It’s the time of the year to reflect back and give thanks. And this fall brings a busy season of civic engagement at our local community colleges – College of Alameda, Oakland’s Laney and Merritt colleges and Berkeley City College. Isn’t that what the Thanksgiving holiday is all about?
Berkeley City College held a faculty-student dialogue recently to address civic engagement at the downtown Berkeley campus and beyond.
Faculty across instructional departments joined student leaders from BCC’s Associated Students, Latino Leadership and Cultural Club, Muslim Student Association, and Black Student Union to share stories of how they have been challenged and impacted by the current political climate.
Facilitated by political science professor Matthew Freeman, who is BCC’s Civic Engagement Coordinator, and members of the Rethink Justice working group, participants also discussed successful activities in and outside of the classroom that addressed these civic engagement challenges they face. The group further identified existing campus and community resources that faculty, staff, students and administrators can utilize to develop BCC’s Civic Engagement Initiative.
It is the season of giving: Laney College is holding a food drive for the college’s DSPS students. DSPS stands for Programs and Services for Students with Disabilities, a program designed to meet the unique educational needs of disabled students and provide them with equal access to educational programs so they can realize their academic goals.
With Thanksgiving fast approaching, Laney’s Ability Club launched the drive to support food–insecure DSPS students. From now until Nov. 23, you can drop off non-perishable food items from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, at Laney College in Room E-261. Laney College is located at 900 Fallon St. in Oakland. For more information on making a student’s Thanksgiving brighter, call DSPS at 510-464-3427.
The Sierra Club honored the Environmental Justice Program at Merritt College with an “Emerging Voices Youth Award” last month. Accepting the award for the college was Merritt President Marie-Elaine Burns and faculty members Gisele Giorgi, Cliff Cockerham, Theresa Halula, and Angela Lane; students Christine Watson and Feather Ives; alumni Angela Lane and Saul Gamboa.
The Environmental Justice group also was honored with a certificate they received at the dinner from state Sen. Nancy Skinner for “inspiring students and young people to make a difference in their communities.” Merritt Instructor and alumna Theresa Halula urges students to consider supporting environmental justice and environmental protection. If you are interested in learning more contact Halula at thalula@peralta.edu.
The holiday concert season is upon us, too. And it begins at the island campus with College of Alameda’s Department of Music, Choral & Vocal presenting a holiday vocal recital, “Saving Our Children Through the Musical Arts,” from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Dec. 7.
The recital, conducted by department chair Glen Pearson and vocal/choral instructor Silvester Henderson, features the CoA’s vocal students and special guest vocal artist Hope Briggs, the New York Metropolitan Opera national finalist. The concert will also present a special motivational speaker, Dr. James Taylor, who is the former president of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists. You won’t want to miss this free holiday concert held in College of Alameda’s G Building in Room 119. The college is located at 555 Ralph Appezzato Memorial Parkway in Alameda. For more information, contact professors Henderson or Pearson at 510-748-2312.
Contact Jeffrey Heyman at jheyman@peralta.edu and follow him on Twitter at @JeffHeyman.