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Breaking Barriers Lecture Series Features Erika Huggins
Dr. Ramona Tascoe Presents on Health Challenges in the African American Community
Nehanda Imara to Spotlight Environmental Racism in Flint, MI – 2/29
New Year, New LGBTQ Student Club
Auto Club Offers Washout Wednesdays
Mobile CoA Takes Spotlight at “Advancing Student Success” Conference
Vote for CoA ADAM Student Photo Today!
FAFSA and CA Dream Act: CoA Financial Aid Staff in Community
CoA’s New Community Partnerships Show Collective Impact
Associated Students Application Period Begins
Student Learns from CoA Expert, Wins Science Fair
CoA Splash Goes Weekly
Breaking Barriers Lecture Series Features Erika Huggins
On Thursday, February 25, CoA’s Breaking Barriers Lecture Series welcomed Erika
Huggins to the CoA campus for a discussion with students, faculty and staff. Ms.
Huggins is a human rights activist, poet, educator, Black Panther leader and former
political prisoner. As a result of her 14-year tenure as a leader of the Black Panther
Party (the longest of any woman in leadership), she brings a unique, complete and
honest perspective to the challenges and successes of the Black Panther Party, as well
as its significance today.
Ms. Huggins reached out to the audience right away, asking “What do you want to
know about me? I encourage you to ask questions. There really aren’t any unwise
questions. It’s how we learn.”
She recounted the roots of her interest in sociology, in the systems and structures that
impact our lives and how we treat each other. She shared her journey, starting as a
child who asked many questions, and leading to the the inspiration she felt at the
March on Washington in 1963 when she heard Lena Horne singing “Freedom.” This,
and her experiences in college led her to move to California and join the Black
Panther Party. She described what it was like to be a member of the party, an
immersive experience of deep community involvement including educational programs, free medical clinics and
testing, community schools, and much more. Everything they did, she said, was “rooted in love” and working in
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coalition against “powerful systems that wanted us to die.” Reminding her audience that the median age of the Party
was only 19, she talked about the harassment, imprisonment and assassination of her fellow Party members and
herself, and the toll this eventually took.
She also talked about her work since the end of the Party in 1982, focusing on prison reform and education, including
her continued study of Sociology and teaching at Cal State East Bay and several of the Peralta Colleges. She shared
her perspective on what’s needed today – which is not that different than what was needed back then – and applauded
the Black Lives Matter network as a very important evolution in the discussion of racism and combatting fear. Finally,
she shared a thought-provoking video clip about the importance of being an ally, featuring anthropologist, educator
and psychologist Joy DeGruy.
Ms. Huggins challenged the audience to greater awareness, dialogue and action: “Revolution is not a ‘something.’ It’s
not an event. It’s a constant turning away from the darkness toward the light. Darkness clouds what we’re thinking and
feeling… Racism is pure fear, not hatred. Then when it’s institutionalized, it becomes fear on steroids…What can an
ally do to fight it? Stand up. Step forward. Foster conversation.”
This lecture will be available to view at peralta.tv
Article by Jennifer Owen-Blackmon. Photo by Randolph Belle.
Dr. Ramona Tascoe Discusses “Health Challenges in the African
American Community”
On Wednesday, February 24 the CoA community had the honor of hearing from Dr.
Ramona Tascoe, who spoke on emerging health issues and health disparities in
African American communities. Dr. Tascoe highlighted the connection between
health disparities, histories of trauma, and institutionalized racism. She also spoke to
the need for community healing, self care, and continued conversations on race.
Dr. Tascoe is an internist in Oakland, California. She received her medical degree
from the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine and has been in
practice for 36 years. Dr. Tascoe is also the medical director at Westside Methadone
Treatment Program in San Francisco and CEO of Congo Basin Transportation, Inc.,
whose mission is to revitalize transport, commerce, travel, and to improve access to
healthcare via customized barges. In addition, Dr. Tascoe is an ordained minister and U.S. Director of Health for the
Kimbanguist Church of Congo. She has led medical missions to Kenya, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo,
Angola, India, Sri Lanka and most recently Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where she was asked by the International Medical
Corps to oversee the work of U.S. doctors and nurses providing medical relief in Haiti's largest public hospital. As
BSU Secretary, Ramona Tascoe was instrumental in the 1968 San Francisco State University strike to hire more black
professors, admit more black students and create the College of Ethnic Studies.
Dr. Tascoe’s lecture, presented in celebration of Black History Month, will be available to view at peralta.tv
Article by Evan Schloss
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Nehanda Imara To Spotlight Environmental Racism in Flint, MI
Please join us for CoA’s final Black History Month event on Monday, February 29 at noon
in Building F. Environmental justice advocate and Merritt College instructor Nehanda
Imara will present “Update: Flint, Michigan – One of the Worst Cases of Environmental
Racism in Modern American History.”
The public water supply in Flint, Michigan is so bad, so toxic, so dangerous, that tests
confirmed it had over 900 times the EPA limit for lead particles. To say that the
predominantly white state government failed to take this problem seriously in a timely
manner is a gross understatement. Flint, a predominantly black city of nearly 100,000
residents, was basically left on its own for more than a year.
Questions? Contact Dean Toni Cook at [email protected]
Pictured: Nehanda Imara. Article by Dean Toni Cook. Photo from Merritt College website.
New Year, New LGBTQ Club
A small group of passionate students are re-energizing the LGBTQ club at College of Alameda. The club will begin to
meet again this February, so be on the lookout for more “out and proud” activity at College of Alameda.
Caitlin Fischer will be serving as the advisor. She previously assisted students in founding Berkeley City College’s
LGBTQ club, which is now the largest and most diverse in the Peralta system. She looks forward to supporting
students at College of Alameda in building a club that reflects their identities.
The students involved hope that their efforts will have a lasting impact in making CoA a safe space for LGBTQIA2-S
students.
Questions? Do you have students who are interested? Contact Caitlin Fischer, [email protected]
Article by Caitlin Fischer.
CoA Auto Club Offers Washout Wednesdays
The College of Alameda Auto Club (COAAC) is sponsoring Washout
Wednesdays this spring. COAAC will be offering an eco-friendly car wash,
interior vacuum, interior wipe down, tire rotation, tire balance, brake
inspection and check of all fluid levels from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. every
Wednesday throughout the Spring 2016 semester, by appointment. All of these
services usually cost well over $150 but the COAAC is offering these services
for a very low introductory price of $30. Other promotional packages are
available.
We will WASH while you WORK! Just make an appointment, drop off your vehicle at the designated time and pick it
up by 5:00 p.m. the same day. To make an appointment, please email [email protected] and include:
1. Your name and phone number
2. Date of your preferred Wednesday during the Spring 2016 semester
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We will notify you of your scheduled time.
Support COAAC because “You can make a DIFFERENCE.” Revenue generated will go toward scholarships in the
Automotive Technology and Auto Body/Paint Departments.
Article by Rufino Ramos, Ernie Eugenio, and Dr. Char Perlas.
Mobile CoA Takes Spotlight at “Advancing Student Success”
Conference
CoA Outreach & Retention Specialist Caitlin Fischer, pictured here, will be presenting Mobile
CoA as a model program at the “Advancing Student Success: From Plan to Action” conference
in Sacramento on March 14-16. This conference is an opportunity to convene with SSSP
Coordinators, Deans, and leaders statewide to share best practices and move student success
forward.
The workshop description is as follows:
Mobile CoA is an Outreach Program designed to offer SSSP services to students at
College of Alameda partner sites. Bringing application workshops, orientation,
assessment testing, and counseling directly to high schools (and eventually, adult
schools and community spaces) on a significant level enhances access and enriches our engagement with our
entering students, which in turn produces impressive retention outcomes. Mobile CoA students who
participated in at least one service off-site in its pilot season (Spring 2015) have a retention and persistence
level of 93% (measured one year later). In this workshop, Caitlin Fischer will present the data, outcomes, and
plans for scaling this model up and out on a local level, and facilitate a discussion of ways to integrate a
"mobile" model into SSSP best practices statewide.
The conference is now sold out, but if you’d like to learn more about Mobile CoA, please contact Caitlin at
[email protected].
Article & photo: Caitlin Fischer.
Vote for CoA ADAM Student Photo Today
A photo of one or our international students studying in College of Alameda's Apparel Design &
Merchandising program has been selected as a finalist to be on the cover of the American
International Education Foundation (AIEF) Magazine. Your vote can help make it a winner.
Voting ends today, February, 26 at 5:00 pm PST so place your vote now!
Patsaralak “Beer” Siripaweennakorn, originally from Chiang Rai, Thailand, graduated from
CoA’s ADAM program in Spring 2015 and now lives in San Francisco. This photo was taken
while she was a student here, by Faiza Ali from the Peralta District PIO office.
If this photo of gets the most “likes” and ends up on the cover of this International Education
magazine it will help the our Office of International Education get more visibility in the
International Ed community! Please like and share.
Voting is simple. All you have to do is paste this shortcut link into your browser, http://on.fb.me/1S273oe, which will
take you to Facebook,look for the photo pictured here and click on it, then ‘like’ the photo. (Comments do not count
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as votes.) The photo with the most likes will be featured on the Spring 2016 cover of UScampus Guide magazine.
Pictured: Patsaralak Siripaweennakorn
Photo by Faiza Ali
FAFSA and CA Dream Act: CoA Financial Aid Staff in Community
College of Alameda Financial Aid staff and student workers partnered with College of Alameda’s Outreach &
Retention department this week to support the East Bay College Fund and Marcus Foster foundation in assisting
students at three of Oakland’s continuation high schools: Rudsdale, Dewey, and Ralph Bunche Academy. Workshops
were hosted on campus at each of the three schools on Monday, Thursday and Friday (February 22, 25 and 26).
Financial Aid staff and student workers were able to provide invaluable hands-on help to prospective students, as well
as sharing information about College of Alameda programs and offerings with students, staff and faculty.
Questions about College of Alameda’s partnership activities with Rudsdale, Dewey and Ralph Bunche? Contact
Caitlin Fischer at [email protected]
Article by Caitlin Fischer
CoA’s New Community Partnerships Show Collective Impact
League of Women Voters
College of Alameda is partnering with the League of Women Voters to create PCCD’s first
forensics/debate team. The project began in January 2016 and will culminate in a debate on April 15,
2016 at the College. The inaugural group of eight high-school students, all of whom are part of Girls
Inc., will receive college credit through concurrent enrollment.
Girls Inc- Eureka!
CoA is also partnering with the Girls Inc. Eureka! Teen Achievement Program by
hosting them at the College in July 2016. Eureka! (grades 8-12) provides hands-on
achievement opportunities in academics such as STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering, Math), college and career preparation, personal development and much more. This intensive four-week
program will build confidence and skills, preparing girls for college while fostering their interest in future STEM
careers.
AC Transit
On February 1, a team from CoA and the District met with the professional development
coordinator at AC Transit. CoA is working with AC Transit to provide professional development
workshops through contract education and to link AC Transit employees to CoA’s academic pathways leading to
degrees and/or certificates.
Innovation Studio
On January 25, CoA received a generous donation of $10,000 from Perforce in
support of the Innovation Studio at CoA. The Innovation Studio is being created as a
collaborative partnership between the College and community partners to create a hub in Alameda to foster technology
innovation, design, and the broader Alameda Maker Consortium, alamedamakers.org
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NPOWER
NPower's Technology Service Corps (TSC) program provides U.S. military veterans with the skills
and support they need to launch civilian careers in the booming tech sector. It includes a holistic
continuum of services, including technology and soft-skills training; on-the-job apprenticeships;
and job placement support. The goal is to help veterans successfully transition into the civilian workforce, by placing
them into jobs with family-sustaining wages and strong potential for advancement. CoA’s new program will serve 2530 students in fall 2016, and veterans completing the 8-week program will gain CISCO certification.
Article by VPI Tim Karas.
Associated Students Application Period Begins
The Associated Students Election application open period has begun. The Student Activities office is currently
accepting applications until the deadline date of March 8. Students can pick up an ASCOA Application in the F
building, room F-217. The minimum requirements for students are a 2.0 GPA and enrollment in 5 units at College of
Alameda.
Please encourage your students to apply for this great leadership opportunity. If you have any question please contact
Luis Padilla-Porras at [email protected] or send students to the F building, room F-217 for information and the
application.
Article by Luis Padilla-Porras
Student Learns from CoA Expert, Wins Science Fair
Seventh grade student Kainoa McHale was recently awarded Division First Prize in
his local science fair and was chosen as a finalist to compete in the Alameda County
Science Fair next month. His project, “Clean Air is Not Exhausting,” benefited from
the expertise and consultation of CoA’s Mike Robertson, who helped advise him on
the project.
Kainoa is a 7th grade student at Our Lady of Guadalupe School in Fremont, where
his Science and Math teacher is Mrs. Kimberly Hughes. His grandparents Kathy and
Craig Browne own a small transportation company in Newark. Over the last several
years they have upgraded their trucks and climate trailers to meet CARB regulations,
so Kainoa has heard them talk about this and the expense that it has caused. He
decided to do his science fair project on the DPF and DEF regulations to see if they
really were making a difference in air quality.
Through a series of connections, Kainoa was connected with Mike Robertson of CoA’s Diesel department, who
graciously shared his expertise on diesel engines, CARB and EPA regulations. Mike invited Kainoa to visit him in his
classroom, where he shared the basic CARB class he gives to trucking companies and enforcement personnel, and
coached him on how diesel engines work. It was a wonderful experience for Kainoa and his grandfather.
From his testing and analysis, Kainoa concluded that the regulations are making a difference in improving air quality,
and that the costs of upgrading equipment are worth it. In his conclusion, he wrote: “My project affects the real world
by proving that it’s worth it to install the DPF filters or upgrade to a brand new engine with the DPF and DEF. Not
just in California, but nationwide and encourage countries worldwide to follow the standards set by California. Do it
for the environment. Do it for future generations. Do it for the survival of the Earth.”
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Kainoa is very excited about going on to the Alameda County Science and Engineering Fair (acsef.org), which will be
held on March 11, 12 and 13 at the Pleasanton fairgrounds. We wish him the best of luck!
Article by Jennifer Owen-Blackmon with Kathy Browne.
Photo of Kainoa McHale by Kathy Browne, used with permission.
CoA Splash Goes Weekly
The CoA Splash is going weekly! From how on, you can send in your articles any time. All complete articles and
submissions received by Monday at noon will be included in the Friday edition. Submissions received later in the
week will be published the following Friday.
Please send your submissions to [email protected]
Not sure what to write about? Here are a few ideas:
• Publicize an upcoming event, or give us a report on an event that already happened
• Share an interesting project you’re doing with your classes
• Introduce a new colleague or employee
• Showcase a student whose achievements have been exceptional
• Tell us about an award or accolade you (or a colleague) received
Please include:
• Your article or story, in 1-3 paragraphs, including the name of the person who wrote it.
• A high-quality, compelling photo or two. Tell us the name of the photographer and who’s pictured. Make sure
that you have their consent for it to be published online.
• A contact person whose name and phone/ email we can publish “for more information.”
Help us improve your newsletter! Send your suggestions and feedback to [email protected]
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