus Shelby Quartet Featuring Faye Carol to Perform at Cañada for Women’s History Month

Celebration of women's history will also include a film series.

To celebrate Women’s History Month, the Office of Student Activities has coordinated a series of activities. The feature program is a presentation and performance entitled Harriet Tubman and Jazz performed by the Marcus Shelby Quartet featuring Faye Carol. The event will include a presentation on the history of Harriet Tubman, negro folk music, and a discussion on jazz and social politics. The performance will include selections from Shelby’s Harriet Tubman recording. The event will take place Tuesday, March 2, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Main Theater. The event is free and open to the public.

The film series will highlight the women’s suffrage movement; the history of the contraceptive “pill” and its impact on women and society; and the legacy of the "Princess of Press", journalist Ida B. Wells. Films in the series include:

• Iron Jawed Angels. Tuesday, March 16 from 12:30 to 2:15 p.m. in 2-10.
• The Pill. Thursday, March 18 from 11 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. in 2-10.
• Ida B. Wells: A Passion for Justice. Thursday, March 25 from 2 to 4:15 p.m., 2-10.

This event series is sponsored by the Office of the President and the Associated Students of Cañada College. For more information on the Office of Student Activities and upcoming events please visit the following website http://canadacollege.edu/student/studentlife.html. 

Peninsula Cantare Presents "On a Lighter Note"

Chase away the winter doldrums at this March 13 concert.

Chase away the winter doldrums with the toe-tapping music of George Gershwin and the clever lyrics of his brother Ira. Enjoy the distinctive voice of George Shearing as he sets Shakespeare’s words in his jazzy style. For more spice throw in The Beatles and some swinging J.S. Bach. Now there was a composer who really had rhythm! Our versatile pianist, Alex Bootzin, and the Nucleus Jazz Quartet provide the instrumental accompaniment for this concert of familiar favorites.

The concert will be held Saturday, March 13 at 7:30 p.m. in the Main Theater. It is free for students, staff, and faculty at the college.

top

FACES OF CAÑADA

Students Enjoy Academic Experience in Honors Program

Program begins to grow as students embrace challenges.

Joanie Winters is excited to begin the Honors Program at Cañada College. She received her confirmation letter in mid-February and is now looking forward to the challenge. “Cañada has many resources to help students succeed. I have refined my critical thinking skills at Cañada. I’m excited for a new challenge and the Honors Program provides that opportunity.” Joanie is a Radiologic Technology major who will eventually earn a degree in nursing. She said the challenges of the Honors Program will prepare her for the rigorous academic major. “As a student, you think you can get by on your own but when you join the Honors Program you have others supporting you in your endeavors. That support is important.”

Isaiah Roggow loves a challenge so when Cañada College established an Honors Program he was immediately interested. “It was something above and beyond what was being offered,” he said. “It was a challenge to go deeper into the subjects I was interested in.” Roggow said the program requires students to be self-starters and essentially serve as mentors for other students. “I would advise students to enter the program because it prepares them for the upped division classes they’ll be taking soon,” he said. “Take an honors class that puts you out of your comfort zone, you’ll be surprised at what you find!” Roggow, a nutrition science major with a focus on community health, will transfer to UC Davis. He said his favorite experience from the Honors Program was having his economics paper submitted to several agencies for publication. “I had no idea that was going to happen!”

Jeremy Morales Madrigal was encouraged to participate in the Cañada College Honors Program by other members of the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society and several of his academic advisors. What advice would he give other students considering the Honors Program? “You are going to love the experience, just be ready to put in the effort,” he said. Jeremy is a Chemical Engineering major, was the only community college student selected in 2009 to participate in Stanford University’s prestigious Center on Polymer Interfaces and Macromolecular Assemblies Summer Undergraduate Research Experience. While Jeremy is an accomplished student, he said the quality and quantity of work and the independent activities associated with the Cañada College Honors Program are challenging. “I enjoyed conducting my own experiments in the organic chemistry lab and teaching a section in my Calculus III class. Those were opportunities presented because I was an honors student at Cañada College.”

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.

top

SPOTLIGHT ON STUDENTS

Cañada Students Win Scholarships for Kitchen Designs

Cañada had two of the 10 finalists in the national competition.

Two Cañada College Interior Design students won cash prizes in this year’s National Kitchen and Bath Association GE Charette Competition.

 Miriam Frost of San Mateo placed fourth in the competition and received a $2,500 scholarship while Shannon Schaeffer, formerly of Foster City, earned Honorable Mention honors and a $1,000 scholarship.

 “There were 509 entries from 33 schools and two of our students finished in the final ten,” said Nancy Wolford, professor of Interior Design at Cañada. “This competition included students from four-year universities, community colleges, and professional schools from around the country. To place two finalists in a design competition of this magnitude is outstanding.”

Frost said students received a list of GE appliances and cabinetry, a list of requirements from a prospective client, and an 11-by-17 drawing paper with a floor plan. “The challenge was to design the kitchen using the specified cabinetry and appliances, without moving walls, using the NKBA planning guidelines, in compliance with codes and to satisfy most, if not all, of the client’s requirements.” All of this had to be done, Frost said, in a three-hour sitting.

 Competitors needed to draft a fully dimensioned elevation or sketch a perspective and write a half-page design statement describing the reasoning behind the design.

 “The most difficult aspect of the competition was the time limit,” Frost said. “My arm started to get numb after a while. I could barely read my own writing in the end.”

 Frost was a management accountant with a business background and wants to use the skills she learns at Cañada to open a kitchen and bath design shop. She wants to earn her NKBA certificate at Cañada and transfer to San Jose State or San Francisco State.

“The faculty at Cañada work in the industry and share their experience with the students,” Frost said. “You can’t put a price on that kind of education. I’ve met a large number of fabulous designers and future colleagues through this program. It’s a challenging program but things get easier with practice.”

Two Cañda College Student Named to Phi Theta Kappa All-California Academic Team

Jeremy Morales Madrigal and Isaiah Roggow will be honored at March 22 awards luncheon in Sacramento.

A chemical engineering major and a student studying nutrition science have been selected to the All-California Academic Team by Phi Theta Kappa, the national honor society for community colleges. Both will be recognized at a March 22 award luncheon in Sacramento.

Jeremy Morales Madrigal of Redwood City is studying chemical engineering and was the only community college student selected last year to participate in Stanford University’s prestigious Center on Polymer Interfaces and Macromolecular Assemblies Summer Undergraduate Research Experience. He is hoping to transfer to Stanford to finish his undergraduate studies.

Isaiah Roggow of Santa Clara is a nutrition science major who is focusing on community health and plans to transfer to UC Davis next fall. Roggow has submitted an economics paper to several agencies for publication.

Both students are actively involved in Phi Theta Kappa at Cañada College and are members of the school’s Honors Program.

Editor's Note: If you have an idea for a student feature, contact Robert Hood at ext. 3340.

top

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.