Students RISE to the Occasion

The RISE room bustles with activity. Students and staff sit around a large table or work on computers that border the room.

The “wall of fame” to the left of the door is full of photographs of students who have passed through the RISE program at City College.

“They are the core of RISE. That’s what makes us effective. It’s built upon the values, the spirit, the fight of these students,” says counselor Keith Muraki in his small office across the hall where he has his own “wall of fame.” Photos of students with caps, gowns and diplomas smile down from their places next to graduation announcements and thank you notes.

Susurrus – Not Just a Whisper

The class meets in one of City College’s aging, weathered, and not-so-temporary buildings that’s located across from Hughes Stadium. Inside the classroom, the wooden instructor’s table near the entrance substitutes as a snack bar with cookies, veggie platters and a bowl of oranges. Meanwhile, desks that once sat in uniform rows, are now haphazardly arranged around the perimeter. Student staff members bustle about, snacking and talking about upcoming open mic events.

Still, even in this scene of controlled chaos, the focus is on Dr. Steve Cirrone, who is perched on one the desks across the room. Before the business of running a student publication begins, he checks in making sure his students are on track, tackling each issue in turn before releasing the students to the business at hand. This is the home of Susurrus City College’s literary journal.

Sacramento is Overdue for New Performing Arts Center

The front page of the April 28 Sacramento Bee boldly headlined, “Sacramento performing arts center could be next big-ticket item for city.” The article, by Hudson Sangree and Edward Ortiz, describes the debate over renovating the Community Center Theater, a tremendous and ugly cement block of a building at 13^th and L streets, or starting fresh and constructing a new, state-of-the-art performing arts center.

Birdhouses 4 at the Kondos Gallery

First Home by Elaine Luong

Perfect Circle by Jr. Jones

Grey Gardens by Robert Ortball

Flamingo in Birdhouse by Joe Van Ark

Connie Spickets Night Light

“Birdhouses 4” opened with a lively reception April 3 at the Kondos Gallery at City College.

The show, featuring artists’ takes on the show’s namesake birdhouses, was packed-to-bursting for the opening night.

City College’s Literary Journal Takes the Stage

Whether a writer is seeking it or not, there is a degree of anonymity in authorship.

And it takes courage to peek out from behind written pages and share one’s works aloud. Authors find themselves on a stage facing a crowd, a book held in shaking hands, and wondering how they’re going to make it through.

But, for those willing to step away from the shadows and into the spotlight, open mics and reading events can be very rewarding.

“It gives an opportunity to students to share their work in ways that’s more than just on a page,” says Dr. Steve Cirrone, a City College English professor and adviser for the school’s annual literary journal, Susurrus.

A Case for Cooledge

Roofers and masons work on City College’s new building. Photo by Elizabeth Ramirez.

From Rodda to Lillard, to Lusk and Hughes there are more than a few named structures at City College.

Of the 24 significant landmarks listed on the City College campus map, eight are named after administrators, professors or coaches Of those eight, only the Fischbacher Fine Arts Building is named after a woman.

Amalia Fischbacher was a City College art instructor for 35 years, who was widely known for her love of color. Inside the Fischbacher building resides the Kondos gallery, named for Gregory Kondos, a renowned local painter.

But before all of these administrators, teachers and coaches rose to prominence, Belle Cooledge was the original professor administrator and advocate of City College.

Attracting New Audiences with Mixed Media

The average age of today’s live theater patron is over 50 years old, based upon the amount of gray hair I see in Sacramento audiences. With the increasing number of baby boomers reaching retirement, the local theater scene has steady patronage. However, with the aging of the audience, theater directors need to look to the future and find ways to engage a younger demographic.

With hundreds of network and cable TV channels, video games aimed at every age and sensibility, multi-million dollar blockbusters on screens everywhere, and eyes glued to smartphones, how do theaters stand a chance? How do we keep the arts alive, and spark interest in a younger audience while maintaining the established theatergoers’ patronage?

Pitman’s Children’s Book due out in May

LGBT Pride Parade takes Spotlight in Professor’s New Story

The shelves in Gayle Pitman’s narrow office are stuffed with books. The City College psychology professor’s wall features titles such as “Anorexia and Bulimia” and “The Complete Grimm’s Fairy Tales,” nestled next to each other on the top shelf, right above her copy of “The Ethical Slut” and “The Polyamorists Next Door.”

“My ‘Intro to Psych’ students come in and they’re like ‘whoa,’” says Pitman with a laugh., “This reflects a lot of my interests. I’m interested in gender issues. I’m interested in sexuality. I also just love to read, and I have a sort of eclectic set of tastes in my reading material.”

Belle Cooledge—So Much More Than History

City College students may not realize is that current college President Kathryn Jeffery is not the first woman to lead the campus. Belle Cooledge, one of the founders of Sacramento City College, which was known as Sacramento Junior College when it opened in 1916, was the first de facto president though she never assumed the title

“Oh! She’s one of my favorite people,” says City College archivist Caroline Harker. “I think she’s just incredible.”

SEX + CITY

Sex+ City featured speaker Laci Green chats with Valore Zambrand at the Student Center. Photo by Luisa Morco.

A young couple paused by the doors of the Student Center Monday, eyeing the red and black poster advertising the “Health and Love A-Faire” inside.

“Hey, wanna go in there?” the young man nudged the young woman on his arm.

“No,” she replied with obvious derision.  “I already know everything that I need to know.”

City College’s Sex Positive Week, which took over the Student Center and Learning Resource Center Feb. 10–13, sought to change that view. Instead of addressing sex through a lens of frustration, guilt and shame, presenters and event coordinators aimed to show sex as a natural, good and enjoyable part of life.