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G L E N D A L E C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018
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Volume 112 | Issue 2
Helping Children Succeed Multicultural and Community Engagement Center celebrates their 10th annual Pack-A-Backpack drive
Hayk Rostomyan / Staff Photographer
A HELPING HAND: GCC’s Pack-A-Backpack Drive was launched in 2008 and is geared toward gathering donations for students.
By Carolina Diaz Web Editor Running around, playing with friends and having fun is what we think of when we picture children during their elementary years. However, we are not seeing the bigger picture. There are students who don’t get to do this. To some even eating is a hard thing to accomplish. Some live below the poverty line even in wealthy Los Angeles. There are more than 1.3 million homeless students in America’s public schools according to invisiblemillion.org. This makes it harder for the youth to enjoy their childhood. The main struggles for
families is not only feeding their children, but also giving them a good education. That includes tools and resources. In 2008, Glendale Community College initiated a program called “Pack-ABackpack Drive.” The motivation behind this drive was the National Day of Service and Remembrance. The staff and student’s main objective was to honor people that were affected the most by Sept. 11, 2001 by spreading good deeds to all Americans. At the end they realized that children were the most vulnerable and the ones that needed help the most. Started by the Multicultural and Community Engagement Center, the department was thinking of ways to perform a
good deed when the “Pack-A-Backpack” drive arose. The Pack-A-Backpack drive is to help homeless children get a good education and have less stress about not having the supplies,” said Nane Kakosian, a student services technician. The drive is partnered with a non profit organization, School on Wheels. It was inaugurated on April 1993 by Agnes Stevens, a retired school teacher. Celebrating their 25th anniversary, School on Wheels has opened their first learning center located in Skid Row and also began their first digital learning center. “Every child needs a champion, a mentor, someone who is there just for them.
Our program serves as a consistent support system to homeless students at a time of great stress and fear.” said Catherine Meek, executive director of School on Wheels. “We bring the message to our students that they are cared about and important. We have hundreds of students waiting for volunteers just like you. You can help change a child’s life.” Their main purpose is to help youth with all the necessary materials they need to learn. Not only do they need donations like backpacks, notebooks or pencils, but they also need tutors.The organization also has a scholarship, which helps a homeless student get exceptional education. “Every little bit can make a huge impact on a child’s life,” Kakosian said. “A lot of times we don’t think that there are people that have much less than we do and we just walk by in our own little bubble realizing people out there just need a little push of help.” The Multicultural & Community Engagement center is accepting donations for backpacks, colors, pencils and more. The only requirement is that they should be brand new supplies. Contributors can donate school supplies or gift cards from stores that sells supplies. Donations are accepted until Sept. 28. To help in other ways, email School on Wheels at contact@schoolonwheels.org or visit their website at www.schoolonwheels.org. Carolina Diaz can be reached at itscarodiaz@gmail.com.
Eat Right on a Tight Budget ASGCC educates campus community on healthy eating habits that can work for the toughest schedule By Alin Pasokhian Managing Editor In efforts to educate students about the benefits and importance of a healthy meal, all the while staying within their personal budget, Associated Students of Glendale Community College hosted their third “Eat Right on a Tight Budget” event on Sept. 18 in Plaza Vaquero. Hosting events like these has been a common goal of ASGCC, as the main focus of the organization is centered around increasing student involvement as well as promote the physical and mental health of students on the campus. Many of these events take place during the college hour, a time when most students are going in between classes and have the ability to partake in campus activities. It’s fairly obvious that students are too busy to cook on a daily basis as they are occupied with school, work, and personal everyday duties. This leads to students often picking the faster, cheaper, and less healthier meal option, with the impression that it will not have a lasting impact on their bodies. ASGCC made in-house sandwiches, all which consisted of carefully selected
ingredients and combined to make something that is portable, quick and easy, and, of course, healthy. The sandwiches ranged from chicken, turkey, and ham, to vegan wraps to serve a full range of dietary needs. ASGCC offered fruit cups alongside the main course, emphasizing the need for students to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into their diets. They also offered water as the drinks, sticking to the basics and straying away from any drinks with sugar or any additives that may pose harm to the body. Many students were gathered for this event, excited to try out these recipes. “I think events like these are a great way to bring students together,” said Emine Gholian, psychology student, as she enjoyed her sandwich during the event. ASGCC has hosted many events with the focus being on students’ health, such as their semi-annual “Puppy Day,” where students are given the opportunity to play with puppies during what many students like to call ‘dead week,’ also known as finals week. The purpose of the event is to help students relieve stress from final exams and assignments, which usually take toll on the students’ mental health. The
Hayk Rostomyan / Staff Photographer
YUM!: ASGCC provide sandwiches made on campus to attendees of event.
University of California, Los Angeles’s People-Animal Connection program has shown scientific evidence of physical and mental benefits of what is known as “Animal Assisted Therapy” with the common animal being dogs. Overall, ASGCC student leaders indicated that they plan on continuing to offer events oriented toward overall student health and wellness. For more information, visit glendale.edu/as. Alin Pasokhian can be reached at apasokh506@student.glendale.edu.
IN THIS ISSUE News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9 Politics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-12 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 -14 Travel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Advertisement. . . . . . . . . . 16