Fascination with zombies may be at an all-time high – “The Walking Dead” dominates TV ratings and “World War Z” scored big in theaters – but an expert on zombie literary symbolism says the creatures may say more about flaws in our culture than our taste in entertainment. Zombies reflect cultural values on racism, sexism and the ability of dominant ethnicities to objectify those they deem less human, according to Dr. Steven Pokornowski of Whittier’s Rio Hondo College. Pokornowski delivered a paper on zombie symbolism earlier this month at the American Studies Association annual conference.
Rio Hondo College will showcase college opportunities for up to 550 middle and elementary school students from 11 schools in eight local districts at its first-ever Discover Rio Day! from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18. Students will learn about Rio Hondo’s public service career programs in nursing, firefighting and police services, how to prepare for college and about campus programs that help students start at Rio and transfer to four-year colleges or universities.
Noted LGBT Activist, Scholar to Conclude Rio Hondo College Lecture Series
Dr. Ronnie Sanlo, a noted LGBT rights activist and scholar, will headline the final installment of Rio Hondo College’s first-ever Fall Lecture series at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5 in the College’s Wray Theater, 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier. Sanlo will screen the 2014 documentary, “Letter to Anita,” which relates the impact of her decision to come out as a lesbian during Anita Bryant’s anti-gay campaign in the 1970s. Sanlo will comment on the documentary and join a post-screening discussion. Documentary director Andrea Meyerson will also attend. The series included presentations by noted sculptor Mario Chiodo and cartoonist/satirist Lalo Alcaraz.
Rio Hondo College has invited community members to an afternoon of Halloween fun with family-friendly videos and cartoons, live entertainment, popcorn, cider and a costume contest with prizes – all free for the community. Presented by the Division of Arts and Cultural Programs, the family event takes place at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17 in the Wray Theater at Rio Hondo College, 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier.
Contra Costa College nursing program director Dr. Sandra Castillo – a Rio Hondo College graduate – will offer the keynote address during Rio Hondo College’s second annual Just Us Girls! Conference, set for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16 in the Rio Hondo College Learning Resource Center, 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier. The daylong event is designed to foster connections that will contribute to women’s academic and personal success. Just Us Girls! was founded by Rio Hondo College Psychological Services Coordinator Denna Sanchez in 2014.
Celebrated syndicated cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz will present a talk and advance screening of his new animated TV series, “Bordertown” at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 15 as Rio Hondo College continues its first-ever Fall Lecture Series. Alcaraz, known for his La Cucaracha comic strip, is the second of three speakers in the series. The event concludes Thursday, Nov. 5 with LGBT rights scholar and activist Dr. Ronnie Sanlo. Rio Hondo College is at 3600 Workman Mill Road, Whittier.
Rio Hondo College won a $2.62 million, five-year federal grant this week to help first-year Hispanic and low-income students prepare for college, identify education goals and map achievable programs of study. The award is one of about 87 five-year grants given by the U.S. Department of Education to colleges and universities at which enrollment is at least 25 percent Hispanic. At Rio Hondo, 70 percent of students are Hispanic. The grant will fund The Avance Project, which will offer students a summer math academy, a guaranteed first-year schedule, a seminar course in which to explore discipline-based career paths, and regular tutoring, counseling and coaching.
Rio Hondo College is partnering with El Rancho Unified School District to open an educational center in Pico Rivera, bringing the promise of higher education closer to home for thousands of residents. When completed in fall 2016, the $1.3 million center will be the third campus of convenience established by the College since 2010. Other sites serve South Whittier and El Monte. The Pico Rivera center will sit on 2.4 acres at El Rancho Unified’s former adult school across the street from El Rancho High School. The College will upgrade seven buildings spanning 6,720 square feet to create a collegiate identity and integrate 21st century learning tools into six classrooms and an office.
Rio Hondo College’s Career Development Center has been renamed the Center for Career and Re-Entry Services (CCRS) to reflect a new role in providing comprehensive support for students age 25 or older who are returning to college or just beginning their higher education journeys. Rio Hondo College’s enrollment includes nearly 1,000 such adult re-entry students who have been in the workforce for at least five years. Adult students face a number of challenges that include financial responsibilities, childcare issues and finding a balance between school, work and home. The center, which has added staffing dedicated to re-entry students, will provide counseling, aid with registering for classes, use of a dedicated computer lab, job and internship aid, and social media network training.
Rio Hondo College will receive $1.1 million in grants over the next five years from the U.S. Department of Education to help low-income, first-generation and underrepresented college students pursue transfers to four-year universities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) majors. The TRIO/Student Support Services Program will use the money – $220,000 a year – to provide 120 program participants with services that include personal coaching, personal success plans, comprehensive counseling, time-management guidance, community building and financial literacy education.
