Welcome back from what I hope was a restful and
rejuvenating spring break!
LITERARY ARTS FESTIVAL
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The Creative Writing Program will host the 14th annual
Literary Arts Festival featuring several on-campus events from April 19 to 29.
Instructors Stephanie Mood, Karl Sherlock, Sydney Brown, Julie Cardenas and
Ryan Griffith have done an excellent job in organizing what promises to be an
outstanding festival. A sampling of the events is listed below but please
visit www.grossmont.edu/English/Festival
where a complete schedule about these incredible two weeks of presentations can
be found. All events are free and open to the public. Staff development
hours also are available. The schedule includes:
Monday, April 19,
12:30 p.m., Griffin Gate. Marilyn Chin, internationally acclaimed poet, fiction
writer and Co-Director of SDSU’s MFA Program in Creative Writing: Revenge
of the Mooncake Vixen (Norton
2009).
Tuesday, April 20,
2 p.m., Griffin Gate. Write Out Loud, a presentation by professional actors
delivering dramatic readings of selected literature.
Wednesday, April
21, 7 p.m., Griffin Gate. Sarah Shun-Lien Bynum, UCSD writing professor, fiction
writer, Iowa Writers’ Workshop grad: Madeleine
Is Sleeping (Harvest, 2005) and Ms
Hempel Chronicles (Harcourt,
Inc., 2008).
Thursday, April 22,
7 p.m., Griffin Gate. New Voices: A Student Reading, features standout students
from the Creative Writing Program’s current semester of courses reading their
original short fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, novel excerpts, drama and
mixed media literary works.
Monday, April 26, 7
p.m., Griffin Gate. Ella de Castro Baron, memorist, poet, fiction writer: Itchy Brown Girl Seeks Employment (City Works Press, 2009), with
vocalist and guitarist.
Tuesday, April 27,
2 p.m., Griffin Gate. Brandon Cesmat, journalist and poet: Driven Into the Shade (Poetic
Matrix Press, 2003) and Light
in All Directions (Poetic
Matrix Press, 2009).
Thursday, April 29,
7 p.m., Student Center. Festival Keynote Author Matt de la Pena, novelist: Ball Don’t Lie; Mexican WhiteBoy (Delacorte 2005, 2009) and We Were Here (Random House, 2009).
Funding for the Creative Writing
Program’s Literary Arts is made possible from the generosity and support of the
Grossmont College World Arts and Cultures Committee, Poets & Writers, Inc.,
Associated Students of Grossmont College (AGSC), Grossmont College Foundation
and American Federation of Teachers, Local 1931.
ENTRANCES AND EXITS
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Grossmont College’s Dance Department will present their
annual dance concert, “Entrances and Exits,” at 7:30 p.m. on April 22,
23 and 24, at the Joan B. Kroc Theatre. Tickets are $10 pre-sale, $12 at the
door. Cash only. Pre-sale tickets can be purchased from dance instructors or
from the Dance Office, Building 24, Room 272. For tickets and general
information, call (619) 644-7766. The faculty-choreographed show will feature
several dance genres, including ballet, hip-hop, modern, jazz, musical theater
and social and ballroom.
Also on Friday, April 23, the Dance Department will host a
“High School Outreach Day,” which will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at the Joan
B. Kroc Center. Dance students from high schools throughout San Diego County
are invited to attend a lecture, demonstration and a portion of “Entrances and
Exits.” Also planned are student interactive improvisation and a repertory
class where students will learn choreography from the dances that were
highlighted in the lecture demonstration. Cost to attend on April 23 is $10 per
student.
POW WOW
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The 22nd annual Grossmont College Pow-Wow, a celebration of
American Indian culture, will be held on Saturday, April 24, in the Student
Center. The day-long event will begin at noon with bird singing and gourd
dancing. There is a meal break from 5 to 6 p.m. Throughout the day, vendors will
sell American Indian cuisine, clothing, art and jewelry. The Grand Entry, which
begins at 6 p.m., features American Indian dancers and drummers,
recognitions, honor songs and invitations for spectators to participate in some
of the dances. Everyone is welcome and there is no admission charge. Sponsors
include the GC Native American Club, GC World Arts and Cultures Committee,
Grossmont College Foundation, GC EOPS Dept., Barona Band of Mission Indians,
Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians and San Diego Unified School District Indian
Education Program. Francis Steindorf, Associate Dean, EOPS, and Instructor
Danny Martinez are serving as faculty advisors for the event. Head Staff
include: Frank Gastelum, Head Man; Chamese Dempsey, Head Woman; Chandler Hood,
Head Young Man; Melda Cadotte, Head Young Woman Dancer; Fred Burrow, Head Gourd
Dancer. Pow-Wow Chair is Ginger Rogers, Chair of the GC Native American Club.
At 6 p.m., Tom Gamboa, retired GC Instructor, will be honored. Tom started the
Pow-Wow at Grossmont College in 1987. He retired in August 2009, after 22 years
at Grossmont, as the Coordinator of the Cross Cultural Studies Department.
MEMBERSHIP AT BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB
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During these economically challenging times, the Boys and Girls
Clubs of East County is offering children of staff and faculty who work for the
schools and colleges in the East County a free annual membership ($35
value) and 20 percent off Spring and Summer Camps, which will be held at the El
Cajon, Lakeside, La Mesa and Santee Clubhouses. For more information, visit www.bgcec.org.
RECENT HONORS
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GC Ceramics Instructor Steve Garcia has
signed a recording deal with Sunset Records. Sunset, which internationally
distributes albums by pop rock artists from all over the world, recently signed
Steve to a multi-album recording deal. Steve will also produce his debut CD due
to hit stores by summertime this year, according to a press release from Sunset
Records. Don Lichterman of Sunset Records first saw Steve perform on YouTube.
“I knew right away his
songs have exceptional writing. Every song the guy has turned over to me in the
last month has been ready to go onto a CD, which is something I marveled at
working on the label end.”
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GC English Instructor Tate Hurvitz
participated at this past weekend’s Greater San Diego Science and Engineering
Fair. Tate is active with Cal-PASS designing curriculum as well as training and
collaborating with faculty from San Diego area campuses. He also is a fellow at
the San Diego Center for Ethics in Science and Technology, helping to plan and
coordinate public outreach events and writing about current science and
technology issues.
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San Diego News Network (SDNN), a local web-based
news group, recently featured GC nursing student Ester Guiterrez in an
article that’s part of SDNN’s “Faces of the American Recovery” series.
Guiterrez participated in a job training program funded by the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the San Diego Workforce Partnership. You
can read the story at: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-03-16/blog/sponsored-blogs/san-diego-at-work/faces-of-the-american-recovery-ester-gutierrez.
UPCOMING EVENTS
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The Grossmont College Foundation will
host the San Diego East County Chamber of Commerce’s First Friday Breakfast on
Friday, April 9, in the Student Center. Breakfast begins at 7:15 a.m. About 125
people are expected to attend. April 9 is the second Friday of the month
because the first Friday, April 2, is Good Friday. Speaking at the breakfast
will be GC President Sunny Cooke. Also speaking will be Laura McDonald, project
manager for SDG&E’s Sunrise Powerlink Project.
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GC Instructors Nancy Pipkin, Virginia Berger
and Maria Pak will make a presentation on Community Service Learning at 4
p.m. on April 20, building 31, room 370. They will provide a brief history on
how CLS is helping students as part of the CLASS discussion with the GCCCD
Governing Board. CSL is an educational program at Grossmont College that allows
students to do community service related to their course work.
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Our
11th annual College Recognition Awards ceremony will be held on
Thursday, May 13, 2010, @ 3 p.m. in the Student Center. Kudos Awards can
be submitted online between now and April 30. The Kudos Award is designed to
help thank and recognize a member of the Grossmont College community who
represents teamwork and excellent service. Also, If you have received a new
degree or have had a significant publication since May 2009, please submit this
information soon to Pam Amor. Thank you for your cooperation.
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The Hyde Art Gallery will present
“Ceramic Works,” an exhibit of ceramic artwork by Patsy Cox and Eric Rempe, on
display from March 15 to April 22. The exhibit is open to the public. Cox’s
work consists of thousands of small objects combined to form one large
installation, featuring a blend of blending, hybridizing and cross-pollination.
Rempe offers a variety of ceramic vessels, featuring an array of glazes,
textures and shapes. The Hyde Art Gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on
Mondays and Thursdays, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Admission is free.
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The Grossmont Guitar Guild will present
“Blurring the Edges” with Fred Benedetti, Peter Sprague and Tripp Sprague at 8
p.m. on Friday, April 9, in Room 220. Admission is $10 per person.
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The Grossmont Symphony Orchestra will
perform with guest artist pianist Jessie Chang at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 13,
at Point Loma Nazarene University, Crill Concert Hall, 2900 Lomaland Dr., San
Diego. For ticket information, call (619) 849-2200.
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The annual 2010 Spring Leadership Retreat
will be held on Friday, April 23 at the Community Center in El Cajon.
Constituent group leaders are invited to attend and participate.
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The
Brad Daluiso Golf Classic, benefiting the Grossmont College Foundation,
will be held on Friday, May 7 at Sycuan Resort. Volunteers are welcomed. There
are a variety of exciting volunteer assignments ranging from beverage cart
driver to putting contest judge. Faculty and staff are invited to lock-in your
price and play at a reduced rate. Register and pay before April 3 to earn $150
off the regular foursome price of $800 (your price will be only $650).
Individual golfers are eligible for a 12.5 percent discount and play for only
$162.50. For more information on volunteering or playing, contact Alexis at
extension 7109.
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Mark your calendars for our college’s
Commencement Ceremony on Thursday, June 3, at 5:30 p.m. in the Main Quad.
El Cajon Police Chief Pat Sprecco (class of 1976) will be the featured speaker.
His career with the El Cajon Police Dept. spans 37
years. The criminal justice administration graduate first joined the El Cajon
PD as a volunteer cadet at age 16 in 1972.
