Grossmont profiles: Ricks, McCoy and Lego

By Barbara Boyd

GROSSMONT COLLEGE –Walking around the campus can bring you into contact with many interesting people. Recently, I had a chance to learn a little about three of them.

A volunteer with a cause

Joshua Ricks

Joshua Ricks, who is taking a critical thinking class on campus, has been working on a drive to help the Boys and Girls Club.

He seeks old clothes, canned food, shoes, toys, and anything else that can be used to help kids from impoverished families. He’ll be out on the Main Quad on Wednesday, Sept. 28, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m in the quad collecting donations for the boys and girls at the Boys and Girls Club.

52 scholarship recipients named

GROSSMONT COLLEGE (Press Release) – Fifty-two students have been awarded scholarship this semester, with some winning more than one based on merit. As listed by Grossmont’s Financial Aid Office and the Foundation for Grossmont and Cuyamaca Colleges, the recipients are:

Allen, Keiara —$1,000, Grossmont College Osher Initiative for California Community College Students

Bailey, Brittany — $500, Jerry Lester Scholarship in Theatre Arts

Barrett, Debra —$1,000, Grossmont College Osher Initiative for California Community College Students; $250, Fleet Reserve Auxiliary Scholarship

Belysheva, Yulia — $500, Barnes and Noble Textbook Award

Benter, Marisol–$1,000, Grossmont College Osher Initiative for California Community College Students

Bilal, Alina — $1,000, Grossmont College Osher Initiative for California Community College Students; $300, Lee Roper Memorial Scholarship

Student Forum set for Sept. 21

Class offerings evolve in response to budget cuts, changing job market demands

By Issac Jeitler

GROSSMONT COLLEGE—This campus offers students a wide array of classes to choose from and a multitude of degrees. Even after having the amount of classes being offered cut by 8% from the 2010-2011 year, Grossmont still has an ample supply of opportunity for those seeking an education.

Sometimes scheduling conflicts can constrict a student’s opportunities. However, the counselling center on campus has staff on hand willing to help that student find options. If you’re an entering freshman this semester, official procedures favor you nexst semester: continuing students receive priority enrollment over those just entering the college as freshmen.

Grossmont has a diverse range of academic programs, old and new. Dr. Barbara Blanchard, vice president of Academic Affairs, commented in an interview that, “demand in programs changes.” She said some degrees currently have no job market availability, so are now being deemphasized, while other degree programs in the future may be for occupations not currently served by the college.

She added that “Grossmont College is one of four California community colleges working on a trial program that will offer Bachelor degrees to Nursing students.”

“Even after the cuts to classes, Grossmont College still has a good breadth of offerings, passionate faculty and has great educational goals,” Blanchard said. Notwithstanding budget and class cuts, “the success rate of students is approximately 71% for students transferring or completing their educational goal.”

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Jeitler is a student in Media Comm 132. He may be contacted at issacj@gcsummit.com

Transfer Center planning Oct. 5 College Transfer Day

By David Hurst

GROSSMONT COLLEGE—While Grossmont College is a fine institution of higher learning, for many students on campus it is a stepping stone to a four-year university. This is where the Transfer Center in 58-D comes into play.

October will be a big month for students looking to transfer to other Universities. Wednesday, October 5, will be College Transfer Day in the main quad of the Grossmont Campus. There will be over 40 colleges and universities represented. “It is important for students to take advantage of this opportunity,” says Transfer Specialist Diane Sandoval. The day will give the students a chance to familiarize themselves with these colleges and universities.

Sandoval also encourages students to visit the website http://www.grossmont.edu/transfercenter/ to view other upcoming events. “I wish students would really look at this,” she said.

The website features scheduled work shops at which students can get personal attention from Mary Rider, coordinator of the Transfer Center.

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Hurst is a student in Media Commm 132. He may be contacted at davidh@gcsummit.com

Campus DSPS office provides a variety of services for students with disabilities

By Issac Jeitler

GROSSMONT COLLEGE – The campus Disabled Student Programs and Services, or DSPS, department offers ample amounts of help for students with disabilities.

According to Glenda Wycoff, a Student Services Specialist in the DSPS office, any student can apply anytime throughout the year “with verification of disability from a licensed practitioner.” It is not mandatory for students to apply to DSPS, but it is highly recommended for students who could use help to at least stop by the office in room 58K of the modular village, she said.

Among services offered by the department are adapted exercise science courses such as swim or yoga. These classes are based around each students disability. DSPS also offers locker storage for students who cannot carry their bags and books all over campus. Other services offered may include audio books, priority registration dates, special seating and the service most used by students, extra test time.

Wycoff recommends that students with disabilities stop by the DSPS office if they have any questions about these and other services intended to help them reach their educational goals.

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Jeitler is a student in Media Commm 132. He may be reacted at issacj@gcsummit.com

Opinion: Free speech, if not deep thought, evident in comments about Constitution

Students study comments about U.S. Constitution. (Photo: Issac Jeitler)

By Issac Jeitler

GROSSMONT COLLEGE – Roaming around campus this week. students may have noticed  two large pillars wrapped with construction paper.These pillars near the campus cafe quad were placed during Constitution Week for  students to express their opinions on the question: “What does the Constitution mean to you?”

Whether you were born in America, or abroad, certain rights guarantee civilians, students and immigrants freedoms they might not have available in other countries.  One of these is free speech.  For me, watching students exercising their free speech and expressing their emotions as they approached the pillars was  almost as interesting and informative  as reading what others wrote.   Some passersby would read written comments, chuckle, and then announce “that was funny.” One studious student  quipped “Grammar errors attracted me to the wall.”Plenty of explicit comments could be found on the wall, in some cases stretching the limits of free speech.  Students who were more serious about their opinions about the Constitution in some cases were heckled for their  efforts, but then again that is a right protected by the Constitution.

Maribel V., a student engulfed in reading the comments on the wall, commented, “People should know the Constitution better.”  This is probably something we can  all relate to.

In my own opinion, Constitution Week is a good time to give thanks to the founders of our Democratic system and to express our thoughts about their legacy —  hopefully in a more positive light.

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Jeitler is a student in Media Comm 132.  He may be contacted at issac.jeitler@gcsummit.com

Americans Elect circulates petitions on same-sex marriage

Jacobi Malone sits at petition booth for same sex marriage. (Photo: Phil Tipple)

By Philip Tipple

GROSSMONT COLLEGE– Jacobi Malone, a petition circulator who says he is representing the budding internet political party, Americans Elect, has  frequented Grossmont to circulate petitions on a variety of issues including those he describes as advocating cheaper auto insurance, saving the city worker pensions, fair redistricting and supporting same-sex marriage.

Malone said similar petitions will be circulated next week.   He asserted that Americans Elect is trying to “give the power directly to the people.”

Malone says that not only is Americans Elect attempting to save people money on their auto insurance but it is also trying to forestall pension cuts for the city worker. The petition concerning same-sex marriage is an attempt to determine the community consensus on this controversial topic, Malone said.

Americans Elect has been quietly winning places on 2012 presidential ballots in states across America by persuading voters that by taking advantage of the process of direct petitioning they should have as much say as to who should be nominated for President as do the two major political parties.
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Tipple is a student in MediaComm132; contact him at philipt@gcsummit.com

ASGC board seeks new members

Chris Foskett at work in ASGC office (Photo: Kellen Brauer)

By Kellen Brauer

GROSSMONT COLLEGE- The Associated Students of Grossmont College, which coordinates many events on campus, is chaired by ASGC President Cheryl-Anne Phillips and is run by a board of directors who want more colleagues.

“We want all of the students to know that we are here for them,” said ASGC board member Tina Howell. “If there is any suggestion that any student has, we want to know about it. It’s very important to us that we represent our students.”

“We have over 20,000 students, and at the moment we only have 13 board members,” Howell continued. “We would love to have a board member for every 1,000 students.”

ASGC meetings are open to all students and applications for board membership are available in both the Student Affairs office and the ASGC office.

“If you have above a 2.4 GPA, time available between 8 a.m to 9::30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, four hours available to give to office hours, six credit hours and your student benefit card, then you can apply to be on the board,” said Howell.

“We also want to promote our student benefit card,” said Howell. “We’re working really hard to get different benefits within the community and not just at Grossmont and Cuyamaca.”

Items obtainable with the student benefit card include unlimited popcorn, a prize drawing ticket, and savings at Ross Books and the Grossmont Bookstore, according to Howell.

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Brauer is a student in Media Comm 132. He may be contacted at kellenb@gcsummit.com

9/11 Memorial Olive Tree planted on campus

Sept. 11 remembrance tree planted Tuesday, Sept. 13, by left column, from front: Grossmont President Sunita Cooke, ASGC President Cheryl-Anne Phillips, Christopher Foskett and groundsman Martin Hipwell, and right column, from front, Tina Howell, Arianna Nevins, Samantha Elliott, Danielle Ramirez and groundsman Jack Newman.

By Kellen Brauer

GROSSMONT COLLEGE- An olive tree was planted Tuesday, Sept. 13,  in remembrance of the victims of the  September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The tree was planted in front of Building 55. Messages written by students about the attacks dangled from its branches.

Due to last Thursday’s countywide power outage, the campus was closed Friday which was when the ceremony had been originally scheduled. This meant that the ceremony had a small turnout due to students not knowing about the date change.

“The ceremony took place at 9:30a.m.,” said ASGC member Chris Foskett. “There were not a lot of people there.”

“Hopefully a lot of people will see the tree now that it’s there,” said ASGC member Sicarra Devers. “I guess the plans for the ceremony got a little bit messed up due to the power outage.”

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Brauer is a student in Media Comm 132.  He may be contacted at kellen.brauer@gcccd.edu