Walking into South Gym 234, I’m instantly greeted by the sound of friendly chatter and a cute little cloud doodle that features happy faces raining down the white board over the phrase “Barkada Filipino Club.” The animated, overlapping conversations in the room reflect the little drawing, as members bounce around ideas about how to promote their club.

The Barkada Filipino Club is new at City College. The club’s adviser and City College counselor Maristella Bacod is supporting the club’s efforts and endeavors.

“I’m excited for the students because the club has been inactive for almost two years now and they [read more...]

Imagine being in class, listening to your English teacher talking about the next essay that’s due when all of the sudden, you are forced to leave your class, go home, pack as many belongings as you can and forced into a bus being shipped off to a place you know nothing about.

This is what happened on the tragic day in May of 1942 just before graduation, what was known then as Sacramento Junior College to Japanese American students forced out of school by the Executive Order 9066. The order demanded the students to suspend their studies and be sent [read more...]

Her name may be incorrectly spelled “C-A-M-B-E-L-L” on the door of her office, but librarian Catherine Chenu-Campbell just laughs it off. It’s one of the many ways she says she’s perceived wrongly.

She says she’s not the stereotypical spinster. Step into her office and you’re greeted with a loud and hearty “hello” from her and a quiet huff from the service-puppy-in-training she keeps by her desk.

Chenu-Campbell says she’s not the only librarian who doesn’t fit the stereotype.

“You need to like people for this job,” says Chenu-Campbell.

With Women’s History Month coming up, she says the staff is ready [read more...]

She glides barefoot across wooden floors with arms extended delicately in front of her body.

Sharply pointing her toes, she gracefully jumps into the air kicking her legs back into impossible directions and upon landing, the ground seems to cushion beneath her feet.

With long, black dreadlocks, a septum piercing and traditional-style tattoos, Aja Rasmussen’s modern appearance is a breath of fresh air within the conservative world of ballet.

“I think dance is important to people,” says Rasmussen. “It gets endorphins going in the brain, it’s totally a different way of expressing yourself and I think it’s very important to [read more...]

As I walk into the library I am greeted by a 90-pound woman with huge glasses and sparkling grey hair.

Heide Juchnik, an 81-year-old student at City College is a small, yet tough Japanese woman with a strong stance and gripping handshake. She is thought to be the oldest City College student.

Born in central Japan, Juchnik moved to Sacramento in 1957 along with her American husband whom she met while working as an interpreter for the 16th core headquarters for the army in CampSendai.

“At the time I was still working at Camp Sendai, but then at the time [read more...]

If you ask how Professor Tom Miner’s winter vacation was his answer may be a little more eventful than you would have guessed.  Instead of relaxing and taking it easy from the stresses of the fall semester, he set his sights on something high. Way high.  Miner spent three weeks in Argentina climbing one of the highest mountains in the world. With frost nipped fingers and weight literally lifted off his shoulders from his 45-pound backpack he is ready to start another semester here at City College.

Miner is an English and creative writing professor and has been at City [read more...]

Sara Rupnow, a City College student who battled cancer since the age of 16, died Dec. 14, 2009. She was 19.

Rupnow, who received an honorary degree from City College shortly after her death, died at home of complications from the cancer.

While a sophomore in high school, she was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma, which affects the joints in the arms and legs causing large swelling and many of the health complications she experienced—including the amputation of her left leg.

Rupnow didn’t let the disease interfere with her life. She said being in school, interacting with others and feeling productive [read more...]

Pursuing what he loves has brought 27-year-old Ernest Bouwer closer to his dream of being an engineer for Skunk Works.

Bouwer, Aeronautics major, grew up as a hometown boy in Colorado, where at the age of 10 he already took apart a game to see how he could fix it.

“When I was about 13, I ended up taking my dad’s drill apart, ’cause I wanted to know how it worked. And so I put it back together and he said it worked better when I took it apart,” said Bouwer.

Bouwer was convinced by a recruiter to join the [read more...]

Genevieve Bottum juggles IVs, her backpack, a 3-year-old daughter and supervising blood transfusions.

Bottum, a 25-year-old single mother, is preparing to graduate as a registered nurse after successfully completing her fourth and final semester in the City College nursing program.

“I started off wanting to be in networking, and so I did the computer information technology route,” she said. “I really liked people more and wanted to have more communication at my job.”

So she switched majors.

“I applied to six schools and just got really lucky and got accepted to Sacramento City College,” she said. “They have a [read more...]

When it comes to leadership, President Obama isn’t the only one with a lot on his plate. Imagine being only 20 years old, attending college full time, working at a local Bel-Air approximately 27 hours a week, and being responsible for a team of women who are counting on you to make an entire season successful. Meet Tracey Russell, captain of Sacramento City College’s cheerleading squad.

Russell originally decided to attend City College because of its good reputation, the price and because of all the good she heard about the campus.  She is now a third-year student at City College, [read more...]