News – Angelica Wallingford

SDSU professor receives grant for autism research

San Diego State assistant professor of special education Jessica Suhrheinrich was named a co-recipient of a $1.4 million grant from the Institute of Educational Science for research on education strategies for students with autism spectrum disorder.

Suhrheinrich and her colleagues at UC Davis’ Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, which include Aubyn Stahmer, Patty Schetter and other affiliated researchers, applied for the project in August 2016. They were informed in late spring that the project would be funded and received the funding in September.

“Collaboration across departments or institutions can often lead to new ideas and innovation,” Suhrheinrich said. “My UC Davis colleague, Aubyn Stahmer, has expertise in ASD and research and community partnerships to increase use of evidence-based practice.”

The three-year grant will utilize an online survey methodology across the state that will allow them to gather data from participants including school district administrators, teachers and principals. The data will include information about student outcomes such as how students are included in the educational environment, student behavioral data and information on the types of training that teachers receive.

Suhrheinrich and her colleagues will also examine a collaboration of various statewide disability organizations called the California Autism Professional Training and Information Network, or CAPTAIN.

“One of the bigger goals of this project is if we can identify what’s effective about interagency collaboration within the state of California and the CAPTAIN collaborative,” Suhrheinrich said. “Then it would allow us a protocol or some standards for replication in other states or across other types of disability needs.”

Suhrheinrich said her interest in autism research started when she was a psychology student at Earlham College, where she worked clinically with a family who had a son who was diagnosed with autism. She worked with several other children through college and eventually taught elementary school for a couple of years. It wasn’t until she started looking toward grad school that she wanted to bring her experiences together.

“That really piqued my interest in autism spectrum disorder and how I could learn more about the experience of individuals with autism and their families and how I could work toward really making a difference in the way their base provided,” Suhrheinrich said.

SDSU Special Education Professor Bonnie Kraemer, one of Suhrheinrich’s colleagues, said she has been involved with autism research for 15 years and was the recipient of a number of both foundation and federal grants.

“I hope that it increases the use of evidence-based practices in all schools,” Kraemer said. “All of the work has had been shown to be effective in clinical settings.”

Pamela Starr, director of Student Disability Services, says that SDSU works with each student with an autism spectrum disorder individually to ensure that each student gets what they need to have a “level playing field and access to their education.”

She said that just because one method worked for one individual with ASD, it won’t necessarily work for others and that each individual has their own specific needs. General accommodations can range from have a note taker present in class to possibly providing a smaller audience for presentations

“Another opportunity would be to empower the individual with ASD to educate others about some of the characteristics of their ASD, to assist in destigmatizing some of the characteristics and your behaviors which others may not understand,” Starr said.

Suhrheinrich said she believes that a factor in gaining the federal funding came, in part, to autism being considered a public health concern. This is because there is not much known about the disability including what causes it, how to treat it, how it affects the individual and how different services can respond in comprehensive ways.

Suhrheinrich said one of the bigger goals of the project is to see what is effective about interagency collaborations within California and the CAPTAIN collaborative and hopefully apply it nationwide.

“It would allow us a protocol or some standards for replication in other states or across other types of disability needs,” Suhrheinrich said. “So, not just focused on autism or not just in the state of California but that perhaps this model of interagency collaboration to increase the use of evidence-based practices could be used more broadly.”

Originally published in The Daily Aztec in October 2017.

Paris attacks hit home

Parisian born San Diego City College professor Philippe Patto shares his reactions and thoughts on the Nov. 13 Paris terror attacks

On the night of Nov. 13, one of the deadliest attacks on French soil since World War II occurred in multiple locations across Paris and Saint-Denis claiming more than 132 lives.

Meanwhile, 5,000 miles away, San Diego City College professor Philippe Patto was in a park with his husband walking their dog when he heard the news that his hometown was under attack.

“My husband had the phone and he got beeped for an alarm,” Patto said. “He checked and he told me the news and right away.”

Patto heard from a friend in France via email about the situation but had poor reception so he and his husband went back home.

“We had the headline and I was devastated when I heard,” Patto said. “I didn’t know what was happening.”

The attacks started at approximately 9:20 p.m. French time and lasted until 9:53 p.m.

The three suicide bombers detonated an explosive belts near a gate and on the outside of the Stade de France stadium during an international soccer game, according to Reuters. A fourth suicide bomber detonated another bomb in Le Comptoir Voltaire restaurant, killing himself and injuring one person.

In the midst of the several suicide bombers detonating their explosives, gunmen opened fire in the front of the A La Bonne Biere bar and the terrace of the La Belle Equipe restaurant, killing a total of five people and severely injuring 18 more, Reuters also reported.

The deadliest of the terror attacks happened during an Eagles of Death Metal concert at the Bataclan theater and concert hall where gunmen opened fire on the crowd killing 89 people and injuring many others.

Luckily, Patto had no family in the area during the attacks.

“When it happened, I didn’t think it would affect me this much and it really hit me hard, I’ve been trying to grasp what happened,” Patto said. “What shocked me the most was that it took place in France.”

French President Francois Hollande has called the terror attacks an “act of war” and places blame on the Islamic State (IS).

“France will be merciless in its response to the Islamic State militants,” Hollande said, according to the BBC. “(France) will use any means within the law … on every battleground here and abroad together with our allies.”

While the culprits responsible for act remain unknown, IS has taken credit for the attack stating that “eight brothers wearing explosive belts and carrying assault rifles” attacked “carefully chosen” individuals, according to the BBC.

Patto feels that Hollande’s instant reaction to the attacks was expected and that as a leader Hollande wanted to show the French people that the government was doing something and that those responsible wouldn’t just get away with it.

“I’m just hopeful that we will not take drastic measures and go into war with somebody,” Patto said about the possibility of France entering into war. “We don’t even know where they are, we don’t even know who they are.”

Patto hopes that the end result will be a well balanced one and that Hollande will reach out to other countries so that attacks of this magnitude will not happen not only to the French people but anyone around the world.

The attacks sparked a great debate over admitting Syrian refugees not only in the United States but around the world. Since the attacks, Congress swiftly passed a bill that suspended the admittance of both Syrian and Iraqi refugees into the U.S. and 31 governors oppose accepting Syrian refugees into their states, according to CNN.

“That is fear,” Patto said “As long as we react out of fear we are not any different than the terrorists.”

“I think it’s wrong for the government to implement such drastic measures like that,” student Raul Flores said about congress’ decision. “You can’t place all the sins of the attackers onto the refugees, they can’t be condemned for what the attackers did.”

In contrast to the U.S., Hollande said that France will accept more than 30,000 Syrian refugees within the next two years.

Patto cites the outpouring of support from all around San Diego, such as the candlelight vigil at the House of France in Balboa Park, as something that is much needed during this situations for both the people of France and the Syrian refugees

“We should never act out of fear, we should react out of love and try to understand,” Patto commented. “I say to my students ‘there’s plenty of love in the world,’ it’s the thing we need right now, love not fear.”

Originally published in City Times, December 2015.

City College stands with Umpqua

About 200 of San Diego City College’s faculty, staff and students gathered for a moment of silence for the victims of the Umpqua Community College shooting in Oregon on Oct. 8 in Gorton Quad.

The moment of silence at City was a part of a larger observation coordinated by the American Association of Community Colleges, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.

“I think it’s for all of us to be aware that safety is all of our business. Safety is something that we all ought to be aware of. We can’t just rely on a certain group of people but we all have to be aware of safety at the college and we have to be the eyes and ears for the police department,” City College President Anthony Beebe said. “It’s a big campus; it’s 60 square acres here and the only way that we can have the entire place covered is if all of us take a little bit of responsibility in making sure that we report anything’s weird or suspicious like I was saying and making sure that somebody’s aware of it. Don’t just turn your back and walk away. We can’t do that; we have to be responsible for that. That’s the critical piece of it.”

In his President’s Waypoint newsletter, Beebe addressed the tragedy at Umpqua and recalled the time he spent in Roseburg, Oregon, as a firefighter just one mile from the community college.

“… No one could have imagined that some 40 years later, the small community college just a mile down the road from that station would become the site of the most deadly mass shooting in Oregon history,” Beebe wrote.

San Diego Community College District Chancellor Constance M. Carroll also released a statement to the district’s faculty and staff on the shooting on Oct. 1.

“Our thoughts, best wishes, and support have been extended to our colleagues at Umpqua for what they have suffered today and for the valuable and promising lives that have been lost,” the statement said.

Carroll also referred to a YouTube video entitled “RUN. HIDE. FIGHT. Surviving an Active Shooter Event.” The almost six-minute video shows what options people could have in a potential active shooter situation.

“… Coping with an active shooter situation is a matter of personal decision,” Carroll wrote in her statement. “Therefore, I am resending the video that was previously distributed and discussed at our campus and departmental meetings.”

On Oct. 6, President Beebe sent a follow-up email to City College faculty and staff thanking them for the outpouring of responses he received from his President’s Waypoint.

In the email, Beebe tells faculty and staff that he met with Chancellor Carroll before the weekly Chancellor’s Cabinet meeting to address everyone’s concerns.

Beebe also mentioned that he also brought up those concerns during the Chancellor’s Cabinet meeting.

“In the end, the Chancellor’s Cabinet was unanimous that the district move forward with the following 12 point safety response plan for City College,” Beebe said via the statement.

The 12-point safety response plan includes the hiring of two full-time City College officers, police forums and town hall meetings, safety and evacuation plan, safety surveys and “Knight Patrol,” paid student ambassadors who will act as the eyes and ears of administration and College Police, according to the email.

Originally published in City Times, October 2015.

TV students’ work catches FBI attention

Police question ‘Newscene’ reporters after filming in front of building

Three San Diego City College student journalists were questioned by authorities before and after capturing video in front of San Diego’s FBI building on April 7 for a report on sex trafficking.

Abtin Mohammadi, Daniela Porter and a third student who doesn’t want to be identified were recording a stand-up report for “Newscene,” City College’s student broadcast news show, about how the FBI named San Diego the eighth most popular location for sex trafficking crimes to occur.

According to Mohammadi, one security guard said it was fine to capture footage in front of the building.

However, while the students were setting up equipment, another officer approached the students asking for their IDs, taking down their information and proceeding to give the three a half-hour time limit to shoot. After about 20 minutes, the same officer came out and told the students to wrap up filming.

Some time after filming in front of the FBI building, Porter and Mohammadi said that the third student involved told them that a detective from the San Diego Joint Terrorism Task Force came to her home while she wasn’t there with photos of them filming and wanted the footage that the three of them shot to be handed over.

“The (third student) called me and what she told me was that she wasn’t home; the detective went to her house when her mom was home …” explained Mohammadi.

Mohammadi said that the third student told him that the detective showed up at her house while she was not home. The detective told her mother that he heard of some suspicious filming at the FBI building and wanted to know who was involved with the recording and wanted the footage from the day they were filming.

Mohammadi also said that the third student said the detective’s name was Dan Vile.

In an email to “Newscene” adviser Laura Castaneda, provided by the San Diego Police Department media relations office, Vile said he wanted to verify who the students were and to make it clear that it was an assessment — not an investigation. Vile also verified that the students did speak with security personnel but did not state why they wanted to film in front of the FBI building and after filming in their first location moved to another location where it looked like the students were filming cars moving in and out of the building.

Vile wrote that while he understands that police visits can be uncomfortable, he said that it’s apart of the job of being an officer and maintained the visit with the third student’s mother was respectful. Vile also confirmed that the third student gave him the information he was looking for. Vile said that post Sept. 11, police have to be “as thorough as possible with our inquires.”

“To be clear, no one is questioning their rights to photograph or film the building. Nor is anyone saying what they did was illegal in any way,” Vile wrote. “However, it is not only appropriate, but also a necessity, for us to simply ask, ‘why.’ Their answer, or even lack of one, is their business.”

The FBI did not respond for comment at press time.

After the April 7 incident, Porter said that Mohammadi told her that he would take care of things and talk to Vile. However, on April 29, Porter received news from the third student involved that she needed to contact the detective because he had warrants out for the students involved.

“I found out from the third student involved what the message was, (she said) ‘Daniela he said he has a warrant on you guys and you must call him back’… then it was like wow, I didn’t know that … I didn’t like that at all,” Porter said.

Mohammadi said he called Vile and explained everything regarding the situation but that it seemed like the detective didn’t know exactly what was going on and asked for all of the information starting from the beginning.

After Mohammadi answered all the questions again, he said, the detective told him that everything was OK and that he just wanted to know because of “global terrorist things and suspicious activity out there.”

In an email statement, “Newscene” adviser Castaneda said, “I wish I could tell you more, but I’ve been asked by Dean Trudy Gerald to forward all law enforcement and media inquiries to her.”

The students have consulted with Frank D. LoMonte of the Student Press Law Center, a nonprofit organization that specializes in helping and educating high school and college journalists about the “rights and responsibilities embodied in the First Amendment and supporting the student news media in their struggle to cover important issues free form censorship,” according to its website.

“There’s no problem with asking why people are outside the building filming. That’s a perfectly fine security precaution,” LoMonte said via email. “But where the police very clearly crossed the line into harassment and intimidation was in going to a journalist’s house and asking to be given a copy of the film. That’s indefensible and it violated the journalist’s First Amendment rights, without question.”

“There were many more effective ways to verify whether the student was genuinely on a journalistic assignment outside the FBI building, but the police purposefully picked the most frightening way to send a message to the journalist: we know where you live. If all they cared about was verifying the journalist’s employment, they could have picked up the phone and contacted the professor in a non-threatening way, but they chose not to,” LoMonte continued.

“It’s scary that someone wants to talk to you since we didn’t do anything. … We have the rights of the First Amendment to record outside in a public space and any citizen has the same right …” Porter said.

According to Mohammadi and Porter, before the students started filming in front of the building on April 7, Mohammadi went to a security guard, showed him his student ID and explained who the students were, where they were from and why they were at the FBI building in Mira Mesa.

After talking with the security guard, the guard gave the students directions on where they could park and gave the green light for the students to film as long as they didn’t show the building or images of the FBI. While preparing to set up to film the stand-up, another officer came out and started asking questions.

”I went back to the car … to basically get ready, then an officer came out, out of his office and he asked us, ‘Where you guys come from?’” Mohammadi said. ”We told him we’re from City College, the local broadcasting station, then he asked us, ‘Are you guys students?’ and I said, ‘Yes, we are from City College and we’re doing a report …’” Mohammadi said.

The officer then asked the three students for their California IDs and, according to Porter and Mohammadi, wrote all three of their information in a log in order to verify that they were students and proceeded to give them half an hour to film.

“He asked us for a California ID … and I didn’t hesitate; I just bring it out and said, ‘Here’s my ID,’ (Porter) showed it to him and so did the other girl. So, he just wrote information …” Mohammadi explained.

Mohammadi said that the officer just wanted to verify that they were who they said they were and after he took down their information the officer told him that they could only film for a half-an-hour.

“We wanted to get the shot because it was almost sunset, so we didn’t have much time for the light, so we were like, ‘OK we want to do this fast’ … And that was when they asked us so many questions and we just really wanted to record because we were outside … This is a public place where we can record and it’s just, you know, a stand-up, and then you know they got very, um, intimidating,” Porter said.

“He didn’t tell us anything about what he was gonna do with (the information), he just wants to verify that ‘you’re a student as you said, we just want to see if you have valid everything,’” Mohammadi said.

After about 20 minutes of filming, the officer came out and told the students that they had to leave without any explanation.

“We explained to him exactly what we were going to do. … We’ll be on the streets, I’m gonna shoot (Porter) and (the third student) just gonna do a little piece, but then he came again despite knowing all the information and kind of rushed us off, very nervously saying that ‘you have to leave, you have to wrap up right now,’” Mohammadi said.

Mohammadi explained that the three students wrapped up quickly, packed up their equipment and left.

“There is nothing wrong with filming the exterior of federal buildings and the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Protective Services have put out memos instructing federal agents not to overreact if they see people peacefully and non-disruptively filming from a public space, as these student journalists were. The police department owes these students an apology and a promise of better training for its officers,” LoMonte said.

LoMonte also explained in his email statement that it’s routine for journalists to film in front of federal and government buildings and cites the coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court as an example.

San Diego City College Public Information Officer Heidi Bunkowske said via email, “I have not spoken with the students or the FBI so I cannot comment regarding filming activities.”

Originally published in City Times, May 2015.

ASG election dates extended by a week due to low turnout

In an effort to get more students involved with Associated Students Government, Student Affairs extended the election dates for the upcoming election in April.

Potential ASG candidates originally had until March 16 to get their election packets turned into the Student Affairs office in M-200 with voting to begin April 15-16. However, due to low candidacy turnout, the dates were extended until March 23 for candidates to turn in their packet with voting to take place April 22-23.

“What happened is that we didn’t get much of a response from people wanting to run for election,” Lori Oldham, student affairs coordinator, said. “We had so many places still to fill in the ASG that we extended a week in an effort to get more people to apply for the particular position.”

“If they meet the requirements and have a desire and if they really want to one, be a leader that support and that is there to help support and figure out ways of helping support students. That’s one thing, so we’ll see by extending it (election dates) if we can get those other positions filled with candidates,” William Ponder, student affairs manager, said.

The low turnout was unexpected since the voter turnout for the ASG election last year rose from one percent of City College’s population to three percent.

“I believe our voter turnout on campus increased by two percent,” said current ASG President Adam Garcia in a 2014 City Times article. “Our percentage before was one percent so our percentage increased by two, so it went up to three percent.”

Oldham and the current ASG administration have boosted their efforts by reaching out to students through digital signs, emails to faculty and staff, ASG’s website, City College’s website and classroom announcements.

Another new thing that Oldham is utilizing to help get students to get out and vote is candidate profiles on the ASG website.

“When Monday comes and candidates are there, I’m gonna ask for a headshot and a brief purpose statement … and post that on our website so that students can go online, in the ASG section, and see who’s running for president and what their position statement is, and vice president and down the line,” Oldham explained.

To increase voter turnout for the upcoming election, ASG is adopting new methods of voting including utilizing the computers in the new student services building and having polling stations peppered throughout campus.

“We’re moving the voting into areas where students … all they have to do is come out of their class and sit down and do the vote,” Ponder explained.

According to Oldham, ASG has been working with the IT department to dedicate ports for voting. The ports will be on the computers in the ASG office and designated secure laptops to combat voter fraud.

“We’ll have one (laptop) in front of the Student Affairs office, we’ll have one computer at the AH quad and then two down at the MS building,” Oldham said. “We wont sit there with a paper ballot saying ‘hey, have you voted?’ and then come have them fill out a paper ballot. We’re taking the vote to the people.”

For more information on ASG, including a full list of election dates, visit sdcity.edu/asg.

Originally published in City Times, March 2015.

A campus divided

Bridging the gap between City College’s ASG and its students

Off in the corner of a somewhat vacant part of campus, only steps away from the social hub that is City College’s cafeteria sits the Associated Students Government (ASG) offices. Tucked away in the corner of D-105 is a small office with two desks stacked with papers and files. It’s typical to see people running in and out, sometimes with papers in hand, getting signatures from and updating information to ASG President Adam Garcia.

“I believe that it is important to have that ASG/student connection because it is the ASG leadership that represents all City College students,” Former ASG President Carolina Moreno said via email.

ASG runs like a well oiled machine, with its cogs turning and producing events on campus, such as Spirit Day in September and the Halloween carnival in October, advocating for student concerns and making the decisions on how to spend student funds. However, even with some events producing up to 250 participants, the gap between ASG and students seems to have drifted over the years.

“I only know (about ASG) because I was looking for a club to join and happened to pass by their office,” student Muna Diriye said of her knowledge of ASG.

Even with the obvious gap between student government, Garcia said that participation has been up since previous semesters. Voter turnout for elections has gone up from one percent to about three percent.

“I believe our voter turn out on campus increased by two percent, I believe, so as opposed to semesters before,” Garcia said. “Our percentage before was one percent, so out percentage increased by two so it went up to three percent so I believe it was three or two percent.”

Aside from the events on campus ASG hosts a weekly event, Talk Thursday, which involves an informal approach to talking to ASG senators about issues that students might have with classes, financial aid and whatever else is on the student’s mind.

“The board gets involved with playing board games and what not with the students,” Garcia explained about the atmosphere of Talk Thursday. “We don’t want to approach students in you know an intimidating way, you know we’re the Associated Students Government, just more of a friendly ‘we’re here, talk to us’ type of venue.”

However, student turnout to Talk Thursday depends on the location of the informal meeting.

“It depends on where we do it,” ASG Senator Breona Harris said.

“Because we don’t have a set location… Right now the buildings being constructed, the BT (Business Technology building) just got done and the AH (Arts and Humanities) as well,” Garcia added. “We usually do it between the cafeteria and then we usually move it over to the MS (Math and Science building), so it depends on where’s the most traffic.”

Although ASG reaches out to students with Talk Thursday and campus events, some students feel that ASG only makes the effort to reach out to City College’s population when election time rolls around.

“… I feel like during the rest of the year, you only hear them speak up when they are trying to get people to vote for them during election season,” Diriye explained.

Whatever way students feel about ASG, Moreno urged more and more students to get involved and that doesn’t essentially involve becoming an ASG member.

“Get involved. Voice your concerns. Share ideas. Even if it’s just showing up to ANY event happening on campus or a campus club,” Moreno said. “You don’t necessarily need to join ASG (to get involved).”

ASG and student involvement does show some optimism with some students having a genuine curiosity about learning and getting involved with ASG and ASG events.

“No, not really,” student Lexy Allen eagerly replied when asked about being aware of ASG. “But I do want to know about this student government we have on campus. What do they do, what are they all about?”

Originally published in City Times, December 2014.

Former City College student dies fighting for ISIS

A former San Diego City College student died in Syria fighting for the militant group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, otherwise known as ISIS, federal authorities announced.

According to various news outlets, the White House confirmed the death of Douglas McAuthur McCain on Aug. 26.

“We are aware of U.S. citizen Douglas McAuthur McCain’s presence in Syria and can confirm his death,” said a statement from Caitlin Hayden, a spokesperson for the National Security Council.

It was reported by KARE 11 news, a CNN affiliate, that he was killed during a confrontation between ISIS and the Free Syrian Army.

It was also confirmed that McCain attended City College for a period of time.

“The San Diego Community College District has confirmed that Douglas McAuthur McCain previously attended San Diego City College,” Heidi Bunkowske, San Diego City College’s public information officer, said via email.

However, how long he attended the college or whether he graduated cannot be confirmed or released due to a district policy not to disclose student information.

“Typically, the district policy is not to disclose student information. But in this case, the decision to do so was made because McCain had already posted it to Facebook,” Bunkowske said.

McCain, 33, was born in Illinois, raised in Minnesota and eventually settled in San Diego. His uncle, Ken McCain, told CNN that after practicing Christianity for a number of years, he became a follower of Islam, and on May 14, he posted on Twitter, “I reverted to Islam 10 years ago and I must say In sha Allah I will never look back the best thing that ever happened to me.”

It is not known how McCain got involved with ISIS, but starting in early May, he began tweeting and re-tweeting pro-ISIS ideals and sentiments.

“Your irrelevant opinion won’t change Sharia,” one re-tweet on McCain’s twitter page stated. Another re-tweet by McCain from Twitter user Ismael patel stated, “It takes a warrior to understand a warrior. Pray for ISIS.”

KARE 11 news also reported that McCain’s family was notified of his death by the State Department on Aug. 25.

Originally published in City Times, August 2014.

A new vision for City College

New City College President Anthony Beebe held his first convocation for faculty, staff and administrators Aug. 14 at the Saville Theatre.

The convocation day started with breakfast on the patio of the theater for the attendees, who then quickly convened inside the theater to await the start of the program.

Before Beebe took the stage, there were welcome remarks and commentary from Vice President of Instruction Randy Barnes, Board of Trustees President Rich Grosch, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Guild, Local 1931, President Jim Mahler and San Diego Community College District Chancellor Constance M. Carroll.

Carroll talked about numerous changes at City over the past year, such as receiving millions of dollars to invest in the college, the opening of the Arts and Humanities and Business Technology buildings, the school’s budget and the hiring of 92 new faculty members.

“Our district has hired 92 new faculty positions, 24 positions at City … We’ve also been hiring new classified staff members mostly in student services and facilities management,” Carroll said.

After a quick introduction from Carroll about Beebe’s long career in education and community service, the man of the hour took the stage.

Beebe’s speech consisted of what he called “elements for a new vision,” which included a list of four points — advancing social change and civility, increasing access and completion, transitioning the adult learner and building community connections — with a majority of the speech focusing on the first point, and not only about improving City College itself, but the students who attend here, as well.

“Community colleges were founded on social justice issues. City College has local relevance to the community here; we’re not just a generic milquetoast community college here in San Diego,” Beebe said. “… Our community has social issues. City College needs to be involved in framing the community solutions to those social problems.”

His speech then shifted to the privilege of having an education and the importance of helping those who are less privileged in the community.

“We are privileged because we are educated … If you look at the world’s population of 7.2 billion people, 6.7 percent of that population has a degree or has been educated. By our very nature, we are presaged because of that component. Now do we potentially each have oppressions, as well? Absolutely, but we have a privilege, and because we have privilege, we have a duty and a responsibility to help the less privileged among us,” Beebe said as the audience’s applause filled the theater.

He went on to cite the 1970s book “Education of the Oppressed” by Paulo Freire as a foundation for his ideas for City and encouraged the audience to read or re-read the book for its significance.

Accompanying his speech, Beebe had a slideshow presentation that included a slide that said he will have an “open door policy,” meaning that no appointments are necessary for staff, faculty and students to visit and speak with him; a mailbox where people can send suggestions anonymously; and a Twitter account to keep people up to date with the goings-on at City.

Beebe’s speech concluded with a clip from the film “Dead Poets Society,” in which the late Robin Williams asks his students, “What will your verse be?” The answer that Beebe gave was that he believes City’s verse will be strongly related to social justice issues.

Concluding the program were remarks from Berta Harris and Yvonne Schmeltz, presidents of the Academic Senate and Classified Senate, respectively, a video tribute for new faculty and retirees, and presentations from Dotti Cordell, director of Student Health Services, and Denise Whisenhunt, vice president of Student Services.

Faculty and staff later gathered in Gorton Quad for Beebe’s official welcome party.

Originally published in City Times, August 2014.