Supplemental Instruction

MC101 is fortunate to have two excellent Supplemental Instruction leaders this semester.

Shushan Gabrielyan was an outstanding MC101 student during the Winter 2016 Intersession. This will be her first semester as a Supplemental Instruction leader. Her SI sessions will be on Mondays from 12:30-1:30 in CR137.

Narek Gharakhani attracted a growing group of MC101 students for his SI sessions during the Fall 2015 semester. He will return this semester. His SI sessions will be on Tuesdays (unless pre-empted by a field trip) from 12:30-1:30 in SF119.

MC101 students can earn two points per week for attending Supplemental Instruction.

Transfer Student Spring Road Trip

Your Humble Blogger received the following email from Dr. Kevin Meza, director of the Transfer Center.

Hello GCC,

It’s that time again! The Transfer Center will be taking students on the Northern California College Tour during spring break (April 11-13). The priority deadline to submit the application is Monday, March 7th at 7PM. We usually receive over 120 applications for about 50 spots on the bus, so turning in the application by the priority deadline is strongly encouraged. We will visit UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and UC Santa Barbara. The trip will include admissions presentations, college tours, student panels (featuring former GCC students), and sightseeing in San Francisco.

The fee for students is $25, which includes transportation and housing. Students are responsible for their own meals. Students should visit us in the Transfer Center (SR building, second floor) for the application.

Hollywood: Diversity Not Included

Hollywood--especially the movie industry--apparently isn't very diverse, according to a USC study. This NPR story discusses some of the possible reasons why the movies don't really look like present-day America.

Questions...

•Apparently, the movie isn't as diverse as America. Does that matter? Why or why not?

•Does diversity matter more on camera or behind the camera? Why?

•Why does it matter if the director is a woman and the screenplay writer is a person of color?

•Hollywood is a business of personal contacts? Is that part of the problem?

•Philharmonic orchestras have blind auditions. Would that help in this case?

•What do you recommend that Hollywood do?

A Major Decision

Your Humble Blogger received the following email from the Career Center. MC101 students attending one of these workshops can earn two points of extra credit.

Hello GCC Community,

The following is a list of the Undecided/Undeclared Major Career Workshops Part I for the Spring 2016 semester.

Monday, February 29th 3-5pm SR 328
Friday, March 11th 10-12pm SR 328
Monday, March 14th 3-5pm SR 328
Friday, March 25th 10-12pm SR 328
Wednesday, April 6 10-12pm SR 328
Tuesday, April 19th 3:30-5:30pm SR 328
Tuesday, April 26th 3:30-5:30pm SR 328
Wednesday, May 4th 2-4pm SR 328
Wednesday, May 11th 10-12pm SR 328
Wednesday, May 18th 3-5pm SR 328
Monday, May 23rd 10-12pm SR 328

Selecting a major can be a difficult process for many students. This workshop will provide them with the necessary career exploration/decision making tools and resources to select a major(s) they enjoy.

*Undecided/Undeclared Major Workshops are open to Currently Enrolled GCC Credit Students.

*Reservations Are Required.

*To Register, Log into MYGCC/Main Menu/ Workshops/Career Workshops

*Please be advised that as a matter of our Career Center policy, students who are not enrolled in a student development career course and are uncertain about their major or career goal will be required to sign up for and attend one of the Undecided/Undeclared workshop part I before they can schedule an individual appointment with a Career Counselor.

The Career Center Team

National Security v. Personal Privacy v. Modern Marketing

One of the shooters in the recent San Bernardino mass shooting may have left valuable clues about the crime and his extremest ideology on his iPhone. The information is encrypted and the FBI would like Apple to tell them how to unencrypted (or unlock) the information. Apple has refused, claiming that unlocking one iPhone would endanger the privacy of all iPhones. NPR reports.

Questions...

•Who should own the data on your phone: you, the company that built the phone, or the government? Who else might have data regarding who you call or where you browse?

•What if you walk in to Macy's? Do you leave a digital trail?

•Some have suggested that the FBI demand information on the phone from Apple, which unlocks the phone and gives the FBI the data, but doesn't tell the government how it unlocked the phone. Would that be a reasonable compromise?

•Some have suggested that the FBI simply hack the iPhone. Would you support that action?

•What if China or Russia or France orders Apple to unlock a phone because of threats to their national security. Should Apple unlock the phone for other nations as well?

•Is it OK for Apple to have access to information about you even if you haven't committed a crime?

When the Room Starts Spinning

In politics, "spin" is the art of making the best cast possible for your candidate or against your opponent. Campaigns deploy "spin doctors" to talk to journalists after a debate, election or other political event. NPR reports.

Questions...

•What is spin? Is there ever any truth to it?

•Give an example of how spin can turn a second or third place candidate into a quasi-winner?

•Hillary Clinton defeats Bernie Sanders 55%-45% in the South Carolina Primary. How can the Sanders campaign spin that into a victory?

•How does spin work after a debate?

Scholarship Season

Your Humble Blogger received the following email from Aida Avanousian of the Scholarship Office.

This is a reminder that GCC Scholarship office will be offering more than 500 scholarships during the Spring 2016. Please encourage our students to apply before the March 23rd deadline. The application process is very easy through the MYGCC account. Any student with a GPA of 2.5 and above who has already completed 12 units and is currently enrolled is eligible to apply.

Students are welcome to visit our office if they have any questions regarding scholarship or need help filling out the application.

We strongly encourage you to spread the word among our students.

Thanks,
Aida