Celebrating Excellence News Cuesta Colle e
Transcription
Celebrating Excellence News Cuesta Colle e
SPRING 2009 Cuesta Colle e News Connecting c u e s ta C o l l e g e t o t h e C o m m u n i t y g n i t a Celebr e c n e l l e Exc Special Alumni Edition San Luis Obispo North County 1964 1998 N e w p a r t n e rs h ip d e l i v e rs a t C u e s t a 3 W h at ’ s n e w o n c a m p u s 2 1 A w a r d w inn e rs 2 2 Cuesta College News Spring 2009 Cuesta College News is published three times a year by Advancement From humble beginnings, a dream is realized Cuesta College, P.O. Box 8106 San Luis Obispo, CA 93403-8106 (805) 546-3100 cuesta.edu Executive Editor June Stephens Editors Stephan Gunsaulus, Jill Ivie, Jay Thompson Writers June Stephens, Stephan Gunsaulus, Jill Ivie, Jay Thompson Photography Jill Ivie, Jay Thompson Art Direction/Design Lana Rauch, Mary Ellen Bohnsack San Luis Obispo County Community College District Board of Trustees Special Alumni Edition Patrick Mullen, President Angela Mitchell, Vice President Gaye Galvan Marie Kiersch Per Mathiesen Joe Vanherweg, Student Trustee A message from June Stephens, Executive Director, Advancement Contents 2 Message from Director 3 In the News 4 Emeritus Presidents 4 Cuesta Through the Years 8 Alumni Staff and Faculty 10 Foundation Annual Awards 12 Photos Through the Years 14 Buildings Through the Years 16 Student Success 17 Athlete Alums 18 Alumni News 19 Foundation Awardees 20 Business and Community Alums 21 Campus Projects 22 Awards at Cuesta 23 Cuesta Athletics 2 • SPRING 2009 Cuesta college News This issue is dedicated to those who created, participated in, and continue to advance Cuesta’s legacy of excellence. T his edition is dedicated to former students, faculty, staff, and community members, who think of Cuesta College as myCuesta, our College. At Cuesta College, May is Alumni Month. Cuesta College’s Board of Trustees designated it as such in recognition of the contributions of thousands of June in 1971 and today. former Cuesta students, faculty and staff members who contributed to the growth and strength of our college over the past 45 years. “Cuesta College’s alumni are an integral part of maintaining our college’s history and leading the district’s progressive move into the future,” the trustees said in a special resolution adopted February 7, 2007. Cuesta’s history began in the spring of 1963 when San Luis Obispo County voters agreed to create a junior college district out of the five local high school districts. The new San Luis Obispo County Junior College District was officially launched July 1, 1964. The college’s first superintendent/president, Merlin Eisenbise, was joined by longtime friend Frank Martinez, and George McGinnis — a trio of administrators who transformed the concept of a two-year college from papers in a cardboard box and dreams in the minds of many into a campus located midway between San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay on the site of a military base. Wood-framed barracks and livestock gave way over the years to a 160-acre park-like campus with white buildings and red-tile roofs reflecting the community’s early Spanish heritage. Just over 900 students walked the red-rocked pathways when the first daytime classes began at the college in 1965 — even before the school had a name or its students had selected a mascot. Today, Cuesta is home to more than 13,000 students on its main campus, the Paso Robles campus, which opened for classes in 1998, and at South County Centers in Arroyo Grande and Nipomo. It is a pleasure to be a part of the magnificent history of Cuesta College and to live in a county of generous community members, who are committed to and support higher education. In the News Robert and Rose Lane, longtime Cuesta friends When Robert and Rose Lane retired to Morro Bay after leaving Hollywood in 1979, they weren’t attracted by Morro Rock and the city’s windswept beaches, “Cuesta College was really what brought us here,” recalled Robert Lane, who contributed $100,000 to Cuesta College Foundation to establish the Rose and Robert Lane Music Endowment. “No matter where we were, we always kept going to some kind of extension courses, and we spotted Cuesta College. So we stopped in and looked at what they had to offer and said this is the place for us.” Lane, who met his late wife in his freshman year at UCLA in 1938, is a lifelong learner who obtained an electrical engineering degree. But his educational life, like his career, was never planned. “I’ve got certificates from Rutgers, USC, UCLA,” the 88-year-old said. “Wherever I’m at, I take courses.” He and his wife built houses after the war. The couple eventually moved to Palm Springs, where Bob found himself transitioning into a new career: comedy writing. Frank Bogart, a colorful character, was mayor of the desert hot spot that was also popular with such celebrities as Bob Hope. Bogart died this year at age 95. “I was bored so I wrote a parody on Palms Springs called ‘Hand Springs’ with Bogart as the head of it, and I passed it around,” Lane said. “One of the people who read it was connected with writing and submitted it to somebody unbeknownst to me.” Soon, Lane was writing material for night club comics and Hunt Stromberg Jr., who later left his mark at CBS for such series as “The Beverly Hillbillies,” “Hogan’s Heroes,” “Green Acres” and “Lost in Space.” Lane also wrote jokes for a talk show host with a funny-sounding name. “Oh I started the Regis Philbin show,” said Lane of the host who later gained fame as “the hardest working man in show business” for his work on “Live with Regis and Kelly.” “I was the first writer that introduced him to the country.” As the 1970s came to a close, Bob and Rose left Hollywood behind, bound for Morro Bay and Cuesta, Robert and Rose Lane, who contributed $100,000 to benefit the where the couple performing arts program, moved to the Central Coast attracted took classes and by the opportunities at Cuesta College. assisted with television production courses. Bob also performed in some Cuesta variety shows. Almost from the start, the Lanes became financial backers of the college, said Frank Martinez, then the college president. “They started contributing to different causes and gave us a lot of equipment,” Martinez recalled. “He also gave us his know-how. He and his wife had been in the movie and film business in Hollywood so they helped us with the drama program, and the music program.” The couple’s $100,000 endowment shows their commitment to Cuesta. “It’s a great contribution,” Martinez said. “It will target the music program.” Lane is proud of his connection to Cuesta campus and its impact on the community. “One of the good things about Cuesta is you can go for two years and pick up some kind of expertise in a particular field where you can go find employment,” Lane said. “I always thought that was a major function of Cuesta. I didn’t think it was an intellectual bastion, more a place where we’re going to give (students) some tools.” An alternative way to class Cuesta teams up with Cal Poly, RTA for free bus service A new partnership with Regional Transit Authority granted Cuesta College students access to ride for free any RTA bus during the first three weeks of the spring semester. The partnership came about thanks to a joint effort by Cuesta, Cal Poly and RTA last year when Cal Poly professor Eugene Judd tasked his civil and environmental engineering students with researching ways to improve public transportation to and from Cuesta College. The presentations, with both short- and long-term projections, were made to RTA and Cuesta College officials at the close of the fall semester. “This is a great partnership with RTA that we hope to continue,” said Stephan Gunsaulus, director of marketing and communications at Cuesta College. “We are aware that parking can be an unnecessary stress facing our students as they return to campus. By offering free bus rides to our students, we are not only reducing the competition for parking spaces on campus, but increasing awareness of the economic and environmental benefits that public transportation can offer.” Cuesta college News SPRING 2009 •3 Emeritus Presidents a legacy Starting from scratch with a box and an idea for a college A key moment in Cuesta College history occurred in 1964 in San Luis Obispo between the head of the college board of trustees and Merlin Eisenbise, the college’s first president. “J. Vard Loomis handed dad a cardboard box, which contained all the records that the college had, and he said. ‘It’s yours now.’ ” recalled Dave Eisenbise, Merlin’s son. “Dad took that box and said, ‘Well, it looks like we have to build a college.’ ” That cardboard box would loom large in the early days of the college and become part of the institution’s folklore. Voters agreed to form a community college district on April 16, 1963. They also selected the first board of trustees whose top job was hiring a superintendent to get the college up and running. “At that time Eisenbise and I were looking for a new job,” said Frank Martinez, who was the college’s second president and a longtime friend and colleague of Eisenbise. “So we decided to apply. And we agreed if either Cuesta’s First President one got it, he’d Dr. Merlin Eisenbise bring the other 1964-1977 one along.” Eisenbise got the job Dec. 1, 1963, though he wouldn’t officially begin until July 1, 1964, and inherited the idea of a college. He didn’t have an office, staff or fall of 1964 at San Luis Obispo Junior a campus. Plus, the college didn’t even High School and Atascadero High have a name — it would be known as School. San Luis Obispo County Junior College After leasing a portion of Camp San for the first year of classes. Luis Obispo, day classes began a year Martinez and George McGinnis later, on Sept. 13, 1965; and on Oct. were Eisenbise’s first hires. 4 the school finally got a name — the “He said, ‘Frank you take care of trustees chose Cuesta over Santa Lucia running the college and establishing and Los Robles. the curriculum.’ And he said to George, Eisenbise went on to serve almost ‘You take care of the business angle and 14 years as president before retiring the hiring of classified personnel.’ in 1977, weathering two failed bond “And Dr. Eisenbise just supervised measures before voters agreed to fund everything,” Martinez said. “But his the new campus in 1970. main emphasis was dealing with the “In my 40 years, both as a teacher community and with the board.” and administrator, the most challengThe first night classes began in the ing and satisfying period has been my role in the creation and development of Cuesta College,” Eisenbise told the Cuestonian in 1977. “It is rare that an educator is given such an opportunity to start from ‘scratch’ and in 12 years see the development of a total education program as well as a modern, $20 million plant.” During his tenure he watched the student population rise from 463 in the fall of 1964 to 6,000 students in 1977. In retirement, he traveled extensively and eventually settled in La Verne. Merlin Eisenbise died Oct. 11, 2001, at age 87. Cuesta Through the Years July 1, 1964: The official start date of the new junior college and Dr. Merlin Eisenbise’s first official day as superintendent-president, seen here with Frank Martinez, (left). April 16, 1963: San Luis Obispo County voters approve the formation of a junior college district and elected a five-member Board of Trustees. J. Vard Loomis is named the first board president. 4 • SPRING 2009 Cuesta college News September 12, 1964: Some 463 evening students enroll in the new San Luis Obispo County Junior College. Classes were held at San Luis Obispo Junior High and Atascadero High School four nights a week. October 4, 1965: Cuesta College is officially christened. Cuesta was selected over Tolosa, Santa Lucia and others. The name was also attractive because of its nice alliteration for the athletic teams since just the week before students had selected Cougars as school mascot. of excellence The torch is passed F rank Martinez, Cuesta College’s second president, was also the school’s second employee. He helped his predecessor, Merlin Eisenbise, start Cuesta in the early 1960s. Martinez took over when Eisenbise retired in 1977 and continued as president until 1988 — helping guide the college during its first quarter century. “It was a laugh a minute,” Martinez said of the early days. “Everything was a crisis.” One involved the first edition of the Cuestonian published Feb. 7, 1966, featuring a photo of a Cuesta student in a bikini. President Eisenbise ordered Martinez to look into who shot the risqué photo. It turned out to be Eisenbise’s son, Dave. A bigger controversy involved where to locate the college. Six free plots of land were offered including sites in San Miguel, Paso Robles and a scenic 160 acres in Santa Margarita. But none was right because of the lack of roads, water and other utilities, all “very expensive to bring in,” he said. Cuesta began on 54 acres of Camp San Luis Obispo where classes were taught in 72 refurbished barracks. Later, the trustees purchased 129 acres of the base for $307,000. The site — which expanded to 160 acres — had everything the free land didn’t. In the early days there were hundreds of decisions to make: What to call the school; what to name the mascot (the football team was initially called the Roses in deference to its first coach); not to mention school colors. Martinez picked the latter, settling on olive green and black “because I had some olive suits and ties.” But when it came time to reorder more school letterhead, he learned that olive ink was more Cuesta’s second President Dr. Frank martinez 1977-1988 expensive. And that’s how the official school hue deepened to the color of grass. September 1965 was a turning point with the start of the first daytime classes. The first group included 917 students who adjusted to the primitive nature of the classrooms, which leaked during the rainy season, and 70 head of cattle that fed on the grass of the land leased by the college “and their droppings,” Martinez said. “And this went on for three years. The old buildings have railings and steps that go up to the buildings, and the cattle would come along and they’d scratch their neck on these railings and knock them over every day.” Martinez, now 87 and still a fixture at Cuesta events, has plenty of memories. His fondest, he said, is “just being in on the very beginning of it. It isn’t very often you get the chance to start from scratch.” October 15, 1970: A groundbreaking ceremony is held on the permanent campus. “We are finally placing rocks on top of rocks to build a permanent home for Cuesta College,” said Cuesta board president Fred Righetti, as the 18-member Cuesta College band played “You’ve Made Me Very Happy.” January, 1968: The Western Association of Schools and Colleges grants Cuesta College accreditation for three years – a first for the 5-year-old college. The certification also meant that Cuesta was able to apply for federal and state financial assistance to upgrade the temporary campus buildings. November 10, 1970: County voters approve by a 3-1 margin a $5 million bond issue for new campus construction. J. Vard Loomis, the bond committee chairman, and Cuesta board president Fred Righetti led the successful effort. November 5, 1974: Voters approve a $8.5 million bond measure to pay for the construction of new school facilities to complete the college campus. It increased property taxes 14 cents per $100 of assessed valuation over the duration of the bond. Cuesta college News SPRING 2009 •5 Emeritus Presidents a legacy A new campus blooms in North County F rom 1989-1999, the face of Cuesta College was then Superintendent/President Grace Mitchell. Her tenure at the college covered a unique time in Cuesta’s history. She was faced with the tasks of expanding the campus facilities, transitioning the campus to a computer-based network and laying the foundation for the construction and implementation of a North County campus. “It was a growth period,” Mitchell said. “It was fun. It was challenging, and it was exciting. What the community needed and what Cuesta needed were my goals.” Under the charge of Mitchell, the first Educational and Facilities Master Plan was created for the campus. Twenty years later, the efforts of that master plan are visible across the North County and San Luis Obispo campuses as new buildings emerged and remodeled buildings are completed. The Theater Arts Building, which will be completed in the fall of 2009, is the last building detailed in Mitchell’s original master plan. Mitchell may be retired from Cuesta College, but her passion and commitment to community colleges and the students they serve has continued. She is still helping other community colleges develop master plans for their own institutions. “The things I’m most proud of at Cuesta all fit into one category. It’s what I’m still doing in my retirement. It’s providing programs and opportunities for our students.” As for the future of Cuesta College, Mitchell has high hopes for the institution that was her home for a decade. “I hope we can continue to grow and serve the community,” Mitchell said. “Whatever it takes to get the support of and to serve the community in whatever way is appropriate, I hope we will do it. I hope Cuesta College continues to do what it does best, provide opportunities.” Cuesta’s Third President Dr. Grace mitchell 1989-1999 Cuesta Through the Years March 15, 1989: Dr. Grace Mitchell is appointed superintendentpresident – the first woman to take the helm of Cuesta. Her goal was to create a master plan for the college that would identify the curriculum, programs and facilities needed in the decade ahead. February 19, 1977: Trustees appoint Dr. Frank Martinez as the college’s second superintendentpresident. June 6, 1978: California voters approve Proposition 13, which froze property taxes and eliminated community service taxes, and sent Cuesta’s budget into a tailspin. As a result, trustees scuttled the football program; on-campus construction all but came to a halt; and Cuesta’s arts program that brought a host of big-name performers and speakers to campus ended. 6 • SPRING 2009 Cuesta college News July 1996: John and Berna Dallons purchase an 82-acre site for $475,000 and gave Cuesta College a one-year purchase option. of excellence An era of transitions M arie Rosenwasser led Cuesta College into the 21st century as the superintendent/president from 1999 to 2006. Her tenure is highlighted by several major capital projects, a revitalization of technical programs, and an enrollment growth spurt in a time of budgetary challenges. In 2001, a decade after the first master plan was completed, Rosenwasser completed the first revisions and updates to that plan. These paved the way for a new art and music lab, a Learning Resource Center, a new Early Childhood Education Center, money for the library expansion project and funding for the construction of the first permanent building on the North County Campus. In addition, renovations were also made to the track and field, greenhouse and physical science buildings. “I was tremendously busy, and I loved it,” Rosenwasser said. “It was a challenging and exciting time. And it was a privilege to lead the college. I didn’t do anything alone though, it took great support from the administration, classified employees, as well as the faculty.” One challenge Rosenwasser faced was a wave of personnel turnover as the first generation of Cuesta College employees began to retire. During her presidency, approximately 60 percent of the faculty and approximately 70 percent of the administration left. According to Rosenwasser, it was the biggest period of personnel transition since the college was founded. In addition to the large number of retirements, the student population continued to that the college will remember and honor its history.” Cuesta’s Fourth President Dr. Marie Rosenwasser 1999-2006 December 1998: Russ and Carol Kiessig donate 23 acres to expand the North County campus to 105 acres. The new North County Trades and Technology Center will be named in their honor. August 17, 1998: Classes begin for 1,290 students at Cuesta’s North County campus in Paso Robles in four modular buildings. At a dedication ceremony held later, thenstate Senator Jack O’Connell said “this campus will only further enhance the quality of life here. It will continue to provide tremendous educational, recreational and cultural opportunities for this community.” grow as the North County campus and the first South County Center opened. “We grew the enrollment all the years I was there,” she said. “We did it purposely and strategically.” As the college continues to grow today, 10 years later after Rosenwasser first assumed the mantle of superintendent/ president, her wish for the perpetuation of Cuesta College remains the same. “Institutions change and evolve but they still have their roots,” Rosenwasser said. “It is a big challenge but also a big opportunity. I hope very much March 3, 2008: Dr. David Pelham assumes duties as the college’s top administrator. The Theater Arts Building will open on his watch as well as other new facilities. August 1, 1999: Dr. Marie Rosenwasser (seen with then-SLO Mayor Allen Settle) takes over as Cuesta’s fourth superintendentpresident. Cuesta college News SPRING 2009 •7 Alumni Staff & Faculty Bill Fairbanks Nella Girolo C I Faculty 1972-2003 Faculty 1966-2007 uesta College had been at its Camp San Luis Obispo campus for under a year when Bill Fairbanks met Assistant Superintendent Frank Martinez for an interview. “In those days Cuesta was new,” Fairbanks said. “They had a lot of issues with the state Department of Education, so it seemed like Cuesta’s administration spent a lot of time in Sacramento.” “Martinez called me and said he was going to be in Sacramento. After his afternoon meetings he said he would interview me. It was a warm day so we went over to Capitol Park and he interviewed me under an oak tree.” Fairbanks, who could teach sociology and anthropology, got the job and started in the fall of 1966. He would spend the next 41 years on the Cougar campus. Cuesta’s teaching facilities were primitive, but he found them adequate. “I think if you are a good teacher you can teach under a tree,” he said. “Sometimes at night the heaters didn’t work, but they were doable. A lot of the students from the early days have very fond memories of the experiences on the old campus.” He remembers the days when some students wondered if “Home on the Range” should be the school song. “The most disconcerting thing about cattle was the manure,” he said. “There’d be piles of that around campus. That would be worse for night school students than for day school students who could see it.” Fairbanks, who taught until he was 70, retired in May of 2007. 8 a legacy o • SPRING 2009 Cuesta college News 8 • n the early 1970s, just a few years after Nella Girolo began teaching voice and music theater at Cuesta College, a student streaked by her class. “The guy ran through the music building really fast,” she said. “The only thing you could see was a bare bottom. He ran out and there wasn’t any car to pick him up. So he had to run back down this big, long walkway. My whole class just laughed and laughed and laughed watching this guy run the whole way.” Girolo began at Cuesta in the fall of 1972 as a part-time music instructor. During the next 30-plus years she taught piano class and music appreciation before becoming coordinator of the performing arts department. She received the Outstanding Academic Employee Award for the 1996-1997 school year. She served six years as division chair before retiring in 2003. SPRING 2009 Cuesta college News Facilities on the old campus were funkier, she admitted. “I remember once we had a piano that the leg kept falling off,” she said. “I yelled for Warren Balfour for help. It was a baby grand. I was holding it up yelling ‘Warren!’ It was really primitive.” These days she remains active with Cuesta events and with the performing arts center. “I’m excited about the new theater,” Girolo said. Nella Girolo received the 2009 Betty Nielsen Volunteer of the Year Award at the Cuesta College Foundation Annual Awards Luncheon held in May. See story, page 11. of excellence Former faculty and staff remember the first class schedule and a streaker running through campus Elaine Coats Cuesta’s first classified employee E laine Coats is a part of Cuesta College’s history, as much as anyone can claim to be. She holds the unique honor of being the first classified (nonadministrative) employee and just the fourth person overall to be hired by the San Luis Obispo County Community College District. She served as the secretary for the first Superintendent/President Dr. Merlin Eisenbise, as well as Frank Martinez and George McGinnis, the first two assistant superintendents of Cuesta College. She also went on to serve as the secretary to the Educational Specifications Committee. She remained a full-time employee of the college until 1992 when she retired. “It was my very good fortune to be a part of the beginning process and to continue to enjoy all that has transpired since that time,” Coats said. “I am very grateful.” In 1993, she returned to Cuesta College as a part-time hourly employee, working in the Disabled Student Services office, fine arts office, human resources office and the Foundation office until 2008. Over the course of her career, Coats assisted in creating the first class schedule, the first catalog and the educational specifications for the new campus. “There is no doubt about the quality of the leadership of the first administrators who had the vision to make wise choices for faculty and staff, curriculum and campus location,” Coats said. “The reputation of the college and the quality of the alumni are proof of the amazing and outstanding institution that Cuesta has always been.” Leave A mark at Cuesta If you are proud of Cuesta College why not put your name on it? Cuesta’s Foundation offers a host of “naming opportunities” that recognize certain levels of monetary contributions to the college. It’s also a chance to honor and remember loved ones with ties to Cuesta. A stroll around the Cougar campus reveals many living memorials: trees, benches, gardens and bricks on Cougar Park’s Walkway of Friends. These tributes honor loved ones and provide beautiful spaces for rest or reflection. As Cuesta continues to thrive and grow, funding is needed. Gifts directed to campus facilities are a unique way to help shape the landscape of the college and provide new opportunities that will benefit generations of students to come. Contact Cuesta College Foundation at (805) 546-3279 for more information. This bench in Cougar Park could carry your name here. Cuesta college News SPRING 2009 •9 Foundation Annual Awards 2009 Honored Alumni Janet Frank Cuesta College Foundation recognizes outstanding Dr. Janet Frank graduated from Cuesta College in 1969 with an associate’s degree. She then earned her bachelor’s in social welfare and her master’s in gerontology from the University of Southern California, before earning her doctorate in public health from the University of California, Los Angeles. Honored Alumni and Volunteers Steven Frank Steven Frank earned an associate’s degree in civil engineering from Cuesta College in 1970. He continued on to earn a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from University of California, Berkeley, followed by an MBA and a lifetime teaching credential. He has been employed by the San Luis Obispo Public Works Department for 32 years. 2009 Annual Award Recipients Dr. Frank Martinez Superintendent / President’s Award Bob Wacker Bob Wacker has served on the Cuesta College Foundation Board of Directors since 1998 and is currently the chair of the Investment and Budget Committee. He is founder and president of R.E. Wacker Associates, a fee-only wealth management firm in San Luis Obispo. See story, page 19. 10 • SPRING 2009 Cuesta college News J. VARD LOOMIS Distinguished BOARD SERVICE AWARD Dee Lacey Dee Lacey is a former member and past president of the Cuesta College Board of Trustees and has served as a member of the Cuesta College Foundation Board of Directors since 2001. She has long been active in fundraising to build and expand the North County Campus in Paso Robles. See story, page 19. JOHN SCHAUB STUDENT VOLUNTEER AWARD Bianca (Baeumler) Widmark Bianca (Baeumler) Widmark is working towards an associate of arts degree in business administration at Cuesta College. She has been very active volunteering in one of Cuesta’s German classes as well as providing other volunteer services to the college. She is a student ambassador for the Cuesta College Foundation. Kathryn Wetterstrand Kathryn Wetterstrand earned her associate’s degree from Cuesta College in 1977. Since then, she has spent countless hours volunteering for several causes, including Hurricane Katrina, Red Cross, National Immunization Day, Zoo to You, and fundraising for Cuesta’s North County Campus Campaign. Tim Williams Tim Williams attended Cuesta College from 1990 to 1993 before transferring to Cal Poly to earn his bachelor’s in journalism. He founded the local company Digital West in 1998 and grew the firm to nearly 1,000 hosted domains within three years. MERLIN E. EISENBISE OUTSTANDING SERVICE IN THE STUDENT CITIZEN CLASSROOM AWARD AWARD Ernie Cementina Ernie Cementina was hired by Cuesta College in 1966 as the first director of counseling. He served as dean of humanities for 14 years until his retirement in 1992. He continues to support Cuesta College and volunteers his time in the college library. Stay tuned for a profile in an upcoming edition. Jasmine Dollahite & Shawn Moore Jasmine Dollahite and Shawn Moore are both students at Cuesta College. Dollahite is studying to become a special education teacher and Moore is a business major. They both became local heroes in August of 2008 when they rescued a partially paralyzed man who had fallen down an embankment into Cachuma Lake. BETTY NIELSEN VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD Nella Girolo Nella Girolo served as faculty representative to the Foundation Board of Directors until her retirement as chair of the Performing Arts Division in 2003. She continues to serve as a member of the Board and volunteers on committees as well as at many events. See story, page 8. Cuesta college News SPRING 2009 • 11 Cuesta a legacy of excellence A trio of students gather on the lawn on the old campus to play music in the early 1970s. Adele Frey, a physical education instructor, teaches a class in the 1960s. “It was great to see students change from high school kids, thinking Cuesta was fun and games, to serious adults going through graduation,” she said. George McGinnis, one of the college’s first administrators, his wife and Dick Garrett at a Founder’s Day event in 1974. Cuesta students queue up on the old campus for registration in 1968. Cuesta’s automotive program is one of the best in the state. 12 • SPRING 2009 Cuesta college News was Cuesta’s Glover Miller officer. ty ri cu se first Ivan Jones, the first chairman of the English Division, stands in a puddle on the old campus in the mid-1960s. mmer 1994. The su ants s students in ip es ic cc rt Su pa to ol Bridge se high scho po ills ex sk l to ca ms ti program ai rk and prac vel coursewo to college-le e working world. th necessary in Nursing students graduate in 1992. The first class of nursing students graduated 40 years ago, in 1969. An unidentified Cuesta athlete competes in a track meet in 1967. Barbara George, the director of Cuesta’s Foundation, takes flight in the hot air balloon as a part of a 1985 fundraising event. Avila Mall, which takes its name from Frank Avila, the first instructor hired at the college, was a grassy area near the cafeteria on the old campus. Terry Croxton, who was hired in 1971 as a biology lab technician, continues to work at Cuesta in the biology department. Students walk between classe s on the old campus in the 1960s. Student horn pl ayers practice in cl ass during the 1990s. Computers beca me part of the workplace at Cuesta in the 1980s. Designer Gordon Hayduk used X-Acto knives, a pica pole and wax to create graphics in the 1970s. 1972. September of portrait in al nu an an r classes fo the start of semble before as y lt cu fa Cuesta’s Cuesta college News SPRING 2009 • 13 Campus buildings Through the Years Building 4800 66 Construction 67 Technology Facilityand other naming opportunities Proposed Administration Building Expansion State approval and funding not available at this time. 69 61 68 63 Humanities Forum 62 72 80 Softball Field Art/Music 81 for all levels of giving. Snack shelter 42 44 20 28 54 50 53 Future site of math building. 21 24 State approval and funding not available at this time. 52 13 23 26 45 22 27 25 47 40 12 16 Pools Pools approved 1976 Built in 1976 Built in 1980 BUILDING 1000: Men’s P.E. BUILDING 1100: Women’s P.E. BUILDING 1200: Weightroom BUILDING 1200: P.E. Faculty Offices BUILDING 2200: Biological Sciences BUILDING 2300: Classrooms BUILDING 2400: Science Forum BUILDING 4300: Faculty Offices: Business/Engineering BUILDING 6100: Language Arts BUILDING 6200: Faculty Offices: Language Arts/ Social Sciences BUILDING 7100: Fine Arts/Music (Rooms 7100-7108) BUILDING 8000: Administration Built in 1974 Built in 1977 BUILDING 1700: Classrooms BUILDING 6300: Humanities Forum Built in 1975 Built in 1978 BUILDING 2100: Physical Sciences & Math BUILDING 3100/3200: Student Services BUILDING 4100: Business Education/Engineering BUILDING 5000: Student Center BUILDING 7200: Youth Programs BUILDING 1400: New Gymnasium BUILDING 2000: Classrooms BUILDING 4200: Auto Technology and Welding Engineering Technology BUILDING 4400: Electronics Lab BUILDING 4500: Electronics, power control lab BUILDING 4600: Auto Body BUILDING 4900: Snack Shelter VOLLEYBALL COURTS BASKETBALL COURTS 10 14 Gym Built in 1973 Cuesta college News Sargen Fitness Zone built in 2003 11 29 46 17 51 33/34 High Tech Center 41 To learn more about naming opportunities, call Cuesta College Foundation at (805) 546-3279. Dugouts built in 1980 71 31/32 Library 43 • SPRING 2009 Construction began in 2006 71 are available 14 Theater Arts Building Built in 1990 MODULAR 8100: Advancement BUILDING 4700: Community Programs Built in 1991 BUILDINGS 2600, 2700, 2800, 2900: Classrooms and Offices Built in 1995 BUILDING 2500: Allied Health/ Nursing/ Human Development Built in 2002 BUILDING 3300/3400: High Tech Center BUILDING 4000: Human Development BUILDING 7100: Fine Arts/ Music, Rooms 7104 to 7169 and Rooms 7170-7187 TENNIS COURTS 18 Track & Field Track renovations 2001 L Baseball Field Dugouts built in 1980 and refurbished by volunteers in 2008 Extinguishing the ghost light of Cuesta’s Interact Theater New batting cages built 2009 76 Hollister 74 19 Old Gym Built in 1941 75 Interact Theater Built in 1941 Upgraded in 1978 The sound of music and the voice of drama need a home. For nearly 45 years, the acclaimed drama and music programs at Cuesta College have made do with “temporary” quarters. The old Army chapel became the 100-seat Interact Theater. The World War II Army movie theater has enjoyed very good use as the college’s 800-seat auditorium. Now known as the Blakeslee Auditorium, it is owned by the California National Guard and is on Camp San Luis Obispo property. More than 60 years old, it was in constant need of expensive repairs. At Cuesta College, there was no dedicated space for its drama productions and music performances, yet the College is famous in the state for its excellence in these areas. State funding has at last funded the construction of a Theater Arts Building on the San Luis Obispo Campus. A teaching/learning facility, it includes classrooms, a 450 seat theater, a smaller “experimental theater,” green room (and rehearsal space), dressing rooms, and a scene shop and space for costume construction. A real home for Cuesta’s acclaimed jazz studies program, music theater, drama and choral groups is a dream come true. County audiences will thrill to these programs, and others that may be offered by local groups as well. In a central location and an affordable cost, it is a cultural piece that fits well in San Luis Obispo County, expanding artistic possibilities and sheer enjoyment of the arts. Your gift toward the overall capstone funding goal of $1 million will help furnish and equip the new $27 million theater arts building on the San Luis Obispo campus. COURTESY OF SPENCER HOSKINS ASSOCIATES San Luis Obispo Campus Photo BY DAVE RITCHIE Theater Arts Building Adobe Built in 1840s Cuesta College’s Interact Theater made a final curtain call May 10, following the last performance of “Rhinoceros.” The theater, located on a portion of the old campus, opened in 1971. The newly christened Interact Theater opened with a production of Bertolt Brecht’s “The Good Woman of Setzuan” on March 19, 1971. Jack McBade, 86, directed that first production, and over his 20-year career at Cuesta “put a lot of my life into” the one-time military chapel that he named. “I was looking for some type of a name for it and decided that it was about interaction between the school and the theater, so we called it the Interact Theater,” said McBade who retired in 1987. The theater was smaller in its early days, and it had no dressing rooms. As a result, actors had to change in the locker rooms across Chorro Valley Road and run over to the theater. In those early days, if a scene called for an actor to enter from a different side of the stage, it involved running around the outside of the building, McBade said. A special ceremony honored the Interact’s near 40-year run on May 10. It featured selected performances of the arts that graced the stage over the years: theater, jazz, classical concerts as well as dance. It concluded with the alumni who were present and who have tread the boards of the Interact, announcing the year and their performance. “The ghost light that represents the fire that burned in all classical theaters was then extinguished,” said Anet Carlin, a former Cuesta College instructor who was involved with the Interact since its earliest days. TOP: A rendering of the new Theater Arts Building. CENTER: A view at the chapel in 1970 with its steeple attached. ABOVE: A recent view of the Interact Theater. Cuesta college News SPRING 2009 • 15 student Success Gabrielle Union shines on the silver screen Photo from Yahoo images Gabrielle Union is Cuesta College’s brightest shining star in Hollywood. The actress played soccer for the University of Nebraska before returning to California and attending Cuesta College. She eventually graduated from UCLA with honors, studying sociology. While at UCLA, she earned an internship at a Los Angeles modeling agency, and it was there that she was discovered as a model and actress. She’s appeared on such television series as “Ugly Betty,” “The West Wing,” “Friends,” “ER,” “7th Heaven,” and “Saved by the Bell.” She has also appeared on the big screen with leading and supporting roles in “The Honeymooners,” “Bad Boys II,” “Abandon,” “Bring it On,” “Love and Basketball” and “10 Things I Hate About You.” Student government experience stays with Tim Reed Tim Reed was sitting in a chemistry test review at Cuesta College when an ASCC questionnaire interrupted his test preparation. Several students were upset about the timing of the mandatory questionnaire and talked about getting involved with ASCC so they could make a change. Reed did just that. The next term, he served as the ASCC vice president. It was a choice that helped define his college experience. During his service as VP, Reed witnessed and helped plan several events to celebrate the opening of the new Student Center in the mid-1990s. “It was just an amazing time for me,” Reed said. Reed completed his general education classes and began a microbiology course load before transferring to Cal Poly in 1995. Following graduation, he worked as a project manager for Bill Graham Presents and the general manager of the Shoreline Amphitheatre, before returning to the Central Coast. He now works as an independent public assembly consultant, project manager and special event manager and has been involved with the management of major festivals and concerts across the nation. “I attended a community college in Michigan for a semester prior to arriving at Cuesta College. So as you can imagine, to me Cuesta looked like a vacation resort with beautiful lawns and palms trees more than a college campus,” Reed said. “The quality of education and the setting that it happens in could not be better.” Author Jay Asher discovers his passion to write while His name is well known in certain literary circles, libraries, and with teenagers both in domestic and international markets. He wrote a book that has spent more than 18 weeks on the New York Times Bestsellers List and is published in 11 foreign markets. He is Jay Asher, and he is a Cuesta College alum. Asher came to Cuesta College from San Luis Obispo High School in 1993, taking general education classes before transferring to a four-year school. “Since I planned on going to Cal Poly, I thought I’d begin at Cuesta simply because it was a lot less expensive,” Asher said. “In the end, I felt the instructors at Cuesta were more passionate about their classes than any I’ve seen before or since, which made me even more excited about learning what they were teaching.” It was one of those very instructors who inspired Asher to write books for children and young adults. “I began writing children’s book while taking Nancy Hurd’s children’s literature class. That class reintroduced me to a type of literature I’d mostly ignored since I grew out of being its 16 • SPRING 2009 Cuesta college News at Cuesta target audience. But that reintroduction sparked a creative side of me that has never let me down.” Asher began writing and trying to publish children’s books in 1994. Twelve years later, he sold his first book, 13 Reasons Why. In October 2006, his book sold in an auction between three publishing houses and was released the following year. “I might not have discovered this passion had I not taken Nancy Hurd’s class,” Asher said. “The reason I took that class was because I wanted to teach in an elementary school. I guess you never know how one pursuit can naturally lead you to another.” Jay Asher holds his favorite childhood book while Nancy Hurd, the instructor who inspired him to write books for children and young adults, holds Asher’s best-selling novel, 13 Reasons Why. athlete Alums Chance Chapman has a cool name and what he hopes is a major league arm. Chapman, who was born in 1984 has a name that will serve him well if he makes it as a big leaguer. And he’s on his way — this year he is pitching for the minor league Clearwater, Fla., Threshers, a high-A affiliate that sent such players as 2006 National League MVP Ryan Howard and 2007 All-Star pitcher Cole Hamels to the major leagues. The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder played in 2008 with the minor league New Jersey Lakewood Blueclaws. Scouts say that the overpowering right-hander attacks hitters with strikes. When it came time for college, Chapman originally planned to play baseball at Fresno State. But a change in the Bulldogs’ coaching staff brought him to Cuesta in the spring of 2003 under the tutelage of then first-year Cougars’ coach Bob Miller. “Cuesta has a rich tradition in junior college baseball,” said Chapman, 25, who studied criminology and went 8-6 in two seasons on the Cougar campus. “It’s a winning program … that turned out a lot of good ball players over the years.” His goal is to be named to a major league roster. “I’ve progressed up a level every year, and things are going good,” he said. “ If I had to say when, I’d say around 2011 I might have a shot. It’s going to take a lot to get there because everyone is fighting for a spot. It’s not only going to take success and proving to myself that I can do it — it’s going to take repeating that success and putting in the long hours of work.” Photo courtesy of New Jersey Lake wood Blue Claws Chance Chapman signs with Phillies organization It’s a Cinderella story. It’s the tale of a tall kid from a rural community college who goes on to play Division I basketball for a Big East Conference powerhouse. Improbable? Yes, but true. And in early February with the mercury hovering at a chilly 16 degrees at Syracuse University and Cuesta College in the middle of a heat wave, Kristof Ongenaet (oohn-GA-not) was rethinking his 2007 decision to head east — “because of the weather.” Did he prefer to be playing for nationally ranked Syracuse, hoping for a shot at another NCAA championship for the Orange? “No doubt,” the Cuesta College alum said. “No question.” And what a year the Orange had in 2008. Syracuse finished as runner-up to Big East Conference winner Louisville, and the team made its 32nd appearance in the NCAA Tournament and its first since 2006. Ongenaet, a Belgium native who came west to make a name for himself and a goal to play professionally in Europe, earned All-Western State Conference Academic honors as a freshman and sophomore. When it came time to transfer, the 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward, was contacted by more than 40 Division I schools. Besides his size, he was also a force on the court averaging 11 points and a dozen rebounds a game — the first Cougar to average a double-double for his career. “I just decided that Syracuse was the best choice,” he told reporter Brian Milne after signing in May of 2007. Photo courtesy of Syracuse University Kristof Ongenaet is a name to remember in basketball Kathy Sheehy never played on a women’s water polo team at Cuesta College. Yet she is the most accomplished female polo player to emerge from the Cougar campus. “I started playing actually at Cuesta,” said Sheehy, who goes by the nickname Gubba and attended between 1988 and 1990. “They didn’t have a women’s water polo team back then, so I swam at Cuesta and sometimes (men’s water polo coach) Terry Bowen would let me get in with the boys. It was the first time I was introduced to the sport.” That was 1990, and she also played at Cal Poly. She immersed herself in the sport — which is played in a deep-water pool, 10 by 20 meters, by six field players and a goalie on each side — and quickly mastered the game described by some observers as soccer in the water. “After playing for six months I made the national team in 1991,” she said. “2000 was the first time in the Olympics for women. We got silver.” The gold medal match at Sydney’s Olympics pitted the Americans against the hometown favorites. The U.S. lost 4-3 to the Aussies in front of 17,000 people. After 11 years of international competition, Sheehy retired in 2002. In 2008, Guy Baker, director of Olympic Development for USA Water Polo, selected her to coach the women’s Senior National B Team. “Gubba was a tremendously intense player who competed for everything whether in practice or a game,” said Baker. “She is an excellent teacher and has a good understanding of the game from a player’s perspective.” photo by donald miralle Kathy Sheehy rises to world stage in water polo Cuesta college News SPRING 2009 • 17 alumni News Alumni help the college ‘move into the future’ May is May 21 Alumni Month Cuesta College Honored Alumni Wall Commencement Barbecue Noon to 1:30 p.m. SLO Campus, Student Center Courtyard Hosted by the Alumni Association, this annual event celebrates the 2009 students graduating with degrees and certificates. Attendees must RSVP in order to receive a ticket for admission. at Cuesta College May 22 MAY The college board of trustees made it official when they unanimously recognized the contributions that former Cuesta students have made to the growth and strength of the college by declaring May as Alumni Month in perpetuity. These alums, “whose contributions and development have benefited the college district as well as our society at large … remain connected to the college as friends, donors, faculty and staff,” the college’s trustees said in a special resolution approved Feb. 7, 2007. “Cuesta College alumni are an integral part of maintaining our college’s history and leading the district’s progressive move into the future,” the resolution said. 45th Annual Cuesta College Commencement 5:05 to 7 p.m. Cuesta College Gymnasium Students will line up an hour prior to the event between the pool and Building 1100. A reception for graduates will be held at the gymnasium courtyard immediately after the ceremony. New Honored Alumni Wall funded by Cuesta College Foundation was installed and dedicated May 1, 2009. It resides in the 5400 building of the San Luis Obispo Campus. Seeking Cuesta alumni… Did you graduate from Cuesta College in the last five years? Have you published a book, started a business or accomplished anything else that you’re proud of? We want to hear about how your Cougar experience has affected your newest accomplishments and where life has taken you after Cuesta College. { 18 • SPRING 2009 Cuesta college News We may be featuring you in an upcoming alumni spotlight. Please send your submissions to Jay Thompson in the Cuesta College Advancement Office. He can reached at (805) 546-3100, ext. 2636 or by e-mail, [email protected]. foundation Award Recipients The wit and wisdom of Bob Wacker Foundation director is SLO’s 2008 Citizen of the Year photo courtesy of San luis obispo tribune B Bob Wacker is known for his wit and wisecracks — and for his financial savvy. He received the Dr. Frank Martinez Superintendent/ President’s Award from the Foundation Annual Awards in May 2009. See story, page 10. ob Wacker, a member of the Cuesta College Foundation Board of Directors and chairman of the Foundation Investment Committee, was named the 2008 Citizen of the Year by the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce. He received the honor at the chamber’s annual dinner held Jan. 24 at the Alex Madonna Expo Center. Developer Rob Rossi, the 2007 award winner, presented the award. Wacker, who lives in Los Osos and is a financial planner and president of R.E. Wacker Associates Inc. of San Luis Obispo, has served on the Foundation board since 1998, the same year he was named chairman of the organization’s Investment Committee. In addition, he serves on multiple nonprofit organization boards and is well known as a master of ceremonies for charitable events where he is popular for his wit and wisecracks. “I think laughter is important,” Wacker told the Tribune in 2005. “I can’t help myself. You should enjoy life.” A dedication to public service: Dee Lacey’s efforts help bring North County campus to life D ee Lacey may be one of the hardest working volunteers in San Luis Obispo County. The North County cattle rancher has served on the boards of the Paso Robles library and recreation foundations, as well as the San Luis Obispo County Community Foundation and the Paso Robles Children’s Museum. She has also been a member of the board of directors for both the Twin Cities Community Hospital, Heritage Oaks Bank and the Cuesta College Foundation Board of Directors since 2001. Her connection to Cuesta extends back to the early 1980s. She was a member of the local school board when the college sought to use Paso Robles High School to house its classes after outgrowing facilities at Templeton High. After serving 20 years as a trustee for Paso Robles Public Schools, Lacey became the first North County representative in decades elected to the Cuesta College Board of Trustees, serving as both a member and past president of the Board of Trustees. “People came to me and said if you will run we think you could get elected, and we can work on the North County campus,” said Lacey. “And I said to the group, I’m really ready to retire, I’ve got grandkids and I’d rather be doing that, but I’ll make a commitment for four years if we can build a campus in North County.” Residents over the Cuesta Grade had wanted a campus since voters authorized a new community college in 1963, and they even offered free land. But it would take 30 more years to make the North County campus a reality. In 1996, John and Berna Dallons purchased 82 acres on Buena Vista Drive and held it — free of interest — until the college could raise money to pay for it. Last year, the campus in Paso Robles celebrated its 10th year. Lacey is one of the campus Ambassadors there to assist at public events. “When I go to the campus it is very gratifying to know that not only did the college make the commitment, the people in North County made the commitment to build this campus,” said Lacey, who was named the 33rd California Assembly District Woman of the Year in 2005 by Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee, another former Cuesta board member. “Our thing was just like in the movie, ‘Field of Dreams’ — ‘Build it and they will come.’ And they did.” Dee Lacey received the J. Vard Loomis Distinguished Service Award from the Foundation Annual Awards in May 2009. See story, page 10. Cuesta college News SPRING 2009 • 19 business And Community Alums Cathy Corell Rob Garcia Dave Peter Dan Reddell Bank vice president, lending officer in SLO Principal financial planner Morro Bay restaurant owner Owner of Morro Bay real estate firm “My dad (Gil) was one of the early, early, early guys out at Cuesta,” said Dave Peter, who owns and operates the Galley Restaurant on Morro Bay’s Embarcadero. “The college opened in 1965, and he was hired by Frank Martinez in 1966. He headed up the math and physical science department. So I grew up at there.” The family settled in Morro Bay. When Peter graduated Morro Bay High in 1981, Cuesta was the next logical step. While at Cuesta, the one-time trombone player got deeply involved in music and was part of the band that toured Europe with Warren Balfour, when he was running the jazz department, and played at the 1982 Montreaux Jazz Festival. “I think my fondest memories probably all have to do with music,” said Peter, who attended 1981 to 1983 before transferring to San Diego State University and starting a 20-year career in the technology industry. And there was also a personal element to his Cuesta College nexus. “The great staff,” he said. “I was really connected through my dad. So guys who have been around forever, Sid Bennett, Frank Martinez, I know them really well. Every day was just a great experience being on that campus. It was a home away from home, absolutely.” Dan Reddell was a fan of his community college before there even was one. In the eighth grade, he remembers participating in efforts to revive a junior college that was closed in 1959 after losing its accreditation. After graduating from Coast Union High in Cambria in 1965, Reddell was torn about where to go next. “I wanted to go to Poly, but I had a lot of friends who were going to this brand new school,” said Reddell, who owns Bayshore Realty and Bayshore Rentals in Morro Bay. On Sept. 13, 1965, he was among the 917 students to begin daytime classes at what was then known as San Luis Obispo County Junior College. Reddell’s focus was business, but he fondly recalls a geology field trip to Death Valley in his second year that was lead by instructor John Bowen. And Reddell is proud to have been part of the first two-year group to graduate in 1967. “It was excellent,” Reddell said of his education at Cuesta before he transferred to Cal Poly and took graduate courses at UC Santa Barbara. “I guess you could say I learned how to study there. I became focused on learning. A lot of that was my own attitude, but Cuesta gave me the opportunity.” Cathy Corell saw Cuesta College as a portal to enter the business marketplace. In 1984, she earned her associate’s degree from Cuesta in secretarial science. Today, Corell is the vice president/commercial lending officer with Mission Community Bank in San Luis Obispo. Her responsibilities include managing and growing a sizeable loan portfolio, commercial loans, consumer loans, and cultivating business development. “I attended Cuesta College because of its great reputation and knowledgeable professors,” Corell said. Corell returned to the institution that launched her professional career in 1998 to take an accounting class to enhance her skill-set as a loan officer. In addition to her professional demands, Corell also serves on several nonprofit boards and committees, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Arroyo Grande Downtown Association, the Family Care Network and the SLO Chamber of Commerce. “I would recommend Cuesta College to anyone who is interested in furthering their education,” she said. 20 • SPRING 2009 Cuesta college News Today, Rob Garcia is an irrefutable success. As the principal and financial planner of Rob Garcia Wealth Management, he spearheads the efforts of an increasingly prominent wealth management firm that focuses on helping individuals and businesses create financial plans and manage their investments. In 1993, before he achieved success in the financial market, Garcia was a new student on the Cuesta College campus, fresh from the Army, looking for a small-town community to make his home. Garcia graduated from Cuesta two years later with an associate’s degree in general education. In 1997, he earned a degree in business with a concentration in finance from Cal Poly, graduating with cum laude honors. “My experience at Cuesta was instrumental in my later success at Cal Poly,” Garcia said. “The best investment I ever made was attending Cuesta College. The return that I have received on the money and time spent at Cuesta College may never be duplicated in my lifetime. I truly enjoyed my experience at Cuesta College and am grateful that by being on the Cuesta College Foundation board, I have the opportunity to give back.” campus Projects Keeping Cuesta’s pool swimming Cuesta College’s pool received some care over the winter break. Cuesta’s maintenance workers replaced two filtration pumps during the Decemberto-January hiatus. “Those pumps have been running for five years, 24 hours a day,” said Terry Reece, the college’s director of maintenance, operations and grounds. “We have backup pumps, but we don’t wait for them to fail … so anytime we take the big pool down we change out our most-likely-to-fail component, which are these primary pumps.” In addition, Arroyo Grande-based Sun Pool Construction Ltd. was hired to replace Sounding a sweeter note the chalking between the pool surface and the concrete deck. The caulking prevents water from trickling down, washing out the fill sand and creating a void below the concrete deck, he said. Upgrading Cuesta College’s music theory classroom and lab meant blood, sweat and few tears for faculty, staff and student volunteers who lent hands and long hours to complete the project over the semester break. George Stone, who teaches recording technology and music theory, oversaw the project just as he had with the last major overhaul in 2001. Funding limitations prevented more timely upgrades to software, however, he said. “We were teaching in the music theory lab last semester, but we weren’t turning the computers on at all,” he said. “They were dead.” Instead, students learned the way the masters did, using pencils and paper. The $85,000 project, paid through a federal Vocational and Technical Education Act grant and other funding sources, completely replaced equipment for 30 student and faculty workstations, Stone said. “It bought iMac computers for every student desk,” he said. “And all the latest software.” Photo classes get new focus Two years ago Stone upgraded the recording studio. On this project, he oversaw a total volunteer effort that began after the fall 2008 term. “We were patching holes,” he said. “We were painting and sanding walls. Once you tear everything out you’re not going to put it into a room that’s dirty. The last portion of a generous grant from San Luis Obispo’s Bert and Candee Forbes in 2001 has paid for a project to upgrade Cuesta College’s digital photo lab. A large chunk of the $300,000 the Forbes donated to aid the college’s music and You’re going to make sure those walls are clean. You’re going to make sure the arts programs paid for computer labs for visual art and digital photography students, rug has been shampooed. said Doug Highland, who teaches film and digital photography. “This involved custodial support … computer services … full-time faculty, Over the years, the visual arts lab was twice refurbished and older machines were part-time faculty, students, the dean’s secretary, our division secretary, who was passed down to photo students. Eventually, Highland said, the photo lab was closed placing orders for things. I was in charge of making sure everyone was on task.” because of equipment issues and classes moved to the visual arts lab. When students arrived for the first day of the spring semester, they found 20 gleaming new workstations in the classroom, as well as eight stations in the lab that is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. And for the first time, they could sit at their computers and see their instructor. “The whole profile of the room has changed,” he said. “The first comments Revamping a lab had cost $100,000, but three factors made the remaining $18,000 from the Forbes donation enough to upgrade the photo lab, Highland said. “Computing power got cheaper. The printing quality got better and cheaper,” he said. “And the software, specifically for digital photography, got less expensive.” The eight new 24-inch iMac computers and two Epson 4880 desktop printers were students made were, ‘I can see who’s in the class.’ Students could never see installed over the semester break. They join six existing Macs with new software each other. Now because there’s this vastly improved visual profile, there’s this installed. Spring students arrived to take advantage of the new equipment. great collaboration happening between students that fosters a better learning environment.” Highland is excited by the prospect of the photo department again having a digital lab. It will be a boon for Cuesta’s 150 photo students, he said. Cuesta college News SPRING 2009 • 21 Awards at Cuesta Dorrae Kim Former dean Ann Grant honored Ann Grant, a former Cuesta academic dean, has earned a teaching award from California State University Dominguez Hill’s School of Nursing. “It’s wonderful,” said Grant, who served at Cuesta from 1991 to 2004 as dean of sciences, math, nursing and physical education, after receiving the Judith Lewis Outstanding Educator Award on April 17. “To have this come along and say, ‘Yes you are doing a good job and we recognize it,’ is very nice.” The annual award recognizes outstanding educators for efforts to help nursing students and teachers achieve goals, find solutions to the nursing shortage and improve education through technology. Grant, who continues to take art courses on the Cougar campus, believes she was honored for “my community service, because I serve on the board at French Hospital Medical Center as well as my teaching and being involved in helping to establish Dominguez Hill’s on-site BSN and MSN classes at Marion Medical Center in Santa Maria.” State group celebrates longtime Cuesta Cuesta College history instructor Dennis Judd was honored by a state history group at its annual conference in San Luis Obispo. California Council for the Promotion of History presented Judd, who has taught at Cuesta since 1988, with its Award of Distinction. The award honors an individual, organization or agency with longterm outstanding contributions, lifetime achievements or dedication of career duties to promote history. “I have been involved with this group since the 1980s,” said Judd, who was honored in October. “I didn’t see this coming.” The award, which features an original watercolor painting of the Hollister Adobe by San Luis Obispo County artist Joan Sullivan, described Judd as a “spirited teacher and public historian whose work has bettered the lives of his students and community.” “Dennis certainly deserves recognition,” wrote Bob Pavlik, Caltrans historian for the San Luis Obispo area, in nomination papers. “He is highly involved in historical issues within San Luis Obispo County and embodies (the organization’s) core mission of history advocacy.” 22 • SPRING 2009 Cuesta college News Michael Holmes Cuesta salutes its own at Spring Opening Day Cuesta College honored two of its own at the Jan. 16 Opening Day Celebration preceding the start of the spring semester. The Service Excellence Award, an endowment fund by the Cuesta Foundation to recognize distinguished performance and excellence in service at Cuesta College, was awarded to Dorrae Kim. Kim has been employed with Cuesta College for 11 years as the lead payroll technician. She previously worked at Sesloc Federal Credit Union for 15 years as a payroll specialist. Kim’s proudest accomplishments are her three sons and five grandchildren. “Winning the Service Excellence Award makes the work and effort all worth while to be recognized by your peers,” Kim said. “I am very appreciative for this honor.” The Peter and M’May Diffley Faculty Excellence Award, which honors a faculty member that demonstrates leadership, high motivation, knowledge of a specific discipline and campus and community involvement, was awarded to Michael Holmes. Holmes has worked for Cuesta College as an adjunct biology professor since 2006. “The M’May Diffley Award is the biggest award and recognition I have ever received,” Holmes said. “It is quite an honor to have my efforts recognized by my peers. I know that the other faculty members are working just as hard or harder than I am to make Cuesta a great institution.” history instructor Dennis Judd At Cuesta, Judd is pushing to restore the Hollister Adobe. The three-room adobe that dates back to the 1840s takes its name from the Joseph Hollister family who occupied it starting in 1866. As the family expanded, so did their home. By 1900, it was a 22-room wood clapboard structure with the adobe at the center, Judd said. It was almost destroyed in the 1940s when Camp San Luis Obispo expanded during World War II . Hubbard Hollister, who had been raised in the building, talked the base commander out of leveling the then-century-old adobe. By 1970, Cuesta archaeology instructor Jay Van Werloff led a communitywide effort to restore it. New adobe was added, the exterior walls were resurfaced with concrete, and a lawn was planted and picket fence erected. The 2003 San Simeon Earthquake damaged the structure and made it unsafe to enter. Judd is leading an effort to restore what he thinks could be a historical jewel of the college — even though it comes at a time of economic uncertainty. Cuesta Athletics Rusty Blair earns top coaching honor C uesta College men’s basketball coach Rusty Blair — who snared his 300th career coaching win this season named to lead the men’s basketball program in June of 1992. This is the 11th time he’s led Cuesta to the postseason. The — was named Coach of the Year in the Northern Division of No. 14-seeded Cougars lost their first round playoff game to the Western State Conference. West Los Angeles College, 65-63, to end Cuesta’s 2009 playoff Blair was a unanimous selection as Coach of the Year — the third time he’s earned the conference’s top coaching honors. hopes. Blair is the only men’s basketball coach in the school’s 45-year The Western State Conference, established in 1950, is the oldest history with a career-winning record. He has led Cuesta to six community college conference in California. 20-win seasons and 10 playoff berths since taking over Blair’s teams have won five conference titles since he was Athletes of the Month December 2008 the program. Each month Cuesta College honors its outstanding athletes January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 Misael Corral » Cross Country Tom Schumacher » Basketball Frank Muller » Basketball Misael Corral turned in one of the most impressive half seasons by a harrier at Cuesta College. Corral earned All-Western State Conference Second Team with the team getting fourth place in the WSC, as well as a berth in the 2008 Southern California Regional Championships. He finished 55th at the SoCal Meet. Tom Schumacher averaged 18.8 points, 2.9 assists and 2.0 steals a game in December and was named to alltournament teams at both the Delta and Grossmont tournaments. He started every game and led the team in minutes played, an average of 32 per game. Schumacher is from Dudelange, Luxembourg — one of 10 international players on the Cuesta roster. Frank Muller emerged as a force in the Western State Conference as well as one of the most consistent players in the loop. He averaged 14.1 points and led the Cougars with 7.5 rebounds a game in WSC play. In January he had back-to-back double-doubles against Santa Barbara and Oxnard. Like teammate Tom Schumacher, Muller is from Dudelange, Luxembourg. Joey Parsons quickly established himself as the ace of the Cougar’s rotation. He posted a 3-1 record and was the only Cuesta pitcher with more than one victory on the year. He led the roster in games pitched (6), starts (6), innings (39.1), strikeouts (24) and ERA (2.97). On Feb. 21, Parsons pitched a complete game shutout over Saddleback, 5-0. Katrina Torres » Basketball Cassie Freeman » Track & Field Lacey O’ Connor » Cross Country Valerie Gee » Basketball Freshman Lacey O’ Connor was the top runner for the Cougars, leading the team to second place in the Western State Conference by finishing third at the WSC Championships. That earned her a spot on the 2008 All-Western State Conference First Team. She also led the Cougars to the 2008 state meet with a 13th place individual finish at the Southern California Regional Championships and earned All-SoCal Honors. Valerie Gee was one of the top scorers and rebounders on the team. Gee averaged 9.2 points and 7.4 rebounds, while also shooting a team best 47.9 percent from the field. The Cougars are expecting the quickly improving Gee to become a dominant inside force for the team. Katrina Torres was the team’s leader on and off the court this season. She led the team with 11.5 points per game and is third in both rebounds (5.8) and assists (1.5) per game. She ranks 17th in the state with 1.7 blocked shots per game. Her 2.3 steals per game ranks 60th statewide. Joey Parsons » Baseball Cassie Freeman has developed into a record-breaking machine and a favorite for a state title in May. Freeman broke the Cuesta hammer throw record three times through March. Freeman broke Jennifer Wright’s 1997 hammer record of 134-7 on Feb. 12 with a toss of 137-6.5. She broke her own mark the next week, by more than a foot. And she finally eclipsed 140-0 Feb. 27 in Moorpark. Cuesta college News SPRING 2009 • 23 NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID PORTLAND, OR PERMIT NO. 2160 myCuesta, Our College – Thousands of Success Stories Alumni Legacy Project It all started with a life-size bronze cougar, designed by Cuesta College honored alum and renowned artist, Dale Evers. It has become “Alumni Cougar Park.” Cuesta College Alumni and community members have joined together to create a legacy program that will support student scholarships, and other areas where the need is greatest. An area for quiet reflection or small gatherings, Cougar Park will serve as a prominent legacy and tribute to Cuesta College alums and friends. Join us in establishing a gift legacy and life-long tradition by purchasing a brick in the “Walkway of Friends,” or a small bronze cougar, trees and benches. Your gift will benefit the Alumni Endowed Scholarship, Legacy Project and areas of greatest need as determined by the Alumni Committee. Cougar Park “Walkway of Friends” Follow the instructions on this form and return with payment for each brick purchased to: Cuesta College Foundation, Brick Legacy, P.O. Box 8106, San Luis Obispo, CA 93403-8106 Legacy Opportunities “Walkway of Friends” Donation: $200 per brick This brick walkway Name ____________________________________________________________________ Address __________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip _______________________________ Phone ________________________ E-mail ____________________________________________________________________ Total Enclosed $ _______________ Check Visa MasterCard honors Cuesta College alumni, friends, family, businesses and community members who want to contribute to the college and recognize a friend or loved one at the same time. This is an opportunity to pay tribute to someone special or place your name in perpetuity in the walkway. Your $200 donation supports scholarships and other programs. Please follow the instructions on the form. Credit Card number _______________________________ Exp. Date ________________ Other Cougar Park items Benches, tables and trees are available for naming Print clearly with one character (letter, number or punctuation mark) or space per square. All lines must be left-justified. They will be automatically centered during the engraving process. You have 3 lines with 16 characters of upper/lower per line.* *Please limit wording to individual, couple or family name, business, year graduated or special date, or “In memory of.” All wording is subject to review by the Alumni Committee. Any questions please contact the Foundation Office at (805) 546-3279. opportunities or purchase a miniature bronze cougar. For more information contact the Cuesta College Foundation office at 546-3279.