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Habri Gani!

UCLA Takes Notice...

Off The Hook

10 Helpful Hints for
College Beginners

You Can Do it Too!

Batter Up for
College Success

Minority Transfer Program

Strategies for Academic Success

It's in Your Hands

Foothill in Palo Alto...Middlefield Campus

Join our Shades of Africa Club

Vice Chancellor Judith James to Speak at King Luncheon

Historical Black College Tours

Faculty & Staff News

Students in the News

Griots from Senegal

Community Leaders Recognized

Foothill Supports Community Cultural Event

Harambee 2001

Attack on America

Calendar of Events

Middlefield Campus


Foothill College in Palo Alto

Welcome to the 2001 Fall Quarter at Foothill College. My name is Elaine Burns and I’m dean of the Foothill Middlefield Campus. I have been with Foothill College for one year now. I would like to tell you about Foothill College Middlefield Campus.

Located at 4000 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto at the Cubberley Community Center, The Middlefield Campus is easily accessible from Highway 101, San Antonio and Charleston roads. Parking permits are not required.

More than 4,000 students attend Foothill classes at the Middlefield Campus each quarter. The facility houses an Admissions & Registration Office, 29 classrooms, a gymnasium, weight room, aviation simulator laboratory, FAA laser -grade computer testing room, computer lab, multi-purpose Student Learning Center, bookstore and student lounge. Student services include an on-site counselor, access to health and legal services, tutoring (English, ESL, and math), library access, career information, Owl Card processing, career fair, food truck, audio-tape duplication, and visiting recruits from four-year colleges and universities.

The Middlefield Campus offers courses from across curriculum including art, astronomy, business law, business/office technology, child development, computer information systems (CIS), computer networking & electronics (CNET), computers & software training (CAST), computers on the Internet (COIN), creative writing, economics, English, ESL, foreign languages (Chinese, French, German, Italian, Spanish), health, history, math, music, oceanography, ornamental horticulture, philosophy, a variety of physical education/athletic courses, political science, psychology, real estate and speech.

The campus is also home to five major programs: Aviation, Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Paramedic, Pharmacy Technician and REACH, a program designed to assist in the rehabilitation of post-stroke patients.

For more information about courses and programs at the Middlefield Campus, access www.foothillcollege.org or call (650) 949-6950. We look forward to seeing you here on campus and wish you the best this Fall quarter.

Middlefield Campus
African-American Faculty & Staff


Marie-Elaine Burns, Dean,
Middlefield Campus & Evening Programs
Bill Dillon, Department Head, Aviation Program
Henry Thaggart, Instructor, Math/Statistics
Hakeem Oluseyi, Instructor, Astronomy
Jacqueline Hayes, Secretary

Bill Dillon, Aviation Program
Bill Dillon is the highly trained and experienced coordinator/department head and flight instructor for the Foothill College Aviation Program. Mr. Dillon was a finalist for the California Teacher in Space Program and has been a pilot for more than thirty years. He holds an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) Certificate for single and multi-engine airplanes, some jet type ratings, aero-tow commercial glider rating, sea-plane rating, and a flight instructor certificate.

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Join Our “Shades Of Africa” Club

By Toyi Sogoyou, Foothill Student

The Shades of Africa Club is an integral part of the Foothill College family. Its purpose is to make African cultural values known.

Shades of AfricaAs a club representing a minority, we need to demonstrate unity; therefore we welcome students who believe in unity and helping the human race. We would also be happy to welcome the new incoming students who want to have intercultural communication and share educational experiences.

Future quarters include planned activities such as photos exhibitions, fund raising/community service projects, discussions, and a party with an African theme.

To join the club, please email: Shades_of_Africa@hotmail.com or simply come to the meetings. Meetings are Wednesdays from noon to 1:00pm in Room 3301.
Shades of Africa elected new executive officers this year: Meet our talented student leaders!
Kadidia Traore, president; Fulgence Tomfack, vice president; Adou Emma, secretary; Ali Ouedraogo, OBD representative; Toyi Sogoyou, Africia News reporter; Astou Ka, treasurer.

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Vice Chancellor Judith R. James of the California Community Colleges to speak at King Luncheon Jan. 16

Judith JamesThe King Luncheon planning committee is pleased to announce that Dr. James has accepted its invitation to be the keynote speaker at the eighth annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Luncheon, January, Jan 16 at noon in the Campus Center at Foothill College. Traditionally a community servant/leader is invited to speak whose life and work exemplifies a personal commitment to affirmative action and the achievement of universal human rights. Previous speakers have included then Superior Court Judge LaDoris Cordell and Dr. Clayborne Carson.
Dr. James earned her doctorate in organization and leadership in higher education from the University of San Francisco; her Master’s degree in education from Holy Names College; and bachelor’s degree in cultural anthropology/sociology from Mills College.

Prior to assuming her position as Vice Chancellor of Student Services for the California Community Colleges, she served as vice president of the Kentucky Community and Technical College system, which is the central headquarters for that system. She also served as the interim vice president for Academic and Student Affairs and vice chancellor for Student Affairs for the University of Kentucky’s community college system office.

Her California postsecondary education experience includes posts as director of the Educational Opportunity/Affirmative Action Program at the University of California, Santa Cruz; student affairs officer for College Relations at the University of California, Berkeley; and coordinator of Transfer Opportunity Programs for the University of California, Davis as well as positions in the San Francisco and Peralta community college districts.

During her professional career, Dr. James also worked in positions of national importance, including director of the Office of Urban and Metropolitan Programs and National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges.

Tickets for the event go on sale in November and can be purchased from AA Network members or the Student Activities Office. Please join us at the luncheon to reflect and rededicate our energies to achieving “The Dream” for which Dr. King gave his life.

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Take your placeAfrican American History Month

Students are being recruited for the AAHM 2002 Committee. The committee was convened this summer and is in the early stages of formation to plan the Foothill 2002 African American History Month (AAHM) celebration. Participation gives every member an opportunity to share or develop leadership and communication skills while gaining the experience of working in groups to accomplish something magnificent.

Dallas Black Dance Theatre
Dallas Black Dance Theatre
African American History Month offers an important opportunity for growth for the following reasons. First, Americans of African descent helped develop our nation in countless ways with little or no recognition. Secondly, African American history reflects a determined spirit of perseverance and cultural pride in its struggle to share equality in opportunities of a nation founded upon the principles of freedom and liberty for all people. Third, the history and contributions of African American citizens have been consistently overlooked and undervalued in the curriculum of public education institutions. Additionally, African American citizens have participated in every effort to secure, protect and maintain the essence and substance of American democracy. And finally, it is, therefore important that the history curriculum in American schools, at every level, reflect the experiences of men and women of different racial, religious and ethnic groups so that each student has an opportunity to understand the common humanity underlying all groups, develop pride in his or her own identity and heritage and understand, respect and accept the identity and heritage, of others.

High School Students
Visiting high school students proudly display
achievement awards following the African American
Achiever Awards ceremony in February


In February, thousands of students, faculty, staff, administrators and community residents participate in the four-week Foothill celebration of African American History Month (AAHM). The celebration is a powerful multifaceted community event. The program includes a mixture of events, including history lecture series on the African experience, from Ancient to Modern times; forums on current issues; gospel music concert; African and contemporary dance performances; art exhibit; photography displays; poetry reading; fashion show featuring African traditional attire; celebrations of achievement and recognition; spoken word performances; and the Hip Hop Generation Talent Showcase.

In addition, the celebration includes the Annual African American Achievers Awards.

Foothill faculty and staff are asked each year to nominate deserving Foothill students of African Ancestry for recognition by their division. The awards include the Carter Godwin Woodson Award from the Adaptive Learning Division; Reginald Lewis Award from Business & Social Science Division, Daniel Hale Willliams Award from the Biological and Health Sciences Division; George Washington Carver Award from the Physical Sciences, Mathematics, & Engineering Division; Lorraine Hansberry Award from the Fine Arts & Communication Division; Jackie Robinson Award from the Physical Education & Human Performance Division; Lewis Latimer Award from the Computer Technology & Information Science Division; and Thurgood Marshall Award for Leadership and Service from Student Affairs & Activities.

As Colin Powell stated, “Our black heritage must be a foundation stone we can build on, not a place to withdraw to.” We welcome you to come help continue to build on our infinite foundation stone and reflect on history as we prepare for and create the future.

Students can earn UC Transferable credit and staff earn professional growth credit by participating on the planning committee. The committee meets Fridays at noon in the Student Council Chambers, Campus Center, during the fall and early winter quarters. Watch for announcements of the meetings. If you would like to join the committee or have suggestions for events call the Student Activities Office at (650) 949.7282.

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Historical Black College Tours for African American College and High School Students

Have you considered transferring to a historical black college or university? The annual black college tour sponsored by Della Tours may help you to make that important decision. Did you know that enrollment of Californians has shot up 176 percent in 10 years at historically black colleges? Aleta Payne’s Mercury News article, On the Road to Their Roots, lists famous graduates of historically black colleges that include people such as Thurgood Marshall, Marian Wright Edleman, Oprah Winfrey, Ronald McNair, Ralph Ellison and W.E.B. Du Bois. Carl Ray, a teacher and comedian in San Jose has brought Bay Area students to tour Morehouse College, Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University, Morris Brown and Tuskegee University. The spring tour is March 27–31. Some scholarships are available. For more information, call Della Tours at (408) 259-6516.

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