November/December 2005 - Mt. San Antonio College

Mt. SAC Volunteers Share
Experiences Assisting Hurricane Survivors
This special edition of the Campus Connection brings to life the personal
experiences of six of the 10 heroic Mt. SAC employees who literally “dropped
everything” to immediately respond to the alarm for assistance in the Gulf region,
which was devastated by a series of ruthless hurricanes: Katrina, Rita and most
recently Wilma.
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Hurricane Heroes
Share their
Experiences
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Student Evacuee
Calls Mt. SAC
Home
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Mt. SAC Campus
to the Rescue
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Getting to Know
You: Tom Mauch
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Mt. SAC
Remembers “Shar”
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On the following pages, Editor Mike Taylor takes us to Louisiana and Texas in the
aftermath of the storms to share the first-hand accounts of Nursing Professors
Clarence Edwards and Julie Hughes-Lederer, Firefighter John Chappell, Physician
Assistant Lane Braver, Interim Student Services VP Raul Rodriguez, and Community
Education First Aid expert Kristine Malone. Also included in this edition is a
summary of what other employees and students have done locally to help those
survivors who escaped the storm-ravaged areas and made their way to Southern
California. In addition, we share the experience of the only student evacuee who
has since enrolled at Mt. SAC.
The College commends these and the many others whose humanitarian spirit and
unbridled compassion sparked a ray of hope during one of our nation’s darkest hours.
“Mt. SAC is not some isolated academic island, oblivious to the larger world
around us,” said President/CEO Dr. Christopher C. O’Hearn. “We are just as
much an integral part of the nationwide community as we are part of the San
Gabriel Valley. That’s why I am particularly proud of all the collective and
individual efforts of our trustees, faculty, staff and students in responding
to the anguish of our family in the Gulf community. I encourage
everyone to continue the noble work they’ve started.”
KATRINA FACTS & STATS
Outreach &
Marketing
Storm’s Duration: Aug. 23-31, 2005
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Local Elections
Range of Impact: Louisiana, Mississippi,
Alabama and Florida
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Picture This,
Picture That
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Calendar of Events
Status: Sixth strongest storm (Category 4)
ever in Atlantic Region
Death Toll: 1,302
Property Damage: $240 billion (costliest
disaster in U.S. history)
Displacements: Over 1 million people
Scale: Human crisis on a scale
unseen in the U.S. since
the Great Depression
Nursing Body and Soul
Back to Health
They treated all ages, from babies to seniors. They saw pain and compassion,
devastation and despair. But the most indelible impression made on the minds of Mt. SAC
nursing professors Clarence Edwards and Julie Hughes-Lederer was the extraordinary
teamwork displayed among their peers who cared for Katrina victims in Houston.
Edwards and Hughes-Lederer were among the 50 registered nurses deployed for a week by the
California Nurses Association to assist at clinics set up at a Texas sports complex/convention center,
which includes the Houston Arena and the Astrodome. Working in a 24-hour, clinic-type setting,
medical professionals provided a full array of services from pediatrics to mental health to obstetrics and
gynecology, and the volunteers were from all over the country.
“I’ve been a nurse for 30 years, and it all just came together for me through this experience,” said HughesLederer, who is also Mt. SAC’s Health Careers Resource Center Director. “All the compassion, all the
knowledge and skill was right there. It just felt great being a nurse.”
“Nurses came together from all over the country,” said Edwards, Director of Mt. SAC’s Nursing Program. “Some
just jumped in their cars and drove over. It didn’t matter where you were from, what credentials you had,
everybody did the job. Egos were checked at the door.”
The clinic saw, on average, 60 patients per hour. They suffered from everything ranging from skin rashes and
sun exposure to chronic illnesses. Patients waited in long lines leading to the clinic, but through the entire
ordeal and everything the survivors had been through, somehow people persevered.
“Another thing that struck me was the resiliency of the people,” said Edwards. “I don’t think I could go through
what these people went through and could be able to function.”
Edwards remains amazed at the case of an 80-year-old woman who, using a walker, braved the flood, endured
long lines and somehow navigated the clinic system. Another case involved a young man who was up to his
neck in water for six hours, but somehow made it to safety. But the damage caused by Katrina is far from over.
The mental health of survivors is still an open book.
“This is a long-term process, because these people lost everything they had,” said Edwards. “Many will suffer
from post-traumatic stress” for some time.
But overall, Edwards said the experience of helping others with colleagues from around the country was
incredible. “I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” he vowed. —MT
Nursing Professors
Julie Hughes-Lederer and
Clarence Edwards
Katrina’s Destruction
Leaves Lifelong Impact
As a veteran firefighter, John Chappell thought he had seen it all—
destruction in just about all forms. But after serving two weeks in the
hurricane-ravaged Gulf zone, he still can’t get over the unfathomable
destruction caused by Katrina.
“Katrina’s destruction was so widespread, so unprecedented that we on the West
Coast could not have possibly imagined the scope and magnitude of the damage,” said
Chappell, a Fire Captain with the La Verne Fire Department and an instructor at Mt. SAC’s
Fire Academy for the past 16 years.
Chappell was part of a team of 34 fire department personnel from across California who
provided help with logistics and planning in some of the hardest-hit areas of Louisiana. He
started his assignment as part of a Disaster Mortuary Response Team in Baton Rouge on Sept. 9.
“There were people coming from across the nation to work for this mortuary facility,” said
Chappell, who, among other duties, maintained the refrigerated trucks that served as temporary
morgues.
From there, Chappell’s team moved on to New Orleans where he was involved in a variety of
duties that included staffing and set up of emergency operation centers, providing supplies to
survivors and aiding the logistics of air support for up to 300 helicopters.
“Basically, we provided support for just about anything people might need,” he said.
Water filled with the debris of New Orleans covered cars and houses. Streets became rivers strewn
with floating dead animals, chemicals, raw sewage and human remains. And the wreckage told the
story of those who struggled to survive.
“People kept moving higher and higher up into their houses as the water rose,” Chappell said. “They
were used to some flooding, but once the levees broke, that was it. Many were forced to flee to
their rooftops.”
In one instance, Chappell found a life preserver stuck on a tree branch at least 30 feet from the
ground. His first question was how could this happen? His second was what happened to the
person using the preserver?
Chappell ended his service as part of the team on Sept. 23, but
the dreadful images will stay with him for a lifetime.
“The depth and breadth of the damage is too hard to imagine,
just too hard to describe,” he said. —MT
John Chappell, Captain of the
La Verne Fire Department and
Mt. SAC Fire Academy Instructor
When the Worst
Brings Out the Very Best
Amid the wreckage left behind by Hurricane Katrina, Mt. SAC Medical Services Department
Chairman Lane Braver spent two weeks helping survivors at a frontline clinic outside of New
Orleans. Of all the things he witnessed—and there were many— Braver was most inspired by how
the human spirit can shine, even during the darkest moments of adversity.
“Human nature was tested to the max in this situation, and this time it looks like human nature won out,”
said Braver, who treated patients as a physician’s assistant in a clinic set up at a Louisiana university.
“I had the experience of a lifetime, and through it all, I realized that people overall are good-natured,” he said.
“Under austere conditions, people were nice to each other. Nobody was stealing, nobody was running around with any
knives or guns, nobody was dealing drugs, contrary to the images shown on television.”
Braver, a physician’s assistant for nearly 20 years, was part of a seven-member team of physicians dispatched by the Los
Angeles County Disaster Medical Assistance Team/FEMA to provide medical care. First, he was sent to “Tent City” in Baton
Rouge for two days, but later he was sent to Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, La., with other disaster medical personnel
to establish a medical clinic and hospital. The center was right on the frontline of Katrina and New Orleans.
“When patients came out of New Orleans, they came to us first,” said Braver.
While the university was still in session, a shelter was established in the gymnasium, a clinic was set up on the first floor of
Nicholls’ administration building, and a hospital ward was pieced together on the second floor.
“They were just classrooms, but we took them over and made them into hospital rooms,” Braver said.
Despite his own back complications, Braver worked 12-hour shifts, slept on a cot in a closet and lived on ready-to-eat rations.
Conditions were bleak: makeshift rooms, triple-digit temperatures, and to top it off, another hurricane (Rita) on the way. After Rita
hit, the “hospital” had to be evacuated. But through it all, he and the other relief workers never lost sight of why they were there.
The clinic averaged 80 patients per day, and the typical patient was 70 years old with diabetes, hypertension and heart problems. Yet
the immediate problem was that many patients were fleeing and had left everything behind, including their medications.
“The majority of the patients couldn’t remember the medications they were on or the dosage,” said Braver. “So we’d start them on
first-line medications.”
His patients included everyone from babies on oxygen to a senior citizen who had locked herself up for three weeks in the attic of
her house with her dogs. But his most interesting patient was a paraplegic who came to the clinic complaining of bedsores. The
patient wheeled himself into the exam room, transferred himself to the cot, and Braver examined him. He had four large
bedsores, one that caused an apple-sized abscess, and he had a temperature of 103.
“All the while, he was telling me about his aspirations and how good he felt knowing he
has a future if he works hard,” Braver said. “Talk about a positive outlook!”
Eventually, fewer and fewer patients arrived, but the intensity of the previous two
weeks had taken its toll on the disaster medical assistance team.
“In the faces of the team members, I could see the stress of constantly
dealing with people in emotional crisis,” he said.
Braver himself lost 12 pounds during the assignment, but he was
glad he had the opportunity to help.
“I deem it a privilege to serve these people, and I’m
thankful to Mt. SAC for letting
me come,” he said. —MT
Physician Assistant
Lane Braver
Reaffirming Our
Earthly Purpose
For Student Services Interim Vice President Raul Rodriguez,
volunteering with the American Red Cross to help hurricane survivors
showed him what it’s all about. He started helping survivors of Hurricane
Katrina in Louisiana but later left for Florida when Hurricane Wilma roared
through. Somewhere in between, he recognized that helping others in dire need is
probably the single greatest good one can do.
“For me, this was an experience that reinforces what it is we should be doing here on
earth,” said Rodriguez, who also serves as Mt. SAC’s Dean of Counseling.
Rodriguez headed to a relief center in Baton Rouge with the Red Cross on Oct. 13. When
the center closed, he was sent to Jefferson Parish near New Orleans, where he built housing
frames for shelters through a collaborative effort between the Red Cross and Habitat for
Humanity. But after Wilma hit, he was reassigned to Belle Glade, Fla., on Oct. 21.
Raul Rodriguez,
Student Services
Interim V.P. and
Dean of Counseling
“There is a large population of Mexican migrant workers there, and they desperately needed Spanishspeaking volunteers to help communicate with them,” said Rodriguez.
The shelter in Belle Glade housed 1,000 people who had lost their homes due to the hurricane. Rodriguez
helped with a variety of duties at the shelter, including cooking, cleaning, providing security and, his
specialty, counseling. But after seeing the devastation caused by two hurricanes, he realized that people can
still look forward to a future if they have the right support and motivation.
“I was impressed by the hopefulness and the resiliency of the people who had gone through these disasters,”
Rodriguez said. “Many of these people were poor migrant workers who lost the little that they had. But
the important things, like family, helped them pull together.” —MT
Reuniting Missing Children and Families
While attending a national conference for emergency service providers in San Antonio, Kristine Malone,
Program Supervisor for Community Education’s CPR and First Aid Program, signed up as a volunteer to help
with hurricane relief efforts at a shelter in Kelley, Tex.
She rolled up her sleeves right away, assisting the more than 200 people staying at the shelter with food, first
aid, and posting photos of lost children on the Internet, hoping to find their families.
“I listened to a lot of people and their devastating experiences, which were very upsetting,” Malone said. “But
most of them were just thankful to be alive.”
One of those people was 5-year-old Tyrell, who was by himself but full of smiles. Because he was so young,
all he could really tell Malone was that his parents were in jail and he lived with his “Mama,” the only name
he called his grandmother. Not knowing her formal name made identifying his family extremely difficult.
“There were so many stories of displaced children who had lost their families,” said Malone. “That was
why we took photos and fingerprinted people.”
Later, she was asked to help at a shopping mall where donations were being collected. She
helped load trucks full of food, water and clothing that were headed to the Astrodome in
Houston.
“What I did was nothing compared to all the medical professionals who volunteered
their time for days and weeks at a stretch,” said Malone. “This was certainly an
experience I will never forget!” —MT
Student Evacuee
Finds a Haven at Mt. SAC
Michael Williams woke up in the dark. There was no electricity, and his car was underwater.
Those were his first recollections of the day after Katrina pulverized New Orleans on Aug. 29.
The 23 year old had just finished the first week of classes at Delgado Community College in New
Orleans and ignored the warnings to evacuate the city.
“I didn’t have the money or the resources to leave,” said Williams, who had just paid his college fees and
purchased books.
Balking at the price-gouging tactics of hotels trying to take advantage of those seeking refuge, Williams felt he had
little choice but to try to ride out the storm. Besides, he figured, he had survived six years in the Army, including a 14month tour of duty in Iraq. What could be riskier?
“I had been through several hurricanes before,” he reasoned. “I just figured this storm, too, would pass.”
Katrina hit during the night, and Williams spent the night at a friend’s apartment.
The day after, he and his friend listened
to news reports that told of the havoc caused by Katrina. Electrical power was gone, and there was little to no fresh drinking
water available in the city. On the second day, Williams and his friend decided to get out of New Orleans in his friend’s SUV
and head to Texas before the levees failed.
“We didn’t have any definite plans,” he said. “We were going to Houston to stay in a hotel until our little money ran out.”
Finally, he got in touch with his grandmother, who lives in Chino, Calif., and the next day, she had secured airline tickets for
him to come to L.A. As soon as he arrived, Williams’ grandmother wasted no time working things out to keep his education on
track.
“She knew I was trying to finish school, so she brought me to enroll at Mt. SAC,” said Williams, who had begun his final
semester at Delgado as a business major just before the hurricane.
The enrollment process would prove to be the easy part, but paying for the 14 units would pose a major challenge. The
Business Division, Counseling, Financial Aid and Student Life all came to his aid. Even his prospective teachers lent their
assistance. Eventually the Legislature and Governor paved the way for out-of-state fee waivers to allow him to enroll.
“I had a lot of people trying to help me with scholarships and financial assistance, including
Westcoast Water Works Warehouse, who covered my fees and expenses.” he said. “Even teachers
gave me their extra books for my classes.”
Now Williams plans to graduate from Mt. SAC next spring and continue his education at either
Cal Poly or CSU Fullerton. Eventually, he wants to start his own business. However, he said he
has no plans to return to New Orleans, and he believes this current hurricane season will
change the way people tend to underestimate the potential threat of future storms.
“I think people will take those evacuation warnings much more seriously now
because of the frequency and intensity of recent hurricanes,” he said.
“I’m just grateful to be here!”—MT
Wesley Barraza (l) of Westcoast
Water Works Warehouse presents a
$2,000 check to New Orleans
evacuee Michael Williams.
Williams, who started the fall
semester at Delgado Community
College in New Orleans, is now
taking four classes at Mt. SAC.
Michael Williams,
business major
Campus Efforts Aid Local Survivors
While 10 Mt. SAC employees traveled to the Gulf region to assist
hurricane victims and survivors directly, the campus community worked
diligently to support national as well as local relief efforts on behalf of those
survivors who moved to Southern California. Here are a few vignettes.
Local Family Outreach
Marketing Director Clarence Brown helped mobilize fellow congregants at the
Breath of Life Seventh-day Adventist Church in Los Angeles to identify families who
needed temporary housing and basic essentials. The church “adopted” a New Orleans
grandmother and her college-age granddaughter, who escaped their storm-ravaged
neighborhood with only the clothes on their backs and house slippers on their feet.
“Their feet were badly bruised and swollen from walking on debris, broken glass and rubble beneath
shoulder-high polluted water,” Brown said about the family’s condition upon meeting them. “They were
hungry, their nerves were still on edge, and they were inconsolably worried about 73 unaccounted for
relatives.”
“Our church group raised funds, took the family shopping for basic essentials, helped get them settled in
with a relative, and helped get the granddaughter enrolled—free—at CSU Dominguez Hills with an
apartment and furnishings,” he said. “We stay in constant touch and continue to assist with their
transition here. They are so grateful for little things done on their behalf.”
Brown said his church has since adopted a family of three minor children who got separated from their
parents during the frantic exodus from the Gulf.
“Now we’re working to help get these families over the emotional hurdle as the holiday season
approaches,” he said. “People who have suffered any kind of major loss tend to get depressed over
this time of year, so it’s critical that we do what we can to make them feel loved and supported.”
Fund-raising Activities
Mt. SAC recently presented a check for more than $8,500 to the local American Red Cross to
assist with ongoing relief efforts on behalf of hurricane survivors. The funds were donated by
employees and students over the past couple months, thanks to campuswide fund-raising efforts.
Campus Generosity— Joining in the check presentation are (l-r) Business
Professor and Business Club Advisor Amrik Dua, Psychology Professor and
Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Advisor Charis Louie, PTK Vice President Lilia
Garcia, Red Cross representative Diane Drolet, Mt. SAC President/CEO
Dr. Christopher C. O'Hearn, Business Club President Kathy Yao, Students
in Free Enterprise President Jessica Holleron, and Dean of Student
Services Carolyn Keys.
Mt. SAC Is a Homecoming
for New Associate Dean
Tom Mauch got a lot more than he bargained for
—a great job and a surprise family reunion.
If new Associate Dean of Counseling Tom Mauch experiences a sense of déjà vu at Mt. SAC, it is
because he actually has been here before—several times. The Covina native was once a student
athlete here, then an intern and is now, years later, a top-level administrator.
“It just feels right to be back at Mt. SAC,” said the former professional baseball player who spent five
years with the St. Louis Cardinals organization. “Everyone is so welcoming—students, faculty, staff and the
administration.”
In his new role at Mt. SAC, Mauch (pronounced: Mouk) oversees the High School Outreach, Learning
Communities, Upward Bound, and Summer Bridge programs, which are all directly related to his professional
interests.
“My passion is student success, and education is the key,” said Mauch, who comes to the College after serving as a
counselor and coordinator of the MESA program at Santa Ana College for five years.
Mauch’s association with Mt. SAC began in 1981 when he was a student here and played the outfield for longtime
Mountie baseball coach Art Mazmanian. After two years, he transferred to Cal Poly and played for legendary coach
John Scolinos.
“I was pretty lucky to play for some great coaches—Maz at Mt. SAC and Scolinos at Cal Poly,” he said.
While at Cal Poly, Mauch was drafted by the Cardinals and played for their Triple-A teams in cities such as Louisville
and Savannah. He was drafted as an outfielder and later was converted to a pitcher. He compiled a 24-12 record
until a pitching injury cut his baseball career short after five years.
Cousins Tom
and Bill reunite.
That’s when he went back to school and got attracted to counseling. His second stint at Mt. SAC came as a
counseling intern under Evans Roderick, Academic Counselor for Student Athletes. Originally, he wanted to go
into sports psychology, but his work with community college students proved fulfilling.
He went on to earn his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in sociology and worked in outreach at CSU
Fullerton, but his heart remained with community colleges.
“I’ve always liked community colleges and respected the special niche that they serve in preparing all
kinds of students for success,” he said.
Now on his third tour of duty at Mt. SAC, Mauch feels at home for more than one reason. At
his welcoming reception this month, he was greeted by a new math professor, who just
happened to be one of his 46 maternal first cousins.
“I was two years old the last time we saw each other,” Mauch recalled. “This is
such a wonderful and unlikely reunion after all these many years.”
After finding out Mauch had been hired at the College, his cousin,
Math Professor Bill Edwards, called Mauch’s mother’s home only
to be stunned when “guess who” answered the phone.
If the third time’s a charm, Tom Mauch hopes
to be sticking around Mt. SAC for years
to come.
Mt. SAC’s Shining Star
Shar’s world was filled with laughter, love and logarithms
Sharlene “Shar” Anderson (Cadwallader) was a math professor, athlete, church elder, colleague and
friend whose bright smile and “can-do” attitude made the campus a better place to work. With her
passing on Oct. 18, there is one less star on the Mt. SAC map.
Her days at Mt. SAC were filled with laughter, love and logarithms. A math professor at the College for
20 years, Shar was known for making a difficult subject accessible to her students, teaching students with
respect and compassion. She had the ability to put students at ease and encourage them along the way.
She was involved in numerous committees and activities on campus, which included the Academic
Senate Executive Board and helping to organize the Natural Sciences Division retreat earlier this year.
Shar was also known for her enthusiasm for running and bicycling. A long-distance runner, she
competed in over 60 marathons, including a 100-mile Angeles Crest endurance run, five
Ironman triathlons, and a marathon in Antarctica earlier this year in February. She was an active
member of the Foothill Flyers running club and the Inland Inferno triathlon club. As a cyclist,
she biked across the country and took a year’s leave to bike around the world.
Shar was also very proud to be an elder at La Verne Heights Presbyterian Church, where she
was a member for nearly 30 years. Her deeply religious faith was very important to her as she
participated in countless ministries. The memorial service held for Shar at her church
was no less upbeat than she was and reflected her passion for life.
Campuswide Fund-raising Campaigns
Tis the season to be giving . . . and Mt. SAC employees can get in the spirit by supporting a number of
charitable causes, including student scholarships. Here are some neat ways you can help others in need.
United Way . . . the Efficient Way
United Way serves millions of people with various needs through a vast network of health and human
service agencies. Your gift to United Way is the most efficient way to address a multitude of needs.
You may contribute to United Way through the payroll deduction plan or with a one-time gift. Here’s the
bonus with the Mt. SAC campaign: each donor will be automatically included in a drawing for gasoline
cards.
You may purchase additional raffle tickets at $1 each (six for $5). With each ticket purchased, you
increase your chances to win a gasoline card valued at $200, $100 and $50. You can buy tickets from
your Classified Senator or Frances Smothers at the Reserves Desk in the College Library.
All proceeds from the raffle will support the United Way Kids Pack Program. For more information
about the Mt. SAC United Way Campaign, contact Smothers (ext. 4292), who chairs the campaign.
The Gift of Scholarship
This season, the Mt. SAC Foundation is launching its “Gift of Scholarship” campaign. Three holiday
trees will be placed around campus in prominent places (i.e., Library, Student Life Center). In
addition to ornaments, each tree will contain gift tags, marked with monetary amounts ($10,
$20, $50, $100). Employees and students are encouraged to pull off a tag in the amount
they wish to give and send the donation to the Foundation.
If you can help donate artificial trees and decorations, please contact Kari Virding,
Foundation Special Events Coordinator, at ext. 5443.
Mt. SAC’s First Black College Fair
a Hit Among Area Students
Mt. SAC's first-ever Knowledge Is Power Black College Fair was a big hit with the many middle and high school
students of color who attended from across the region on Oct. 29.
Some 30 institutions were represented, including 21 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) as well
as local public and private mainstream universities and Mt. SAC.
In addition to securing information at the exhibit booths staffed by these college representatives, participants
heard a panel discussion about the advantages of starting at or transferring to an HBCU. Moderated by Student
Services Dean Carolyn Keys, the panel stressed the importance of seeking out every opportunity and resource
available to secure a college education, whether at a community college, an HBCU or another university.
Students learned about the various online resources available to help them improve their SAT and ACT
scores. Students also learned how to secure financial aid, scholarships, and begin preparing for
college as early as the seventh grade.
The Black College Fair was co-sponsored by Mt. SAC and the National Council of Negro
Women, San Gabriel Valley Section.
Event Organizers—(l-r) Carolyn Keys, Phil Maynard, NCNW’s Irma Jenkins, Anabel
Perez, Clarence Brown, Eddie Lee and Carlos Arrendondo. Not pictured is Aida Cuenza.
Mt. SAC Earns Record 9 Marketing Awards:
“Best in the West”
Mt. SAC further solidified its international distinction as having one of the finest marketing and graphic design
organizations. At the National Council of Marketing & Public Relations’ (NCMPR) recent Western Regional
Conference in Palm Springs, Mt. SAC won nine Medallion Awards for best marketing campaigns and
materials—a “personal best.”
Of the unprecedented nine awards, Mt. SAC won two bronzes, four silvers, and three golds for the West’s
“Best External Publication” (Community Connection), “Best Outdoor Advertising” (“Faces of Mt. SAC”
street banners), and the grand prize of them all, “Best Class Schedule” design (’05 Summer Schedule).
The silver and bronze honors recognized outstanding work on Mt. SAC’s Pathways to Success one-stop
enrollment website, the 47th Mt. SAC Relays program design, the Mt. SAC Catalog, the internal newsletter
(Campus Connection), the ’05 Spring Enrollment Marketing Campaign, and the “Value”
recruitment advertising series.
NCMPR is the marketing association for community colleges and
technical schools in the United States and other parts of the world.
Winning Team—Displaying the nine Medallion Awards are (l-r)
Mike Taylor, Linda Lundgren, Jeffrey George, John Lewallen,
Marketing Director Clarence Brown, Victoria Randall and
Mark Fernandez.
Trustees Hall
and Chen Haggerty Reelected
The November 8 election results are in, and Dr. David K. Hall and Judy Chen Haggerty
were reelected to four-year terms on the Mt. SAC Board of Trustees.
This election victory marks Dr. Hall’s fourth term on our board, after being appointed in
1995, elected to a full term in 1997, and reelected in 2001. He is the longest-serving
trustee and currently serves as President. For Trustee Chen Haggerty, this election win
marks her second term, having been elected in 2001. She currently serves as Vice
President.
Dr. Hall garnered 55,264 votes (35.56%), while Trustee Chen Haggerty received 49,672
votes (31.96%).
Mt. SAC Professor Runs for County Sheriff
While the results of the November elections are in, one race has yet to be settled involving a Mt. SAC adjunct
professor. Don Meredith, who has taught criminal justice at Mt. SAC for more than five years, is vying for Los
Angeles County Sheriff in a field with three other candidates, including the incumbent, Sheriff Lee Baca. The
primary election is set for June 6, 2006.
A career law enforcement officer, Meredith says he would “bring a new vision and new direction to the Sheriff's
Department—to make the county safer while working within approved budget resources. This vision includes
stopping the early release of prisoners—many of whom are currently serving only 10% to 25% of their sentence
in county jail. This practice has no deterrent effect to those who commit crimes of violence and theft.”
Meredith believes he is uniquely qualified for the job, because he says he is decisive, nonpartisan and able to
work with the region’s diverse communities. Using his expertise in street gang intervention and community
policing, Meredith said he would work in partnership with communities, citizens, and agencies to address
quality-of-life issues that contribute to escalating gang violence.
Meredith is currently a lieutenant and commander of the Community Policing Unit for the Police
Department of Glendale, the county’s third largest city and one of the nation’s safest.
As a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the USC School of Public Administration Delinquency
Control, and the USC School of Engineering Aviation Safety Program, Meredith treasures his
teaching responsibilities here at Mt. SAC. He takes pride in the fact that many of his students
have graduated and are enjoying careers in law enforcement, including at least five who are
serving at Glendale P.D.
During his 33-year career with Glendale PD, Meredith has earned over 60
commendations from the public as well as law enforcement agencies. In addition,
he has received departmental awards for bravery, community service and three
campaign ribbons for major tactical operations.
Math Professor Mary Chabot (c)
Mt. SAC made a big splash at the Walnut
Family Festival this fall as Board of
Trustees President Dr. David K. Hall (r)
and the championship Women’s Softball
team participated in the festival parade.
Mt. SAC employees staffed an information
booth to recruit new students.
Career Placement
Services sponsored a
holiday job fair for
students with over 50
employers participating.
Companies such as
Macy’s, Mervyn’s,
Target and Disneyland
recruited employees for
seasonal jobs leading to
permanent employment.
won $250 at cow-pie bingo during
the College’s first Halloween
Community Fair. Other winners
were Sarah Gile, a seventh grader
from Chaparral Middle School, who
won $500, and Pete Dominguez of
Walnut, who won $1,500. Also
pictured is Bertha, the Reserve
Commercial Champion at the L.A.
County Fair, without whom there
wouldn’t be any winners.
r
Author Victor Villaseño
nal
provided an inspiratio
SAC
presentation for Mt.
students and faculty
to the
during a recent visit
d
campus. He challenge
rt to
pa
eir
th
students to do
.
m
stamp out racis
Afterward, Villaseñor
of his
autographed copies
popular books for
students.
Staff got into the Halloween spirit and
donned the costumes of their alter
egos, including those featured here,
representing Instruction,
Administrative Services, Human
Resources and the Warehouse.
Instruction
’s
Catullo, An Wicked Stepsisters (l-r
na Acosta
and Linda ) Marge
Potter.
Ray Venegas as the cro
ssdressing ape. Yikes!
,
r) Nancy Gordien
The HR Circus (ld
Lisa Moreno an
Joanne Dianela,
Maria Cetina.
John Lewallen’s
“jailhouse dog,”
Porter.
Admin Services’ (l-r) Rondell
Schroeder, Ron Titus and Debbie
McConnell.
Once again, Music Professor/Organist
Gary Toops (r) and friends delighted
the crowd during their eighth annual
Halloween program, featuring
ghoulish stories and songs. Even the
theater ushers and young Christopher
DeVito got into the spirit with scary
makeovers.
NOVEMBER
24-25 —Thanksgiving Holiday (campus closed).
30 —Registration for ’06 Spring Semester credit classes begins.
30 thru Dec. 4, 8 p.m. —All Talking! All Singing! All Murder!, a theatrical
“whodunit” production, Studio Theater.
DECEMBER
1, 2-3:30 p.m. —Auxiliary Services Holiday Tea, SacBookRac. 25% discount
to faculty and staff with ID or business card.
3, 8 p.m. —An Evening of Vocal Jazz, featuring Mt. SAC’s Singcopation and
Frontline, Clarke Theater.
5, 2-3:30 p.m. —Administration Holiday Tea, Administration Atrium.
5-9, —Holiday Pointsettia Sale, Horticulture Unit
6-8 —Holiday Ceramics Sale, Ceramics Studio, Bldg. 1A, Room 10.
7, Noon-2 p.m. —Associated Students Holiday Celebration, Student Life
Center, Bldg. 9C.
8-10, 6 p.m. —8th Annual Wassail Dinner & Concert, featuring the
Chamber Singers, Concert Choir, Women’s Ensemble and Fermata Nowhere,
Performing Arts Center.
14, 6:30 p.m. —Board of Trustees Monthly Meeting, Board Room, Bldg.4.
23 thru Jan. 2 —Winter Recess (campus closed).
JANUARY
5-6 —Professional Development Days.
9 —Spring Semester begins.
16 —Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday (campus closed).
Now Available
in hardcopy at the
Bookstore, Library,
Student Services
and online at
www.mtsac.edu
Spring Semester starts Jan. 9!
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