Gallery Exhibit Features Paintings and Photo Drawings by Christine Canepa

You Will Miss Me When I’m Gone:  Paintings & Photo Drawings by Christine Canepa

The Cañada College Art Gallery begins its Spring, 2013 season with the presentation of You Will Miss Me When I’m Gone: Paintings & Photo Drawings by Christine Canepa, on view from Tuesday, Feb. 5 through Thursday Feb. 28, 2013. Canepa uses imagery of dens, nests, and burrows, and various endangered species to explore ideas around endings, loss, and the speculative potential of parallel worlds.  

A “meet the artist” reception will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 13  from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The Cañada College Art Gallery is located Building 9, Room 152 on the Cañada College campus, 4200 Farm Hill Blvd. Redwood City, CA.

The gallery is open Mondays and Wednesdays 11:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1 to 4 p.m.

Christine Canepa's work employs imagery from the animal world as a means of exploring ideas proposed in contemporary physics regarding the existence of multiple dimensions, or a “multiverse”. The work plays with traditional distinctions between abstract and representational imagery, and historic conventions of landscape painting.

Canepa, who grew up in Santa Cruz and lives in Oakland, teaches at San Jose State University, where she received her MFA in pictorial arts. Her artistic practice emphasizes painting, but also includes a variety of modalities and mediums, including installation. She has been the recipient of numerous awards, fellowships and prizes and has exhibited widely in California and nationally.  

The Cañada College Art Gallery presents exhibitions to the public, focuses on an interdisciplinary interpretation of art and culture, and serves the public of San Mateo County, the college community and beyond.

Exhibitions and gallery events are free and open to the public.

For more information, please contact the Cañada College Humanities and Social Sciences Department at (650) 306-3336 or visit our website www.canadacollege.edu.

Campus Survey Explores the Issue of Academic Dishonesty

More than 500 students and 40 faculty were surveyed by members of Phi Theta Kappa

A group of honors students at Phi Theta Kappa surveyed more than 500 fellow students and 40 faculty members on the campus regarding the issue of academic dishonesty. The answers they received were surprising.

“The student surveys were administered in classrooms by several different PTK (Phi Theta Kappa, the community college honor society) members,” said Elaina Mattingly, one of the survey’s organizers. “We asked students 29 different questions that had multiple choice answers and were filled out on Scantrons. The faculty survey was administered via SurveyMonkey after an email was sent out containing directions and link to participate.”

The survey results will be presented at the PTK National Conference April 4-6 in San Jose.

“While we used the topic of academic honesty to fulfill a requirement for the PTK Honors in Action project, it was also an opportunity for us, as a group of students, to dig deep into an issue that many students turn a blind eye to,” said Doris Vargas, co-president of Beta Zeta Nu, Cañada’s chapter of PTK.

Members of PTK conducted the study on academic dishonesty

“Academic dishonesty isn’t just an act of ‘doing wrong’, underlying problems such as integrity and incentives must also be taken into account,” Vargas said. “When we became aware that faculty on the campus were discussing this topic, we thought it would be a great opportunity to move it beyond conversation and do some research on our own.”

Mattingly, who attended Sitka High School in Sitka, Alaska, said she was surprised that 27 percent of the students surveyed admitted to using a prohibited electronic device during a test. She was also surprised that 41 percent believe they should do nothing when they notice another student cheating. “This statistic is especially alarming when you consider that 32 percent of the students surveyed said they would be more likely to cheat if they knew it would get them the best grades in the class.”

Vargas, who attended Mercy High School in San Francisco, said 75 percent of the students agreed that acts of academic dishonesty are more prevalent in high schools, yet only 65 percent said they have never cheated or plagiarized on a college test or assignment. “In addition, 62 percent of the students admitted to using up to three methods of cheating. It’s really thought provoking.”

In addition, Mattingly said it would be useful to promote programs on campus that offer students an opportunity to improve their college applications without pointing to GPA. “Assuming that most students cheat to get a competitive edge, there may be other ways to gain an advantage such as being involved in the Honors Transfer Program, Phi Theta Kappa, student government, or the tutoring program. If we show them how to improve their college application by being involved on campus they will feel less pressure to cheat.”

Vargas said that 60 percent of the students surveyed agreed that having an instructor read aloud the exact consequences for cheating before an exam was also an effective strategy. It suggests a combination of positive reinforcement and communicated consequences may be the most effective deterrent to academic dishonesty.

Vargas, Mattingly and other PTK students have been asked to give a campus-wide presentation on the results of the survey and they have developed a short video that can be viewed at this link http://youtu.be/mgd0ilwlIFg.

Tutors Are Available in the Learning Center to Help With Writing Projects

Drop-in help is available four days a week

If you are struggling with a writing project, help is available in the Learning Center. The college offers drop-in hours on Mondays, 9 a.m. to noon; Tuesdays, 6 to 9 p.m.; Thursdays, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; and Fridays from 1 to 3 p.m.

“When students come to the Learning Center, tutors will want to see the specifics of the assignment from the instructor,” said Julie Wilson, assistant professor and director of the Writing Center. Students can get assistance with any writing assignment. Whether you are enrolled in Biology or English, History or Speech, Chemistry or Business, ESL or Psychology, someone is available to assist you in planning, researching, organizing and writing your paper. From the initial brainstorming through the final draft, the tutors in the Writing Center can support students in the entire writing process.

“In my experience with Cañada students, the most important area writers need help with is the organization and development of ideas,” Wilson said. “I often find the need to remind writers that they are responsible for guiding their audience. They need to consider their reader when they are writing.”

Wilson said students also need help with grammar and mechanics but she always encourages them to prioritize their ideas first.

For students needing help at the Writing Center, Wilson said it’s important that they bring a draft of the paper, some scratch paper, and a pencil or pen. Tutoring appointments run for about an hour. “There’s not enough time to assist students through every minute step of the essay,” Wilson said. “Tutors are taught to prioritize their support for students, not necessarily resolve every issue in every essay. We don’t want to overwhelm students with corrections, but we want them to focus on their top areas for growth.”

She said students should expect tutors to help them make significant improvements in their essays, but not perfect it for them. “Our goal is for students to continually grow in independence as writers.”

Wilson said the earlier students start their essays, the more time they will have to get feedback from tutors and from friends... so come by the Learning Center today!

For more information, visit the Writing Center website or contact Wilson at wilsonj@smccd.edu.

Study Abroad in Barcelona: A Life Changing Experience

Professor Monica Malamud joined a group of 50 students and two professors from around Northern California on a three-month study abroad program in Barcelona, Spain last semester.

Malamud said students considered it a life-changing experience.

“That was the phrase that kept popping up in their journals,” she said. “They wrote about how much they had grown, how they were able to see things through a different perspective, how they were going to change how they did things back in the US based on what they learned about different ways of doing things in Spain.”

Students were asked to write a weekly journal reflecting on different aspects of their study abroad experience as part of the Spanish Life and Culture class that was required of each student. The course included history, Spanish art, customs, politics, gastronomy, film, etc. Students could also choose to take Spanish, Psychology, or Art as part of their 12 units.

The learning, Malamud said, extended well beyond the classroom.

“There were many cultural activities organized by the AIFS (American Institute for Foreign Study, the organization that handled logistics for the trip),” she said. “We went on daytrips to nearby cities including Girona, Figueres, Sitges, and Montserrat. We went to an FC Barcelona soccer match, we took a cooking class, we visited the Sagrada Familia Church, and so much more.”

Joining Malamud were her teenage sons, Nico and Kevin, who participated in many cultural activities with the study abroad students.  Kevin also enrolled in high school and learned Catalan, since instruction was in that language in most classes.

Malamud’s students also took advantage of low-cost airlines to visit other areas of Europe. “We had students fly to Lisbon, Paris, the Netherlands, England, Italy, Prague, and other areas. AIFS also organized an optional Thanksgiving in Interlaken, Switzerland that 37 students attended.”

Malamud, who studied abroad in the US as a foreign student in high school and college, said she knew what an amazing opportunity it would be for Cañada students. “I’m so happy that I had a chance to participate in such a wonderful program, and I hope to do it again.”

Former Cañada Student John Paulino Named NASA Ambassador

Paulino is currently studying mechanical engineering at UC Berkeley

 

 

John Paulino, a former Aragon High School student and Cañada College graduate, has been named to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Student Ambassador Virtual Community.

Paulino is currently studying mechanical engineering at UC Berkeley and is a member of the Pilipino Association of Scientists, Architects, and Engineers at the school. He is also going through machine shop training at Berkeley this spring.

John Paulino

The NASA Student Ambassadors Virtual Community (NSAVC) is an online community network designed to foster greater interaction and mentorship among outstanding interns of NASA's higher education projects. The goal is to provide participants with access to tools needed to serve as a NASA Student Ambassador, increase retention throughout the NASA educational pipeline into the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce, and provide strategic communication opportunities.

“Being a NASA Student Ambassador allows me to connect with a network of great professionals, interact and work with my peers, prepare to enter the STEM workforce, and represent and help NASA inspire and engage future scientists and engineers,” Paulino said.

For the last two summers, Paulino participated in a 10-week summer research internship sponsored by NASA through the Curriculum Improvement Partnership Award for the Integration of Research (CIPAIR) Program.

“In 2011, he did an excellent job doing research on earthquake engineering, contributing to a successful project that resulted in a Best Poster presentation at the conclusion of the internship program,” said Amelito Enriquez, professor of engineering and mathematics at Cañada. “This poster was one of the finalists for the Best Poster at the 2011 Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) national conference in Anaheim. He also presented a paper and a poster at last year’s American Society for Engineering Education Pacific Southwest Section Conference in April 2012.”

For the summer 2012 NASA CIPAIR Program, Paulino led a group of three other community college students in doing research on the analysis of performance degradation of integrated circuits due to transistor aging effects in nano-scale. Although a mechanical engineering major, he was selected as the lead student in his group, and helped the group receive the Excellence in Engineering Research Award for the program.

“As a result of this research work, a paper will be presented at the 2013 Interdisciplinary Engineering Design Education Conference (IEDEC) in March.” Enriquez said. “He is also the lead author of a paper that has been submitted for presentation at the American Society for Engineering Education Pacific Southwest Conference in April.”

Paulino credits his education at Cañada for his opportunity at NASA.

“I know for certain that if I did not attend Cañada College, I would not be here at Berkeley. The great professors I had, internships and scholarships that I received, and various conferences I attended during my time at Cañada really prepared me for the challenges at Berkeley.”

Paulino said it’s true that some community college students attending Berkeley are overwhelmed by its different academic culture and structure. “I feel fortunate that Cañada gave me the tools I needed to adjust quickly at UC Berkeley. I’m actually three or four classes ahead of my engineering classmates who also transferred because I was able to take a few upper-division classes at Cañada that aren’t offered at other community colleges. I don’t believe that students who take those classes at UC Berkeley know the material more than I do because what they learn is basically the same material I learned at Cañada.”

While at Cañada, Paulino participated in a video encouraging other students to pursue STEM majors at the college.

While it can be a struggle to transfer from a community college to UC Berkeley, Paulino said students need to keep their eye on the prize. He said the challenges that arise at school, home, or work can be overcome with the help of family, professors, and friends. “It’s not always easy,” he said. “But it’s important to learn from our mistakes and continue to pursue our goals.”

Redwood Symphony Concert Feb. 9

The Redwood Symphony presents, "Liberating the Soul," featuring Lou Harrison's piano concerto from 1985.

A pre-concert lecture will be held at 7 p.m. followed by the concert in the Main Theater at 8 p.m. The cost is $20 for adults ($25 at the door) and $10 for students. The concert is free for all Cañada College students, staff, and faculty and any children under 18 accompanied by an adult.

The concert is centered around John Corigliano's Symphony No. 1, written at the peak of the AIDS crisis in 1989. This piece is moving to become an enduring memorial, mixing expressive rage with melodies offering solace. Jennifer Higdon's Blue Cathedral is the radiant balance to the program. Written in 2000, it is as much of a hit as an orchestra piece can be, having been playing by 400 orchestras around the world.

For more information, visit the Redwood Symphony website.

Candice Nance Joins Cañada to Build a High-Flying International Business Program

The former Ohlone College instructor has a passion for business and flying

 

San Jose’s Candice Nance is ready to build an international business program at Cañada College that soars as high as some of the vintage aircraft that she loves.

Nance is beginning her first semester at Cañada this spring. She has worked in marketing and communications at a variety of organizations such as NASA, IPC Information Systems, and Stanford University. Her teaching career began as an adjunct business instructor at Ohlone College in 2010. She teaches students about international business and how to effectively navigate the ever-changing world of technology.
 

“With the current globalization of the workforce, there is a huge demand for workers with both business and cultural skills,” she said. “Today’s students need to understand the bigger picture in business and the ever-changing business world.”
 

Because Cañada sits at the edge of Silicon Valley, students don’t have to look far to see the impacts of globalization on the business world. “If they open the paper they can see that local companies such as Twitter, Facebook, and Google are struggling around the globe with privacy and access issues as they try to work under different laws.”
 

Nance is developing courses at Cañada in International Business, International Marketing, International Business Law, and International Finance. She is working to align the school’s curriculum with the North American Small Business International Trade Educators Association Certified Global Business Professional Credential. It is considered the benchmark for competency in global commerce.
 

“The goal is to have the college become a certified training center,” she said. “Having CGPB credentials will bring students to the college to study international business but they’ll also take other classes so it will be positive for other academic areas of the college.”
 

While Nance is passionate about building a strong international business program at Cañada, she’s also passionate about flying. She is a self-described aviation fanatic with more than 200 hours of flight time in small aircraft. She pilots Citabria and Cessna aircraft. “My most memorable flights were in a Tigermoth biplane out of Duxford Airport in Cambridge, England and in a P-51 Mustang out of Livermore.”

JobTrain is Offering Free Tax Return Preparation for Low-Income Filers

If your family income was less than $51,000 in 2012 you are eligible to receive free assistance in preparing your tax return.

Tax-Aid, a charity founded in 1988 by a coalition of Bay Area accountants and lawyers, will be at JobTrain, 1200 O'Brien Drive, in Menlo Park every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 1 to 8 p.m. to help low income taxpayers prepare their tax returns. U.S. citizenship is not required.


In order to receive this free assistance, you'll need to bring:

• A Social Security card for each family member or ITIN number for each working adult.
• W2 and other income forms.
• Child care provider name, address and tax ID number.
• Bank routing and account numbers for checking and savings accounts.
• Name, address and phone number of landlord for renter's credit.
• 2011 tax return.

For more information, contact JobTrain at (650) 330-6428.

New University Center Team is Building a Path to a Four-Year Degree

Lizette Bricker, Jeffrey Rhoades and Sunny Choi will help Cañada students transition from their associate degrees to bachelor degrees.

 

There’s a new team in the University Center ready to help Cañada students earn bachelor’s degrees.
 

 

Lizette Bricker

Lizette Bricker, Sunny Choi, and Jeffrey Rhoades have been hired through the A2B (Associate to Bachelor Degree) Grant, a five-year, $3.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program. The grant will also help pay for research, library services, tutoring, peer mentoring, and a distance education designer.
 

“This grant is a major step forward,” said Lucy Carter, director of the Center for International and University Studies, where the University Center resides. “Adding staff will increase our capacity to help students reach their educational goals.”
 

The University Center currently partners with San Francisco State University, Notre Dame de Namur University, National University, and National Hispanic University to offer a variety of four-year degrees including:


 

·         Allied Health

·         Business Administration

·         Human Services

·         Nursing

·         Psychology
 

A degree in Child Development will begin in the fall.
 

Bricker will manage the current programs, allowing Carter to work with universities and colleges to bring new programs to the University Center. Bricker has worked as a high school and community college counselor and was the Regional Coordinator for the Early Academic Outreach Program at UC Riverside. She also served three years as an Admissions and Student Recruiter at CSU San Bernardino.

 

Jeffrey Rhoades

Rhoades was the database and website manager for the Center for Excellence in Graduate Education at CSU Stanislaus. He will now provide logistical support for guest faculty and staff at the University Center.
 

“I look forward to contributing toward the progress of the A2B Program and to building enduring relationships with the stakeholders of Cañada College and the San Mateo County Community College District,” he said.
 

Sunny Choi

Choi has worked as a high school guidance counselor and as a graduation specialist at San Jose State University where she developed a program to help graduating students transition into the workforce. She will now serve as the primary case manager for students who are moving from Cañada’s associate degree programs to the University Center.

 

Carter said Choi will be working with Cañada students who have completed 30 units and expressed an interest in earning a bachelor’s degree. “Sunny will work with students, academic counselors and others to make sure students are taking the necessary courses and getting the support services they need to transition seamlessly into the University Center programs.”

 

Choi said the University Center represents a wonderful opportunity. “I’m really excited to be working in an atmosphere where we can make a difference in the lives of students.”

For more information, visit the University Center website or call (650) 306-3399.



 

 

Brandon Price Hired to Research A2B Grant, CALSTEP Programs

Price is in the Educational Leadership Ed.D Program at CSU Stanislaus

 

It’s a long way from Moccasin, near Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite, to Cañada College – both literally and figuratively. But that’s the route Brandon Price has traveled to become a researcher at the college.

“I grew up in Moccasin, which is a very small company town,” he said. “Everyone who lived there worked for San Francisco Water and Power, which operates the reservoir and hydroelectric power plant in the town.  I was a first-generation community college student at Columbia Community College before transferring to CSU Stanislaus where I did my undergraduate degree in economics and a Master’s in Public Administration.”

 

Now, Price is finishing his Ed.D in Educational Leadership with an emphasis on community college leadership. He’s in the same program with Jeffrey Rhoades, who just joined the college as the Assistant Project Director for the A2B Grant in the Center for International and University Studies, and Jessica Kaven, Associate Professor of Communication Studies.

 

Price will be providing research support for the A2B Grant and the $6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education that is funding the California Alliance for the Long-term Strengthening of Transfer Engineering Programs (CALSTEP).
 

“I’m supporting the CALSTEP team’s examination of our current efforts to increase the number of underrepresented STEM students transferring to four-year institutions,” Price said. "We hope that the evaluation of activities like Math Jam and Physics Jam, will provide information which we can use to improve the activities here at Cañada as well as contribute to the literature regarding the best practices for increasing the retention and transfer of STEM students nationwide.

He said he will also be supporting the development of an evaluation plan for the A2B Grant, which is designed to help students transfer from Cañada into four-year degree programs offered by partner universities at the Center for International and University Studies.

 

Prior to accepting the job at Cañada, Price spent time as a teacher both at K-12 and at the college level and worked at CSU Stanislaus as the Director of Student Activities and as the Budget and Judicial Affairs Officer.

Price played tennis at Columbia Community College and said he still enjoys playing recreational tennis. He also likes cycling, golf, and sabermetrics, the specialized analysis of baseball through objective evidence, especially baseball statistics.

Sarah Aranyakul: A Passion for Working with Cañada Students Because She Once Was One

Sarah Aranyakul’s passion for working with students led her from a career in business management to counseling community college students.

“I love working with students,” said the native of Thailand. “I worked in business for about seven years before I realized that I wanted to devote my professional life to helping students.”

Aranyakul graduated from Cañada College in Business Administration 19 years ago before earning a Bachelor’s degree in management from Golden Gate University. She went to work in business before returning to Santa Clara University to work on her Master’s degree in counseling.

She continued to work in business while she performed an internship in counseling but later she received a counseling position at City College of San Francisco and she’s never looked back. She has worked as a counselor at both Gavilan College and CCSF before being hired as an adjunct counselor in the EOPS Program at Cañada last March. Aranyakul has now been hired as Cañada’s new tenure-track counselor.

“I’m very happy to be at Cañada,” she said. “I have a lot of experience working with students from diverse backgrounds. I can also relate to our students as I’m a graduate of the college.”

In addition to the EOPS Program, Aranyakul has worked in the Mathematics Science Achievement Program, Guardian Scholars Program serving former foster youths, and with Basic Skills students.

Preaching the Benefits of Math Jam

Math Professor Michael Hoffman and Five Students Will Present Original Research on the Benefits to Students and Faculty of the Popular Program

 

Cañada College Math Professor Michael Hoffman is an unabashed supporter of Math Jam. He’ll travel to San Diego with five students Thursday to the Joint Mathematics Meetings to tell colleagues from around the country why the program is so successful.
 

Hoffman and students Amanda Pitts, Bushra Bibi, Jose Covarubias, Rolando Del Valle, and alumnus Christina Arenas will be giving presentations on Math Jam and how to start a math club at a community college.

 

The Joint Mathematics Meetings hosts the largest gathering of mathematicians in the United States. It is a jointly held conference of both the Mathematical Association of America and the American Mathematical Society. Hoffman said he’s traveled with students to past conferences and listened as presenters discussed the virtues of their various programs.

 

“As I listened, I couldn’t help but think our programs at Cañada are just as exciting and beneficial to our students,” he said. “This year, we decided to submit our own abstract.”
 

Hoffman and Pitts will present “Math Jam! Building Community and Improving Math Placement at Cañada College,” at 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12, as part of the MAA Contributed Paper Session on Transition from High School to College: Alternative Pathways.

The students will make a second presentation titled, “Can you have a math club at a small community college” Yes, but…” The talk will describe the process of starting a Math Club and organizing successful events.

 

Pitts said Math Jam is a great example of a program that is helping students transfer to four-year colleges and universities. “There are a lot of students that enter community college with a high level of interest in the STEM fields but the majority of them drop out or change majors even before taking transfer-level courses because of the time it takes to get through remedial math,” she said. “Math Jam helps these students improve on their math placement test scores so they can skip remedial math and begin taking transfer-level math right away.”
 

Hoffman said the program does more than just help with test scores. “Math Jam builds community among teachers and students,” he said. “As a teacher, I can watch tutors as they explain math concepts to students. I am able to observe how the student learns and the best concepts to use to convey the lesson. As teachers, we get together after these sessions and really discuss the practice of teaching.”
 

Pitts, who serves as a Math Jam tutor, said students forge friendships with other students, tutors and professors and when they begin class, they feel like they have a support network.
 

Hoffman said placing motivated students with faculty and tutors for a week of intensive math training generates instant results. “It’s amazing how much progress they can make,” he said.
 

While Math Jam has been in place at Cañada for the past four years, the concept is relatively new across the country, Hoffman said. “Every year, we see more and more programs like Math Jam sprouting up,” he said. “By presenting at conferences like this, we can establish to other math teachers how successful this program has been. Our goal is to preach the good word of Math Jam and hopefully see more programs like it develop across the nation.”

Simple Advice For Your First Day at Cañada

So, you are preparing for your first day of the new semester and you want it to go as smooth as possible. We're here to help. If you take a few simple steps, and do a little planning, you'll have no problems. Let's get started.

· Arrive Early - If you pull onto campus 10 minutes before class starts you're off to a bad start. Parking on a college campus is never easy. Give yourself at least 20 minutes. Remember, you're not going to have Rock Star parking next to your class. Be sure to review the parking map and have a contingency plan if the lot you want to park in is full. Student Lots are Lot 1, 7, 8, 10 and 6. Do not park in staff lots without the appropriate permit or you are sure to get a ticket. You'll need to buy a parking permit but campus security will not issue tickets in student lots until Monday, Jan. 28.

· Know Where You Are Going - Because you have a plan, you'll have a great parking spot. But how do you get to your classes? Luckily, the Cañada campus is not that big. Review the campus map and your schedule of classes. Buildings at Cañada are numbered and each room in the building has its own number. On your schedule the class location will look like this - 3-113. The first number (3) is the building number and the second number (113) is the classroom within the building. If you can't find a class, ask one of the Campus Ambassadors. You can find them in the Information Booths on the quad or at the entrance to the Library off Parking Lot 1. You can also find help at the Welcome Center on the first floor of Building 9.

· Get to Know Building 9 - All essential student services are located in this three-story building. On the first floor you'll find Admissions/Records, Counseling, Financial Aid, Student Activities, Public Safety/Parking, EOPS/CARE/CalWorks, and more. The Learning Center is on the second floor. Here you can use the computers, work with academic tutors, and study in groups. The Library is located on the top floor. Make a point to visit this building on your first day of class.

· The Bookstore - It's college, so you're going to need books. Because you are a college student, you'll also need a soda, bag of chips and candy bar. You can get them all at the bookstore. It's located across from the Main Theater and Gymnasium. The first couple of weeks, the lines are long because everyone is buying books. If you can go in the mid-afternoon, the lines are shorter.

· The Pony Espresso - Ok, it's not essential to know where the coffee shop is located, but you never know when you'll need a cup. The coffee kiosk is located in the Upper Quad near the entrance of Building 13. It's a favorite hangout for students and if you stand around long enough you'll probably find somebody you know.

· The Grove – This is the new Student Center at Cañada. It’s a great place to meet friends, study, and grab a bite to eat. The new Career Center is located in the Grove and the friendly staff can help you write a resume, prepare for a job interview, and search for jobs. There is also a spot in the Grove to just chill and play video games.

· Smoke-Free Campus - If you want to smoke you'll have to do it in designated parking lots because Cañada is a smoke-free campus. Feel free to light up in Lots 1, 7, 6, 8, 10 & 5. But, as a courtesy to staff, faculty, and students who don't smoke, please refrain from smoking on the rest of campus.

· Go to Class - This seems like a no-brainer, right? Well, every semester, there are students that don't show up for class. Because classes are crowded, if you don't show up, you could be dropped from the class. If you are on a wait list to get into a full class, it's even more important to show up on the first day to talk to the professor and see if you can add the class.

Hopefully this guide can help you survive your first day of the new semester. Remember, if you have any questions ask somebody. You'll be surprised at how helpful the staff, faculty and your fellow students can be.

Improve Your English and Reading Test Scores With Word Jam

If you need help improving your placement test score in English or reading, register now for Word Jam.

Word Jam is a free, non-credit, one-week program that provides support to current and in-coming Cañada College students at all levels of English, Reading, and ESL. It will be held Monday through Friday, Jan. 7-11, from 9 a.m. to noon in Building 9.

Word Jam students work with Cañada faculty to practice college-level reading and writing strategies, learn the expectations of their specific English, Reading, or ESL courses, and become familiar with Cañada College resources.

“I participated in Word Jam, scored higher on the placement test, and I was able to skip the remedial classes and start in college-level English," said Christian Ayala, a former Word Jam participant. "Word Jam taught me some new skills and helped me remember some of the rules I learned in high school.”

During his initial placement test, Ayala did not qualify for English 100. But after participating in Word Jam, Ayala qualified for college-level English and was encouraged by Professor Lisa Palmer to take Honors English 100. Not only did he pass his Honors-level English course, but he earned an A in the class and found new confidence in his academic abilities.

To enroll in Word Jam, participants must be a current Cañada College student or an in-coming student who has completed the Cañada College application and taken the Placement Test. To sign up for Word Jam, email Julie Wilson at wilsonj@smccd.edu. Include your: 1) name, 2) G-number, 3) contact information (phone & email), and 4) the results of your Cañada College Placement Test.

Mini Math Jam Starts Jan. 7

There is still time to register for next week's Mini Math Jam, but you better hurry.

Next week's Mini Math Jam is a one-week, intensive preparation for the math placement test for students intending to major in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) fields. It is designed especially for students who placed into a college math course below pre-calculus and who want to advance to the next math level by scoring higher on the math placement test at the end of Mini Math Jam.

The program's goal is to help students complete their Associates Degree and/or transfer requirements for a four-year college in less time than previously possible.

The Mini Math Jam will be held Monday through Friday, Jan. 7-11, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. or from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Both sessions will be held on the second floor of Building 9 in the Learning Center.

"We currently have 96 students registered for daytime and 66 for evening," said Chris Burwell-Woo, a retention specialist at the college. "We still have a little room for student in the Math 811, 110 and 120 groups so we will accept students who want to sign up on Monday if they arrive promptly at the start of the session."

Burwell-Woo emphasized that spots are limited and that additional students will not be accepted after the first day. Burwell-Woo also encouraged students signed up for the Fast Track to Calculus or Path to Statistics courses this spring to participate as it will provide a solid foundation for the courses.

"We will be able to answer any questions they might have about the classes while they are at Mini Math Jam," Burwell-Woo said.

Spring Semester Fees Are Due By Jan. 7

On Monday, January 7, 2013, students who have any outstanding fee balances will be dropped from all spring classes at midnight for non-payment of outstanding fees. 

Beginning January 8, students will be dropped at midnight the day following their registration for non-payment of fees.

 If you need assistance in paying your fees, you are encouraged to:

• Enroll in an inexpensive payment plan via WebSMART by 11:00 p.m. on January 7.
• complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible. A minimum of five (5) business days processing time is required to ensure receipt of the FAFSA to prevent your drop for non-payment (school code required: 006973 Cañada, 001181 CSM and 007713 Skyline). If you are an AB 540 student and unable to complete a FAFSA due to citizenship status, complete the 2012-13 California Dream Application at www.caldreamapp.org as soon as possible. A minimum of five (5) business days processing time is required to ensure receipt of the Dream Application to prevent your drop for non-payment (school code required: 006973 Cañada, 001181 CSM and 007713 Skyline).
• Complete the Board of Governors Fee Waiver via WebSMART.
• If you still need financial assistance after exhausting all options listed above, please contact the Vice President of Student Services.