November
2003
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Two Mission
College students were among the thousands of activists nationwide
who took part in the Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride last month.
Jorge Valles and Baltazar
Martinez report that the two-week bus trip to
Washington D.C. was an eye-opener. Valles was taken aback by the
living and social conditions faced by immigrants in other states.
"We're spoiled by the progress that's been made in California,"
he said. "We think it's like that everywhere but it's not."
The trip through the south ended with a mass rally in support of
immigrant rights. Valles and Martinez were honored by the Los Angeles
Community College District's Board of Trustees for their efforts
to raise student awareness about the immigration issue. Trustee
Warren Furutani (seen in photo with Martinez and Valles) authored
a resolution of praise.
Read the Board's Resolution
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Multimedia instructor
Lucy
Griesbach is back from Spain, where an exhibition
of her work ran for several weeks. The exhibit, called "The Life
of Tiles," was a solo show complementing a larger exhibit on
architecture in a Barcelona art center. "I took a common architectural
element and obsessed over it," said Griesbach, explaining the
focus of her work. "A tile is part of a whole, a piece of a labyrinth,
a witness of daily life." Griesbach said her interest in tiling
stems from her appreciation for the weathered tiles that wash up on
the beaches of Barcelona, as well as for the famed tiled structures
by Barcelona architect, Gaudi. |
Team teaching is
alive and well at Mission College. It’s being practiced by Brandy
McKay, restaurant management instructor, and Dean
Weilacher, interior design instructor. Under the
joint project, McKay’s students are developing a business plan
for a restaurant. The task requires them to plan for purchasing food,
developing inventory and cost controls, hiring employees, designing
menus, and applying for appropriate licenses. Weilacher’s students,
meanwhile, are working with the would-be managers in designing the
interior of the proposed restaurant, including tiling, flooring, spacing
and colors. "The goal is for the students to have a full portfolio
to present to a lender to get a loan to start a restaurant,"
said McKay. In photo, McKay and Weilacher review proposed restaurant
design with student Miguel
Perez (center).
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Patricia
Johnson has been awarded her doctorate of Psychology
in Clinical Psychology from Ryokan College. Dr. Johnson has taught
psychology at Mission College since spring 2002. Prior to her full-time
appointment at Mission, Johnson was an adjunct instructor in psychology
with the Los Angeles Community College District, including three years
at LAMC. She has also practiced privately as a marriage and family
therapist. |
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Veterans office
director Georgia
Estrada has been accepted to the Master’s
program in Educational Psychology at California State University,
Northridge. As part of the two-year program, Estrada will be assigned
to work in a San Fernando Valley rape crisis center next semester.
Ultimately, she would like to counsel parents and family members of
disabled persons. "I have 19 years of experience as a parent
of a disabled person," she said. "I think I can help others
in some way." |
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John
James spends most of his time at Pierce College,
and some of it at Mission College. Now, his experience is taking him
to City Hall. James has been nominated to become a member of the Los
Angeles City Commission on Disability. That panel advises and makes
recommendations to the mayor and the Los Angeles City Council on actions
affecting people with disabilities. James is a counselor of disabled
students at Mission one day a week. The rest of the time, he is a
counselor and assistant director of EOP&S at Pierce. Councilman
Alex Padilla nominated James to the commission, describing him as
"extraordinarily qualified" for the position. |
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Mission College student
Richard
Messerly has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship
by the Southern California chapter of the Research Security Administrators
(RSA). Messerly attends Mission part-time, pursuing a Security Management
Specialist certificate while working full-time as a lieutenant with
Advanced Tech Security Services, Inc. RSA is an organization of security
experts who promote professional standards in their field. They award
grants to deserving students in the profession. Instructor Phil
Smith, a member of RSA, nominated Messerly for the
grant. |
Friends
and colleagues have said farewell to Victoria
Hansen, who lost her battle with cancer last month.
For six years at Mission College, Ms. Hansen brightened the lives
of her fellow employees while working as faculty cluster secretary.
At a memorial service for Ms. Hansen, friends spoke of her gentleness,
her smile, her friendliness and her determination to do all tasks
well. She is survived by her son, Michael, and her daughter, Olivia.
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