CAMPUS NEWS

Hip-Hop? A Social Movement or Reflection of Social Problems

Lecture examines hip-hop within the framework of historic black political movements

Is hip-hop a social movement or is it reflective of social problems, expressing a culture that celebrates hatred of women, homophobia and homicide in society? That question will be examined in a special Black History Month lecture at Cañada College.

The lecture is part of a day-long celebration that takes place Wednesday, Feb. 7. In addition to the hip-hop lecture, the celebration features a presentation on the history and evolution of jazz by renowned tenor saxophonist Howard Wiley, a performance by an ensemble of the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, and a lecture on the role of religion and spirituality in Black American life and black social movements.

Dawn-Elissa Fischer, the education outreach coordinator at Stanford University 's Hip-Hop Archive, will deliver the lecture on hip-hop politics from 11:10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the main theater. Fischer is an emerging hip-hop generation anthropologist who also teaches courses on hip-hop cultural studies in the African American Studies Program at the University of Florida.

The celebration will start at 10:10 a.m. with a lecture and musical performance by Wiley. “The Angola Project” features Wiley investigating the roots and legacies of African American prison spirituals, encompassing folk, blues, and gospel, with a focus on the songs and stories from the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola , Louisiana , from the 1950s onward. Wiley's lecture and performance will also be held in the main theater.

The evening events start at 6 p.m. with an ensemble of the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir performing a selection of songs from the choir's first a cappella album, “Great Day.” It is followed at 6:30 p.m. by a lecture from James L. Taylor, associate professor of politics at the University of San Francisco. Taylor will explore the role of religion and spirituals in Black American life and black social movements. The evening events will be held in the Flex Theater.

All events are free and open to the public. They are sponsored by the Associated Students of Cañada College. For more information contact the Office of Student Activities at (650) 306-3373.

Bookstore Moves to 2-10

Renovations are scheduled to begin on the bookstore this spring, which means a temporary home for the bookstore is being established in Building 2, Room 10. The store will be completely redone with new lighting, floor covering, new fixtures and office furniture.

Staff and faculty should remind students to buy their textbooks now and not wait until later in the semester. Because of limited storage space, unsold textbooks will have to be returned to publishers in February and will be unavailable to students.

The renovations on the bookstore should be completed in early May.

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FACES OF CAÑADA

Eliazer Ayala-Austin Starts as Director of EOPS

If students involved in the Extended Opportunity Programs & Services need a role model they need look no further than the new director of the program. Eliazer Ayala-Austin entered college as a first-generation, low-income community college student at Palomar College and took advantage of the EOPS services on that campus. She later graduated from UCLA with a bachelor's degree in sociology specializing in Chicano studies and went on to earn a master's degree in public administration. Eliazer is now finishing her doctoral program at the University of San Diego.

“I understand the EOPS students,” she said. “EOPS helped me get through the tough times and gave me confidence. It provided me with resources but, more importantly, it provided me with people to talk with.”

Eliazer said the first lesson that EOPS students need to learn is how to navigate the higher education system. “Most don't have role-models at home that understand college. We need to be specific about what needs to be done for them to succeed. There are certain behaviors they need to succeed. We're here to help them.”

Following college, Eliazer went to work in the health care industry but volunteering in a low-income family center as a tutor and mentor convinced her that education was her calling. She worked as the study-abroad coordinator for four years at the Univerity of San Diego, then worked as the acting co-director of the Tutorial Center at San Diego Miramar College before arriving at Cañada.

“I like Cañada's size and the fact that it is a Hispanic serving institution,” she said. “I also like the fact that the college has a University Center and has developed partnerships with local universities. The University Center illustrates to our students that a four-year degree is closer than you think. It's possible.”

Eliazer has moved to San Mateo with her husband and two-year-old son.

Bookstore Helps Soldier in Iraq

A U.S. soldier serving in Iraq is one step closer to his dream of earning a college degree thanks to the actions of Brian Horwitz, bookstore operations assistant.

Sergeant Major Thomas E. Brown is deployed with the U.S. Army 22nd Military Police Battalion (criminal investigations) in Baghdad and is taking several college classes via distance learning. He had the wrong textbook for one class so his wife searched the Internet and found the book via Amazon.com at the Cañada College Bookstore. She purchased the book but then discovered that the bookstore only delivers via UPS, which cannot possibly deliver to Iraq .

When Sergeant Major Brown's wife called the bookstore and told Horwitz, the story and how her husband was three weeks behind in the class, Horwitz took action. Despite the fact that Sergeant Major Brown was not a Cañada College student, Horwitz took the book to the U.S. Post Office on his own time and with his own money mailed it first-class to Iraq .

“I requested a mailing address from him so I could send him a token of my appreciation but he refused, saying he was just happy to help,” Sergeant Major Brown said.

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.

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SPOTLIGHT ON STUDENTS

Performance Looks at Shakespeare's Contributions to English

San Jose State University 's school touring ensemble to perform Feb. 13

The San Jose State University's School Touring Ensemble presents “Words, Words, Words: Will's Way,” a hip, humorous, action-packed show that weaves in modern slang and rap with the words and phrases first found in Shakespeare's plays.

There will be one performance only at 11 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 13 in the main theater. Faculty members are encouraged to bring their classes to this performance.

S.T.E.P. was founded in 1995 by San Jose State University Professor Buddy Butler. The multicultural company is committed to providing a theater experience that is much more than entertainment. Each production attempts to address both social and political issues facing young people today. One of the main goals of the company is to promote productions reflecting an ethnically diverse society to enlighten, enhance, and educate youth of a variety of cultural backgrounds through theater. Each production also has a firm foundation in literature, thus promoting learning and literacy.

International Human Rights Festival Set for Feb. 21

Festival is designed to educate students about human rights

The Associated Students of Cañada College will host an International Human Rights Festival from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 21 in the bookstore plaza. The event will feature representatives from various human rights organizations and performances by ethnic dance companies.

“The purpose of the event is to educate students about organizations and what they are doing to protect human rights,” said Anna Peng, events coordinator for ASCC. “We want to show students different cultures in order to battle ethnocentricsm. We also want to enhance student life on campus.”

Organizations planning to attend include Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Global Exchange, and the American Civil Liberties Union. The dance companies include Zooz (North Africa-Middle East), Hala (Egyptian), Arenas (African/Cuban), and the Russian Collection (Russian).

Club Day is a Smashing Success

Students learn about campus activities and eat barbecue

Students that ventured into the cafeteria on Jan. 24 not only had the opportunity to eat free barbecue but they also learned about a variety of clubs on campus. Judging by the large crowd, the annual Club Day was a hit.

“We talked to a lot of people about our club,” said Noel Chavez, a member of the Young Latino Leaders. “Club Day is important because we always are looking for new recruits.”

Anna Peng, organizer of the campus United Nations Club, said Club Day gives students an opportunity to learn about student life on campus. “Student life is an important aspect of college,” she said. “There are a lot of good clubs on campus and opportunities for students to get involved.”

The new Cheerleader Club provided a dose of school spirit, performing cheers for the students as they learned about various clubs and activities.

 

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

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Please see the EVENTS CALENDAR on inside Cañada for the latest event listings.

Editor's Note: If you would like to submit an event to the Cañada Calendar of Events please contact Debbie Joy at ext. 3318, or use the link at the bottom of the Calendar.

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