When Phi Theta Kappa learned about everything that had happened in Haiti after the earthquake, our hearts were broken and we knew that it was our duty as PTK leaders to step up and do anything in our power to help those who suffered in Haiti.
We understood that the devastation in Haiti was massive, but we still wanted to do our part, as a united team, to lead a fundraiser in the effort around the world to aid Haiti.
We all did our part. Rene started to do some research about which international organization was better rated, with the guidance of PTK advisors who greatly supported this service project. We decided that Direct Relief organization was our best match for our fund. Next, our VP of publications, Jacqueline, made some wonderful flyers that were posted around campus and displayed in the screen savers of almost the entire library, learning center and administration building. Rene built 10 plastic donation boxes; some of them were not used because the Bookstore provide some fancy donation boxes which actually helped us collect more donations. The donations boxes that we used,were placed in specific areas by PTK students as this was a team effort.
We also sent a message calling on all PTK members and Officers, active and none-active, to support this cause which demanded the cooperation of all us. We also sent a message by our Canada College media or smccd email, to reach the entire general public of campus (all students and faculty). Our goal was to fundraise $500.
Furthermore, Nathalie one of our most new and active members lead another project to support the Haiti cause and also joined us in the fundraiser; this was a documentary. Finally, we left the donation boxes for the entire month of February. When the time came to collect the donations, we were short $50 to reach our goal. But Gabriela, one of our active members, persuaded the women soccer team at Canada, which she is part of, to help us reach our goal; Gabriella, the women’s soccer team and even their coach donated to help us reach our goal by donating a second time.
One of the greatest lessons we learned in this service project,(lead by the efforts of the entire chapter working as united team) was that we in Phi Theta Kappa: Beta Zeta Nu, set our own limits when it come to show leadership and compassion. Although this project took place at Canada, this was an international service project.
So we will send the money to Direct Relief which will use the money to purchase medical supplies and other needed items for Haiti.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Healthy Food Drive
During our summer planning meetings our chapter discussed which of the eleven topics to focus on for the Paradox of Affluence. Jacqueline Santa-Iglesias and Isaiah Roggow decided to focus on health: If America is so rich, why are we as a nation so sick and unhealthy? Jacqui and Isaiah discovered and researched the Global Alliance for Chronic Disease (GACD), and read the book The China Study. Jacqueline and Isaiah met repeatedly to discuss ideas of how to present this problem to the student body as a teaching tool. After much consideration and debate, they decided to hold a Healthy Food Drive on campus and also organize a volunteer outing to Second Harvest, a local food bank. Second Harvest is dedicated to distributing food to the needy of the Bay Area and in health education programs in keeping with the ‘teach a man to fish’ mentality.
We wanted this to be an all-campus effort; Isaiah met with his fellow presidents of Associated Students of Canada College (ASCC) and TRIO and formed a Food Drive Committee from members of all three student organizations.
Bins were set out, the food drive was promoted, and guidelines were set as to what ‘healthy food’ meant. This was also a social experiment for us to see just how responsive people would be to such a restriction such as ‘please only donate healthy food.’ We also wanted to see just what people thought was healthy, as the definition is not clearly defined and is subjective.
We also received support from our local community in downtown Redwood City. Ruhina Karmali, who works at The Daily Boost, a local coffee shop heard of our efforts and offered to help. She set out our bins and gave people a free cup of coffee if they donated a food item to the cause.
After two months of collection, we had gathered five bins of food, in which we distributed it to eight Canada students who qualified for FAFSA. All that was left was a half-bin of food, which was donated to Second Harvest.
People kept pretty well inside the guidelines and brought in nutritious and wholesome food, proving anecdotally that on the whole people in our socioeconomic strata know what healthy food entails. This brought us back to the original question of if we as a nation know the right thing to do is eat healthy foods, why don’t we do it?
We want to give a big "Thank You!" to the entire Food Drive Committee-all the students that got on board and helped out printing/posting flyers, putting out collection bins, and collecting the donated food.
We wanted this to be an all-campus effort; Isaiah met with his fellow presidents of Associated Students of Canada College (ASCC) and TRIO and formed a Food Drive Committee from members of all three student organizations.
Bins were set out, the food drive was promoted, and guidelines were set as to what ‘healthy food’ meant. This was also a social experiment for us to see just how responsive people would be to such a restriction such as ‘please only donate healthy food.’ We also wanted to see just what people thought was healthy, as the definition is not clearly defined and is subjective.
We also received support from our local community in downtown Redwood City. Ruhina Karmali, who works at The Daily Boost, a local coffee shop heard of our efforts and offered to help. She set out our bins and gave people a free cup of coffee if they donated a food item to the cause.
After two months of collection, we had gathered five bins of food, in which we distributed it to eight Canada students who qualified for FAFSA. All that was left was a half-bin of food, which was donated to Second Harvest.
People kept pretty well inside the guidelines and brought in nutritious and wholesome food, proving anecdotally that on the whole people in our socioeconomic strata know what healthy food entails. This brought us back to the original question of if we as a nation know the right thing to do is eat healthy foods, why don’t we do it?
We want to give a big "Thank You!" to the entire Food Drive Committee-all the students that got on board and helped out printing/posting flyers, putting out collection bins, and collecting the donated food.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Second Harvest Food Bank
On December 5th and 19th, Beta Zeta Nu and Beta Xi Eta (College of San Mateo) teamed up to help out Second Harvest, a local food bank dedicated to feeding the hungry with nutritious and wholesome foods, in the spirit of Chapters United. Eighteen members from both chapters sorted food from 9am until noon to be distributed to families struggling with low-wage jobs, growing housing costs and homelessness with dozens of volunteers from local high schools and the community.
Our tasks included largely of sorting individually donated food-like from the Healthy Food Drive Beta Zeta Nu did over the holidays. That food was arranged into boxes for people who needed it to take home. The other job we did was making little 3 lb. bags of fresh produce. One group on December 5th sorted pallet boxes of carrots in this manner. The group on December 19th did the same thing for eight pallet boxes of oranges.
Second Harvest’s efforts help feed low-income seniors as well as low-income volunteers who are helping others while helping themselves. Volunteer support is essential for Second Harvest to maintain efficient and cost effective services. Because of Phi Theta Kappa’s efforts and that of other volunteers, over 205,000 people a month are able to receive food. The food is distributed through our partnering agencies, their satellites, and through Second Harvest Food Bank’s directs service programs.
Second Harvest deeply thanks Phi Theta Kappa for the time we took to help them achieve their vision, "Providing food for people in need in our community," which has made a difference for many this holiday season.
We have now formed a partnership with Second Harvest and plan on doing one food-sorting session with them once a month.
Our tasks included largely of sorting individually donated food-like from the Healthy Food Drive Beta Zeta Nu did over the holidays. That food was arranged into boxes for people who needed it to take home. The other job we did was making little 3 lb. bags of fresh produce. One group on December 5th sorted pallet boxes of carrots in this manner. The group on December 19th did the same thing for eight pallet boxes of oranges.
Second Harvest’s efforts help feed low-income seniors as well as low-income volunteers who are helping others while helping themselves. Volunteer support is essential for Second Harvest to maintain efficient and cost effective services. Because of Phi Theta Kappa’s efforts and that of other volunteers, over 205,000 people a month are able to receive food. The food is distributed through our partnering agencies, their satellites, and through Second Harvest Food Bank’s directs service programs.
Second Harvest deeply thanks Phi Theta Kappa for the time we took to help them achieve their vision, "Providing food for people in need in our community," which has made a difference for many this holiday season.
We have now formed a partnership with Second Harvest and plan on doing one food-sorting session with them once a month.
The Giving Tree Holiday Gift Drive Update
On December 18, 2009, Tristan and Rene picked up all 50 gifts as result of our holiday drive, which was a success! This was only possible because all of the efforts of the members and officers in the chapter as well as the staff, faculty and students who participated. People helped the drive in different ways, ranging from spreading the word to buying a gift. This holiday drive(The Giving Tree)was part of an even greater holiday drive led by The Family Giving Tree organization that does this every year. According to one representative about 60,000 gifts were collected over all. All these gifts were Christmas gifts for thousands of unprivileged children.
http://www.familygivingtree.org/
http://picasaweb.google.com/fgtpictures/2008HolidayWishDrive#5287905849904495634
http://www.familygivingtree.org/
http://picasaweb.google.com/fgtpictures/2008HolidayWishDrive#5287905849904495634
Spring 2010 Peer Counseling
Canada College has made serious budget cuts and consequently let a most all of our counselors go. (we only have three left) If we do not step up and help, our fellow students will be at an unnecessary disadvantage as they struggle through an unfamiliar registration system and plan for their future..
Foreseeing this problem, Isaiah Roggow (co-president) and Paul Roscelli (head advisor) spoke with the VP of Student Services, Peter Barbatis, early in the fall semester and again in the last week school. Peter is doing some very creative things to help new students get into the classes that they need with the least hassle as possible!
That's where Phi Theta Kappa comes in. We are helping by attending scheduled New Student Counseling & Registration Sessions. We guide new students in navigating our web-based registration program, Websmart, for the first time. There are usually 15-20 students per session and the peer counselors float around assisting as needed. There is one facilitator of the session, a counselor, that would be in charge.
The tasks include but not be limited to-helping with username/password issues, searching for classes, and registering for them. The greatest issue will be escalated demand and reduced supply of available and open classes. Most if not all classes in the convenient times are already full so much that students can't even waitlist for it. That translates to students being frustrated with having no options, having to take classes at CSM, or taking a class at an inconvenient time. Part of peer counselor’s job is to soothe people’s frustrations with so little available options.
We will have three peer counselors per session. The benefits for are many: helping your fellow future classmates, being a face for PTK and serve as its representative, and the privilege to say on university and scholarship applications that you participated in this event. The efforts put forth by our peer counselors may be the difference between someone getting a class or giving up on college.
Foreseeing this problem, Isaiah Roggow (co-president) and Paul Roscelli (head advisor) spoke with the VP of Student Services, Peter Barbatis, early in the fall semester and again in the last week school. Peter is doing some very creative things to help new students get into the classes that they need with the least hassle as possible!
That's where Phi Theta Kappa comes in. We are helping by attending scheduled New Student Counseling & Registration Sessions. We guide new students in navigating our web-based registration program, Websmart, for the first time. There are usually 15-20 students per session and the peer counselors float around assisting as needed. There is one facilitator of the session, a counselor, that would be in charge.
The tasks include but not be limited to-helping with username/password issues, searching for classes, and registering for them. The greatest issue will be escalated demand and reduced supply of available and open classes. Most if not all classes in the convenient times are already full so much that students can't even waitlist for it. That translates to students being frustrated with having no options, having to take classes at CSM, or taking a class at an inconvenient time. Part of peer counselor’s job is to soothe people’s frustrations with so little available options.
We will have three peer counselors per session. The benefits for are many: helping your fellow future classmates, being a face for PTK and serve as its representative, and the privilege to say on university and scholarship applications that you participated in this event. The efforts put forth by our peer counselors may be the difference between someone getting a class or giving up on college.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
AOAE
Every year, Phi Theta Kappa and the Office of the President of Canada College engage in a joint effort to host an event that honors 200+ local high school students that earn a 3.5 GPA or higher at their respective schools. There are five such schools in and around our area, and many of their graduates seriously take Canada into consideration in regards to furthering their educational goals.
Isaiah was placed in charge and created a team to help him when needed. He was in constant contact with the College president’s office about getting the student’s names, their medals, the food, and other logistics.
The Afternoon of Academic Excellence is always held one week before our college’s graduation, which sets it to a Friday in late may. Approximately 80 high school students RSVP’d, but we ended up receiving and honoring 130 students instead. Fortunately, Isaiah and his team planned for this and no hiccups were experienced. Add to that friends and family, we ended up packing out the entire theatre.
This was a very challenging event to plan for. Isaiah had to get the names of all students from our five satellite high schools that scored a 3.5 GPA or higher and then get invitation letters to each of them. Each student had to RSVP to their career center and then I had Phi Theta Kappa members gather them at the high schools. It was the only way, as real RSVPs would have been extremely expensive and was outside our budget, which was already generously given by the college president’s office. Then there was the logistics of food, awards, and choosing a keynote speaker. We planned months in advance and due to our diligence, the Afternoon of Academic Excellence went off perfectly and with no problems. Our college President, Tom Mohr, was incredibly pleased with both my performance, my team, and of Phi Theta Kappa.
This event is incredibly important to the surrounding high schools. The Afternoon of Academic Excellence showcases to the high school students, their parents, and the administration of the schools the high quality that has been the norm at Canada College. Everyone likes to know from time to time that they are appreciated and valued. Many of these students have the potential to be first generation college attendees. This is most likely the first time they were to receive official recognition from a college for all their hard work over the course of high school. This event provides an opportunity to show these young people how much their efforts are appreciated. The students of Phi Theta Kappa believe that success begets success, and when these students come away from this event, they will have caught a glimpse of what they are working so hard and sacrificing so much for.
Afternoon of Academic Excellence is also a great opportunity to showcase the Canada College to prospective students that may not have a very positive image of what a community college is or of the students that attend one. This may be their first and only exposure to that. This event is one of the best student recruitment programs
There is still a cultural stigma surrounding community colleges. Whenever an event like this is held and is as successful as we, the students of a community college, made it, the image of community colleges gets a little more polish than it was when these teens entered. This is the singular event of the year does a fine job to ensure that community colleges, our nation’s ‘best kept secret,’ are a little less well-kept.
Isaiah was placed in charge and created a team to help him when needed. He was in constant contact with the College president’s office about getting the student’s names, their medals, the food, and other logistics.
The Afternoon of Academic Excellence is always held one week before our college’s graduation, which sets it to a Friday in late may. Approximately 80 high school students RSVP’d, but we ended up receiving and honoring 130 students instead. Fortunately, Isaiah and his team planned for this and no hiccups were experienced. Add to that friends and family, we ended up packing out the entire theatre.
This was a very challenging event to plan for. Isaiah had to get the names of all students from our five satellite high schools that scored a 3.5 GPA or higher and then get invitation letters to each of them. Each student had to RSVP to their career center and then I had Phi Theta Kappa members gather them at the high schools. It was the only way, as real RSVPs would have been extremely expensive and was outside our budget, which was already generously given by the college president’s office. Then there was the logistics of food, awards, and choosing a keynote speaker. We planned months in advance and due to our diligence, the Afternoon of Academic Excellence went off perfectly and with no problems. Our college President, Tom Mohr, was incredibly pleased with both my performance, my team, and of Phi Theta Kappa.
This event is incredibly important to the surrounding high schools. The Afternoon of Academic Excellence showcases to the high school students, their parents, and the administration of the schools the high quality that has been the norm at Canada College. Everyone likes to know from time to time that they are appreciated and valued. Many of these students have the potential to be first generation college attendees. This is most likely the first time they were to receive official recognition from a college for all their hard work over the course of high school. This event provides an opportunity to show these young people how much their efforts are appreciated. The students of Phi Theta Kappa believe that success begets success, and when these students come away from this event, they will have caught a glimpse of what they are working so hard and sacrificing so much for.
Afternoon of Academic Excellence is also a great opportunity to showcase the Canada College to prospective students that may not have a very positive image of what a community college is or of the students that attend one. This may be their first and only exposure to that. This event is one of the best student recruitment programs
There is still a cultural stigma surrounding community colleges. Whenever an event like this is held and is as successful as we, the students of a community college, made it, the image of community colleges gets a little more polish than it was when these teens entered. This is the singular event of the year does a fine job to ensure that community colleges, our nation’s ‘best kept secret,’ are a little less well-kept.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Healthy Food Drive
In conjunction with the Healthy Food Drive, on Dec 5th a group of 8 members from Beta Zeta Nu and Beta Xi Eta sorted food to be distributed to families struggling with low-wage jobs, growing housing costs and homelessness. Their efforts helped feed low-income seniors, as well as low-income volunteers who are helping others while helping themselves. Volunteer support is essential for Second Harvest to maintain efficient and cost effective services. Because of them and other volunteers, over 205,000 people a month are able to receive food. .
Second Harvest is deeply we appreciative of the time PTK took to help them achieve their vision: "Providing food for people in need in our community." PTK's gift of time has made a difference for many in our community.
Year round, the Food Bank is always in need of volunteer help and we plan you will be able to join them again. We look forward to that continued partnership.
Second Harvest is deeply we appreciative of the time PTK took to help them achieve their vision: "Providing food for people in need in our community." PTK's gift of time has made a difference for many in our community.
Year round, the Food Bank is always in need of volunteer help and we plan you will be able to join them again. We look forward to that continued partnership.
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