Photographs from Cypress College's 44th Commencement are now online. The 288 images in the gallery are taken from the work of students Eric Book and Sunny Magdaug, along with employees Grace Suphamark and Marc Posner. The team produced a whopping 1,672 images from the graduation ceremony.
Click here to view the gallery.
Graduates who are pictured in the gallery may contact the Public Information Office if they are interested in receiving a printable version of the photograph(s) in which they apprear.
Individual photographs of graduates, taken as they received their diplomas, will be made available through University Photo this summer. Visit Graduation Central for details.
Posted by Marc S. Posner
If you have to boil the commencement ceremony down to a single image, why not pick the moment of truth? Here is Associated Students President Danial Shakeri leading the Class of 2011 in moving their tassels from right to left — signifying their graduation from Cypress College. Congratulations graduates!
Cypress College will held it's 44th Commencement tonight in the Gateway Plaza. The Class of 2011 is comprised of 859 students who received a total of 909 associates' degrees. More than 300 students participated in the graduation ceremony.
We will have a bunch of photos (students Eric Book and Sunny Magdaug, along with Grace Suphamark and I, shot 1672 images) to look at tomorrow.
Below is the video of the commencement, taken from our live Ustream broadcast.
Video streaming by Ustream
Posted by Marc S. Posner
Each year, the Academic Senate selects three faculty to honor for their significant contributions to the Cypress College learning community. These three, along with the campus Teacher of the Year recipient, are honored at graduation.
This year, the awards are presented to: Richard McKnight, Outstanding Full-Time Faculty; Devon Tsuno, Outstanding Adjunct Faculty; Clifford Lester, Charger Award; and Mark Majarian, Teacher of the Year.
McKnight was the first faculty member of the Computer Information Systems Department, served as the department coordinator for many years, and was instrumental in the development of the CIS computer lab, which provides support for students in CIS, Accounting, and other Business Division courses.
He is an experienced Distance Education instructor and an active participant on the college's Distance Education Advisory Committee meetings. He is also the first in the department to explore a hybrid course, which mixes online and in-person instruction.
Seeing a void with available texts, he authored two books used by roughly 800 students each semester. Colleagues say the books help students move into advanced courses and be better prepared for university transfer.
Tsuno has been an adjunct faculty member at Cypress College for the past 4 years, teaching art, and — more recently — taking over as director of the Art Gallery. He has also forged strong connections with neighboring Cal State Long Beach and Cal State Fullerton, and with other community college art students.
Tsuno has created both a website and a blog and established social media channels on Flickr, Facebook and Twitter for the Art Gallery. This semester, he worked with "Artist in Residence" Kiel Johnson on an ambitious project where students designed and crafted elaborate robot costumes, which were then used for a short film produced on campus. He recently had an exhibition in the Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art.
His dean, Joyce Carrigan, offered this assessment: "As an artist, Devon is a person of exceptional talent and quality. As an instructor, he is passionate and compassionate. And, as a colleague, he is dedicated and will often go above and beyond the call of duty to lend a hand."
The Charger Award — which honors an instructor who has made significant contributions to the educational community outside the classroom, through either research, leadership and service, or creative endeavors with his or her discipline — was presented to Lester, faculty member in our Fine Arts Division.
Prior to joining the faculty at Cypress College, he operated a successful commercial photography business with clients such as Frito-Lay, Del Taco, Albertson's and Langer's Juice — an experience that colleague Rob Johnson said has been invaluable to students.
For years, he has done extensive pro bono work for Para Los Ninos, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that provides childcare, schooling and other services to at-risk children and their families. By involving commercial photography students in this and other similar endeavors, he offers them real-world experience.
Lester is currently documenting Holocaust survivors and their experiences following their liberation to help ensure that their persecution is collected, preserved and disseminated for future generations. Johnson called the work "beautiful, personal and sensitive depictions of lives touched by an unforgettable past experience."
Majarian, a third member the Fine Arts Division faculty, teaches a variety of classes in the Theater Arts. In the student-led Teacher of the Year selection process, Majarian received high praise from his students for the dedication, enthusiasm, and passion he displays.
In addition to his teaching duties, Majarian was responsible for the development of the Cypress College New Play Festival. He and his students received the OC Weekly Best of 2008 award for the effort. Majarian specifically credited his students for the honor.
That's not surprising considering that in his biography, Majarian says he has "been learning from students and teaching at Cypress College for thirty years. Majarian has notable playwright collaborations with Doug Cooney's Long Story Short, Mickey Birnbaum's "Big Death Little Death," and with Cody Henderson, whose play "Cold Tender" won the 2002 OC Weekly award.
Posted by Marc S. Posner
Cypress College will hold it's 44th Commencement on Thursday, May 26, 2011, at 6 p.m., in the Gateway Plaza. The Class of 2011 is comprised of 859 students who will receive a total of 909 associate's degrees.
More than 300 students are expected to participate in the graduation ceremony, which the college will broadcast live beginning at about 5:45 p.m.
More than 500 members of the Class of 2011 are graduating with honors, and 70 of those are receiving high honors — meaning they have earned a career grade-point average of 3.75 or higher. Among them is Kelly Chiffer, a Psychology major with a perfect 4.0 GPA and a member of the two-time conference champion women's volleyball team.
"Her performance has been at one of the highest levels I have seen over the past few years in the course," said Randy Martinez, Chair of the Psychology Department. "As a student, she displays the characteristics of a dedicated learner. Ms. Chiffer is inquisitive, objective and has a passion for acquiring knowledge."
During the ceremony, the college will recognize John Moore as the 2011 Outstanding Alumnus. Moore is a faculty member and the head basketball coach at Westmont College, where he also played following his time at Cypress College. He is described by legendary Cypress College basketball coach Don Johnson as "THE most inspirational athlete in Cypress College Basketball history."
The commencement address will be presented by Timothy Naftali, the director of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, a part of the National Archives and Records Administration. Before joining the National Archives, Naftali taught history at a number of universities, including the University of Virginia. Dr. Naftali also was a consultant on the history of U.S. counterterrorism policy to the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (popularly known as the "9/11 Commission").
Two strong supporters of the college — Frank Garcia and Irv Pickler — will be recognized for their accomplishments with honorary degrees.
GRADUATION INFORMATION
Posted by Marc S. Posner
The Chargers softball team won its second straight California title, and state-record seventh overall, on Sunday in a 9-1 rout of San Joaquin Delta in the California Community College Athletic Association Softball Championship game at Bakersfield College.
Cypress sophomore third baseman Jennifer Aanderud earned the 2011 State Tournament Most Valuable Player after batting .375 with a pair of runs scored and three RBI. Charger freshman Monique Hernandez was recognized as the 2011 State Tournament Most Valuable Pitcher after going 2-0 while picking up a save in the game she didn't start. Cypress sophomore Marilyn Toriz earned top defensive honors as the 2011 State Tournament Gold Glove Award winner for her outstanding play at first base after recording 27 put-outs and two assists without committing an error. In all, there were nine Cypress players selected to the 2011 All-Tournament Team.
As a team, Cypress outscored its opponents 18-2 in its three victories, with a 5-1 win over San Joaquin Delta in game one, a 4-0 shutout of Mt. SAC in game two, and a 9-1 rout of Delta in the championship game.
2011 All-Tournament Team Selections
From left: Magalona, Toriz, Crissman, Aanderud, Arredondo, Harner, Hernandez, Morales.
Individually, Toriz led the Chargers with a team-high four RBI over the three-day tournament, followed by Tourney MVP Aanderud with three, and four others tied with two apiece. Audrey Harner scored three times to lead the team, while six other players crossed the plate twice each. Harner and Toriz had the only homeruns for the Chargers.
Full story
Story by Tom Sheridan
Last night, the La Palma City Council honored Cypress College's EOPS Program at the council meeting. Two students, along with the Dean and the program manager received the proclamation from Mayor Ralph Rodriguez.
Here is the email EOPS Manager Gilbert Contreras sent to the staff this morning:
On behalf of Cypress College EOPS, Dean [Richard] Rams, EOPS students Becky Mugica and Jasmin Hajimomen, and myself received a proclamation from the City of La Palma City Council last night during the La Palma City Council meeting.
La Palma Mayor Ralph Rodriguez presented the proclamation and delivered very personal comments about his participation on our advisory committee. This accolade is a testament to all of our hard work on behalf of our students. I realize a lot of the time we are searching for innovative ways to continually improve, but this proclamation provides us with an opportunity to take a step back. We are making a difference on our campus, in our community, and most importantly in the lives of our students.
Each one of us contributes to our success, from the student workers to President Kasler and Chancellor Doffoney, and through the state legislative process. Thank you for 40 years of hard work at Cypress College and for the job you do day in and day out for our students! We will undoubtedly receive many more accolades in the near future because of our commitment to student success. As always, I am honored to serve as the EOPS Manager!
Congratulations!
Gil
Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) is a state and college funded program designed to assist students with economic, linguistic, and educational challenges (as defined by Title V) to enroll and succeed in higher education. Comprehensive support services are provided to promote access to college, and once the student is enrolled, to increase retention and/or transfer to four-year universities and colleges.
Posted by Marc S. Posner
The defending California champion Cypress College softball team is headed back to the 2011 CCCAA Softball State Tournament Finals for a remarkable 22nd consecutive year under the direction of Coach Brad Pickler.
The Chargers head to the finals following a 5-1 victory over Riverside in the last game of the Southern California Super Regional held at Cypress College on Friday through Sunday.
After falling to the Tigers (37-9) 5-1 in the first game of the day, the Chargers (39-8) flipped the score in the Super Regional finale with some timely hitting, and a gutsy complete game effort on the mound by sophomore Mia Magalona in her last start at Cypress' home field.
Posted by Marc S. Posner