February 2011 Volume 1 Issue 2

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February is the one month which has us all reflecton a very important aspect of our nation’s past - Black His-tory. It is a reflection on a culture rich in terms of determina-tion, pain, perseverance, creativity, and finally hope. Thisyear, West LA College (WLAC) has taken the initiative to

put together a series of events celebrating Black HistoryMonth. Last December, Clare Norris, an English instructor here at West, put together and chaired the WLAC Black Heritage Committee (BHC) in order to brainstorm and deter-mine which events would be sponsored by the committee andheld here at West. The focus will be to not only entertain,but educate participants in various aspects of African Ameri-can culture. With a black demographic count of 43% of our overall students enrolled, the undertakings of this committeebecome necessary in terms of cultural awareness. We are aneducational institution and we have a large African-Americanpopulation, simple, right? Unfortunately, like all other situa-tions, this is never the case. However, this turns out to befortunate for those who will participate in these events as thecommittee was well aware of the need to not only make it aneducational experience but extremely enjoyable as well.

The festivities kick off Monday, February 14 th, withMotown Monday, a day-long music festival featuring a com-

pilation of Motown artists from the 1960’s, 70’s, and 80’s. “Iexpect young people to recognize that Motown music reflectedthe Civil Rights era, the frustration and hopes of the black com-munity during the time of these famous recordings,” says Dur-rell Levy, a student member of the Black Heritage Committee

who is overseeing this event. Durrell’s hopes of connecting thenew generation to the older generation’s struggle goes directlyto the heart of this celebration. The celebration continues thenext day with a double feature screening of “African AmericanLives”, a documentary by Henry Louis Gates Jr., and “WhenWe Were Kings”, a documentary depicting the Rumble In The

Jungle boxing match between Muhammad Ali and GeorgeForeman, and the politics surrounding the fight. Then onThursday, February 17th, the BHC partners with the AssociatedStudents Organization (ASO) to present the “Black YouthRoadmap to Success” workshop. The workshop will consist of a panel of college faculty and administration, including HelenYoung, Sherron Rouzan, Casey Hunter, and Vanita Nicholas,that will touch on subjects pertaining to routes towards success

for black youths.

Continued on page 6

Black Heritage Celebrated at West By Scott Stamler

The Passing of Professor Thomas By Alexandre Johnson

November 2010 West Los Angeles College (WLAC) lost a spe-

cial person in Professor Gwen Marie Thomas. Pro-

fessor Thomas was a role model, benefactor, cher-

ished friend, educator, leader, volunteer, and cul-

tural advocate. Many can lecture others, but Prof.Thomas was one who put herself out there to

serve.

Prof. Thomas, a former WLAC student herself

before going on to earn a BA and MSA from Cali-

fornia State University, Dominguez Hills, came to

WLAC after a former colleague at IBM, Robert

Sprague, helped recruit her to the Los Angeles

Community College District. Many in WLAC

would find the Memphis native a blessing in their

lives. “Professor Gwen Thomas aka Momma Beau-

tiful and I have been through a lot together” remembers

Angela Armstead. Using her humor and good-

will, she would struggle with you as well as for

you.

A memorial service and viewing was held atWest Angeles Church of God in Christ on

Wednesday, December 1st, the church Thomas

was a member of previously, serving on the

Board of Directors. With two-thirds of the audi-

ence made up of her WLAC family, one could

definitely see that Professor Thomas had made

WLAC her home. On December 6, the WLAC

campus took time to honor her memory in the

Fine Arts Theater. In an auditorium filled with

faculty and students, many took this moment to

2011, February 7Volume 1, Issue 2

The

Professor Thomas



remember the impact she had on their lives.

When Prof. Thomas was found dead in her home many students had not realized that she had been suffering from illnesses

and health problems. She always had a smile on her face; always carried herself with grace, and it was rare when she would notcome to school or events to support students. Her death was an added sock as the previous Thursday she was leading classes

and demonstrated a little dance at the AGS Teacher’s Appreciation Day where she was honored.

Professor Gwen-Marie Thomas served as a full-time instructor of Business and Management at West Los Angeles College for

over 21 years. She also served on many campus committees and clubs such as Business Department Vice-Chair, Vocational

Training and Education Management Program Project Manager, UMOJA Black Student Movement Council Member, Interna-

tional Student Program Ambassador, Phi Beta Lambda Business Club Co-Advisor and WLAC’s Foundation Interim Director.

Thomas founded two ongoing scholarships for WLAC students: My Heroine and the No Stopping Me Now awards. She was al-

ways seeking to give back to the community, not stopping at WLAC. She began a literacy program at her church, made trips

to Africa to donate children’s books, school supplies and shoes, as well as contributed her time and efforts to many organiza-

tions over the world. Continued on page 7

Hello and welcome to the second issue of the Student Voice. I hope everyone has enjoyed their winter break or if they took classes during

the winter that it was a positive experience. Talking about experience this paper is a work in progress. Therefore you may notice a few

changes to the format and new sections if you compare it to the last issue.

I appreciate the positive responses we received from November's issue and hope you keep telling us what you want to see coveredin the paper and providing your input so that it can last for years to come. We are always seeking to stay up to date and seek to cover what is

on the minds of West students. In fact a lady of great importance to the campus and us students passed away near the end of last semester. I

want to express the grief we feel over the passing of Professor Gwen Thomas and honor her as we can. In this I wish to personally dedicate

this issue to her and hope her memory continues on. -Alexandre Johnson

Letter From the Editor

Lose weight and feel great while you get lean and

save some green ! By Emilio Medrano

Page 2 The Student Voice

The Student Voice

Feb. 2011

Editor-In-Chief

Alexandre Johnson

[email protected]

Layout EditorTera Coneway

Contributing Writers:

Emilio Medrano, Tera Coneway, Alexandre Johnson

Durrell Levy, Scott Stamler, Lateshia Pernell, Phillip

Horseley

______________________________________

Student Voice is published 10 times a year and is

available free at West Los Angeles College

PUBLISHED BY

Associated Student Organization

9000 Overland Avenue (A5) Culver City, CA 90230

Advertisements

There are a wide range of prices for ad space. If inter-

ested in placing an ad contact the ASO office.

Corrections

If you believe that we have made an error, contact

the Newsletter Editor or go to ASO office.

Let’s be honest, we all want to look in tip-top shape for the sum-

mer. And at the rate that time is flying by, summer is sure to be here within

the blink of an eye. And you know that I don’t have to tell you that it’s going

to be a hot one. So here are a few tips you could start to follow now to en-

sure that you have the physique that you want and deserve by the summer.

It all starts with what you eat. Sure, those 99 cent Arizonas at the bookstore

sound like a refreshing bargain. But at a brutal 400 calories and devastating

90 grams of sugar per 24 ounce can is it really? A better deal is water.

Ralphs is only a short walk from campus. Consider carrying a gallon of wa-

ter around with you. At only a whopping 25 cents per gallon and zero grams

of fat and sugar you will not find a better deal than this. Plus the round trip

walk to fill up your gallon is sure to burn a minimum of 100 calories.

Chips, french fries, cookies, and candy bars equal calories, fat, sugar and

carbs. Pack meals for the day at home and bring them to school with you.Replace a bag of chips with an ounce of healthy raw almonds or some baby

carrot sticks instead of buying burgers or other high calorie crap at the food

truck. Make a sandwich or some chicken and veggie stir-fry at home and

bring it with you. By taking control of what you eat you are only spending a

fraction of the cost and have total control of the amounts of fats, sugar and

calories that you consume

Continued on page 5Gwen Thomas Continued



Page 3Volume 1, Issue 2

Who’s Got Spirit? By Tera Coneway

With a new year comes new goals, and with new goals

comes new obstacles. When the ball dropped many students

perhaps made the resolution to lose weight or to save money

this year; the typical cliché resolutions that end up broken be-fore they began. Although, I agree that resolutions are trite they

seem to be an important part of the New Year. In the past year

there has been a constant theme of hope and change; however

as the year went on our hopes dwindled because the change has

taken longer than expected. Times are tough. Between budgets

cuts and class cuts students are really feeling the pressure, it

shows in the attitude of the campus. To keep hope alive I have

declared 2011 the year of positive thinking. Let make this year

more positive and rewarding and why not start on campus.

Anyone who attends West Los Angeles College can see that the

school spirit is minimal. I understand that the majority of the

students are there to transfer but it seems like I am on a campusfull of zombies, no one is excited anymore. The majority of the

students who are on campus look as if they do not want to be

there. “I don’t feel much school spirit other than slogans such

as ‘Go west , Go far’. I’m speaking among student and faculty.”

Said student Gregory Holmes. To tackle the issue, I decided to

come up with a few ideas to help raise spirits on campus and

ensure a positive and pleasant campus this semester.

Idea #1: Be Social

On campus, I have noticed that everyone is so cliquey. Every

day I see the same groups of people. I understand the need to

have a close circle of friends, but it is always good to expand

your circle of friends. Why not get out of your comfort zoneand talk to someone new every day. You do not have to talk for

hours with every one that passes you in the hall, but if you do

see someone outside of you immediate circle why not at least

introduce yourself. We all have something to offer, and you

will never know what that person in the hall might be able to

offer you; whether it is good tips on what teacher to take next

semester or that person might be particularly strong in a subject

that you are weak in. Building a relationship with fellow stu-

dents is not only beneficial socially but also academically. The

same applies with your teachers. It is important to build a rela-

tionship with your teachers; as the year goes on the classes only

get harder, it is vital that you are able to have an open dialoguewith your professor.

Idea #2 Get More Involved

Did you know that West Los Angeles College has 12 clubs?

Which one are you apart of? I know as students we lead busy

lives, but being a part of club or extracurricular activities has its

rewards. Not only is it a good way to be social and meet new

people it looks good when you transfer. Being involved in a

club shows that you care about what happens on campus.

Throughout the semester, I have heard complaints such as: “I

can’t believe we don’t have a winter session” or “why I am on

a waiting list to make an appointment for an S.E.P”. I am sure

there are many students that feel this way or have the same

complaints. Alone a single voice can be silenced and ignored; itis more difficult to ignore twenty people who have the same

issue but choose to speak out together. The purpose of club is

to get student talking about issue on campus.

Idea#3 Attend school event

Not every student has enough time to actively participate in a

club. Between being a full time student and having a job I can

see how it can be difficult. That is why I propose students at-

tend school events. It’s does not require as much commitment

as joining a club, but it still shows that you have school spirit.

“I am all in to school spirit, it allows a campus full of students

to actually have fun and want to be at school. West has noschool spirit at all, there is nothing making [me] want to go to a

basketball, football or whatever game,” said student Christin

Disi “ The only thing I go to is the dance shows that the club

puts on. It’s does not matter if I am in the show or not. I go to

see the show every semester.” I hear excuses like “ I don’t

have the time, I have to work.” There are 16 weeks in a semes-

ter, you can’t take one day out of those 16 weeks to attend a

football game or a dance show? By attending school events;

not only does it raise school spirit, but it also gives money back

to the school.

Idea#4: Be positive and Avoid Conflict

It is important as student at West LA College that we try tospread positivity throughout campus. I spend the majority of

my time on campus so I consider that my second home. So

please no negativity or conflict.

On a campus full of adults, we should be able to resolve our

problems as such. “School spirit is respecting your peers like

family, Treat you campus like home pick up after yourself. If

you see a problem happening among your family at home,

wouldn’t you do something to fix it, so why not help fix your

school,” said student Lance Lopez. Some students are so busy

that they spend majority of their time at work or at school. Why

not make campus like your home and students like your aca-demic family? From the person who sells you your scantron in

the morning to the person who hands you a parking pass they

all play an important role in how your school day will turn out.

“Students need to value themselves and their education only

then will they be able to value their campus” Said student

Shawn Aubrey. Most students regard West Los Angeles Col-

lege as a stepping-stone, nevertheless every step is important.

There is this one saying: it is not where you are going but its

how you get there. In your academic journey to the top, it is

important that you do not forget how you got there.




Food is meant to be consumed for sur-vival and fuel. It is not a source of comfort or justbecause you’re bored. Craving a cheese burger or pizza? Save it as a treat for Sundays. It has beenscientifically proven that eating five to sixsmaller meals throughout the day at 2 ½ to 3hour intervals will ignite your metabolism toshed fat and give you high energy levels so youdon’t feel lethargic during the day.It will also keep your focus and concentration inline so you can perform better in your classes andkeep those grades high.

For recipe ideas, workout suggestions,and other healthconscious adviceyou could easilyfind them for

free on the inter-net. Did youknow that youcould find all of these on You-Tube? Yes, You-tube is a usefulresource besidesusing it to viewmusic videos, TV shows, and other foolishnessand nonsense that most of you insist on submerg-ing yourselves into on a daily basis.

This is only a map. It is up to you to

guide yourselves towards your goals. You’re notgoing to accomplish your goals if there is not aninnate desire to do so. Great health and a smash-ing physique cannot be bought, won, or stolen. Itcan only be earned.

Last December the Associated Student Organization (ASO) andthe Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society (AGS) teamed up to produce theFoster Youth Toy and Book Drive. Together the organizations set upboxes around campus in four locations to collect items for foster youth.Bags of toys came in from students and faculty. At first, the numbersseemed low. There were even hiccups along the way, such as whenused toys were donated that could not be distributed. However, dona-tions picked up as the drive neared its end and the organizations soonfound boxes filled.

The organizers at West were happy with the final volume of toys and gifts collected. “Overall the drive went well,” RachellyEscobar of ASO stated, both groups would like to thank everyone whodonated. These toys and books were later handed out to foster childrenon December 19th at Exposition Park through the Child Youth andFamily Collaborative (CYFC). Providing gifts to children in ages rang-ing from babies to 17 year-olds we hope we made a brighter Christmasfor them. Even as the holidays end, many still need help and support.As such, this gift drive is only a starting point for giving spirit those atWest have to help those in need.

Loose weight continued

West’s Giving SpiritBy Alexandre Johnson

“Youtube is a useful

resource besides using it

to view music videos, TVshows, and other

foolishness and nonsense

that most of you insist on

submerging yourselves

into on a daily basis.”

Students gain beneficial leadership skills through campus involve-

ment and community service. According to research studies, involvement inclubs, sports, or community organizations can help students improve grades

in school. Being a part of a club or team gives students the responsibility to

be held accountable for their actions, the freedom to share ideas, provide

feedback, and learn from others who have greater experience. Students who

are involved can enhance their skills and creative abilities by working with

peers to achieve organizational goals. Participation in clubs can improve the

communication skills of students who are willing to associate themselves

with others and dare to be different.

Although students may discover that their talents are unlike their

peers, they can be a valuable asset to their team and enlighten others by

demonstrating their strengths. Furthermore, active students can develop the

following skills necessary to succeed in the workforce:• Time Management

• Human Relations

• Problem Solving

• Organization

• Multi-tasking Be resourceful on your campus and in your community. People need support

and dependable students in various areas. Get involved and change your

world.

The Benefits of Student Involvement By Lateisha Pernell

A box filled withdonated gifts in theASO office




The love a teacher has for a subject is sometimes evident in and

outside of the classroom. This is true with Professor Katherine

E. Boutry, who has several scripts under her belt. She has defi-

nitely made a name for herself, earning Certificates of Distinc-

tion at Harvard (where she taught previously and where she

completed her Ph.D. in l997), as well as several student Teacher

Appreciation certificates at West. Less than a week after Boutry

spoke at the annual Modern Language Association conference

about the merits of using literature such as Virginia Woolf in teach-

ing, she was able to take a moment to sit down with the Student

Voice and tell us about herself, her classes, and her writings.

Q: Did you realize you are a popular teacher?

A: Only because students told me. Students have asked have you

seen your rating on rate my professor? I guess they are pretty good

from what I heard. My classes are full. I think part of that has to

do with the fact that there aren’t many classes! That definitely

helps.

Q: I’ve heard a student tell me they were nervous to take your class

because you are Harvard trained. Do you think your time at Har-

vard has shaped you at all?

A: Being at Harvard? Definitely. I always say this and it’s really

true. My students at West are no less intelligent than my students

at Harvard. Honestly, they are just less prepared. They have not

had years and years of private school, small class rooms, and great

teachers so they are a little behind in preparation sometimes but no

less intelligent. I really enjoy teaching at West. Harvard is where I

learned how to teach so I’m grateful for my experience there. The

classes were small and the students really pushed me to be the best

teacher I could be, because they expected excellence. They wereused to it their whole lives.

I see here at West that the students expect less but that doesn’t

mean they should. I want to teach them to expect more. To expect

teachers to respond to them, to work hard, to challenge them, not

just phone it in. A lot of the students at West I think are used to

teachers who don’t really care that much, or who are too busy, or

over worked and I want them to know they can ask for more. I

really want to push them.

Q: You were more than a teacher there right? At Harvard you were

the Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies?

A: I was, that meant I was the primary advisor for 350 English

majors at Harvard. So they would have to come through my officeevery semester to get their study cards signed and their plans of

study and all that. I think that helped me in terms of advising stu-

dents and seeing which students did well and which didn’t.

That also led me to realize that the students who seek help tend to

do better than students who don’t- who try to tough it out on their

own or don’t really know or don’t feel like talking to a counselor or

advisor, and I was one of those students myself at Georgetown, I

kind of flew under the radar and did my own thing. But I think

you do better once you start to forge a connection with faculty

members. Faculty members can take an interest in you that helps

Meet Your Professor

Professor Boutry at 2009

WLAC Gala

students do well, feel that someone is watching out for

them. They have a resource if they need help.

So yeah I was the Assistant Director for Undergraduate

Studies, I was also , I was also teaching. I was the liaison

between the faculty and the students because at Har-

vard a lot of the faculty members give big lecture classes

and the graduate students teach the smaller sections and

some students could go through four years of college

without really talking with a professor- just talking to

what we called the TF which were the TA teachers assis-tants graduate students and me. So I had a lot of stu-

dent contact which I enjoyed.

Q: What actually made you move out here to California?

A: I moved out here to write on a tv show. I was teach-

ing at Harvard and I had gotten a tenure track offer at

Annapolis, the naval academy, to teach. I had thought I

really wanted to go teach there, but I got the job and I

realized I also really wanted to try tv writing. And the

time was then, because if I didn’t make the break I

would have taken the job at Annapolis and stayed there

for the rest of my life. My husband was great and he said

“ok lets do it!” so we moved our kids (at the time weonly had two), moved out here and I did the Warner

Brothers television writing program and I had a script

as a finalist in the Austin film festival then, a Sopranos

script. Remember the HBO show?

I got a job pretty much right away on the show 1-800-

Missing and I worked on the show for about a year and a

half then I got pregnant with my third child and right

about then I was saying I love writing but I kind of miss

teaching too, so we lived next door [to WLAC]. I called

up the chair of the department here and asked “hey are

you looking for anybody?” and honestly, that’s the way

it happened. She said “yeah come on down let’s have a

talk” and so I started as an adjunct in 2006 and I reallylike it here and when a full time position opened up I

applied for it and was fortunate enough to get it.

I love it here because I love the teaching and I love how

supportive everyone is about my tv writing. I’m still

writing for television. I’m writing on a show called “The

Haunting Hour” right now. My episode came out on

Saturday [Jan. 12, 2011 ]. I’m writing a second one

right now during Winter Break. If I had stayed at Har-

vard or Annapolis, they want you to do academic writ-

ing like the study of Continued on page 7



history. We must acknowledge the memory of those who haveshown resistance to inequality and injustice and have fought for

ideals of freedom, democracy and equality. Paying homage to peo-

ple like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Fannie Lou Hamer, Medgar

Evers, and Booker T. Washington would give younger generations

the chance to bare witness how black people have endured and

persevered through trials and tribulations and have accomplished

great things. However, paying homage to these great icons doesn't

mean anything if we don't teach young people to live by their ex-

amples, that is, teaching young people to develop the courage and

leadership to combat racial prejudice and injustice.

By celebrating Black History Month, we take part in a tradition of

commemorating individuals who have displayed courage in thehighest form. People like Amiri Baraka, James Baldwin, Nikki

Giovanni, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Malcolm X, and

other freedom fighters deserve recognition for their courage and

willingness to fighting for black people to have the right to a de-

cent job, education, and healthcare. Black History Month gives

younger people the chance to understand the struggles that black

folks have endured, and the chance to recognize the immense debt

young people owe to those who have fought for freedoms that

were never free.

When we talk about preserving cultural roots, we mustfirst understand why such preservation is needed. Black His-

tory Month is about preserving a heritage, which has been long

forgotten. To understand the importance of black history

month, one must be willing to look unflinchingly at the catas-

trophic circumstances which black people have been subjected

to, and realize that black history is American history. Young

people must not forget the immense contribution black folks

have made to fighting racial injustice.

After 244 years of slavery, followed by 40

years of Jim and Jane Crow, black people have mustered the

will to combat racial injustice and fight for freedoms, which the

younger generations can relish in. Black History Month should

be held in the highest esteem, not solely for the purposes of

commemorating famous black Americans. However, to show

the importance of black people and their role in American poli-

tics, literature, music, theatre, art and other aspects that defines

a culture.

As Americans, we must understand that we live in a

country that defaces history and suffers from historical amne-

sia. The people who have committed their lives to fighting in-

justice cannot become isolated icons to be lost and erased from


African American Heritage Month

Schedule of Events

• 2/14 Music Monday President’s Walk

(outside MAS & MSB)

• 2/15 Film Screenings ATA 128 at 11am

and 1pm• 2/17 Evolution of Black Music with

speaker Scot Brown - FA 100 at 11:30

• 2/17 Black Youth: Roadmap to Success

panel 1-2:30

• 2/22 Film Screenings w/ panel discussion—

ATA 128 at 11am and 1pm

• 2/22 The Economics of the Freedom Rid-

ers w/ Maynard Brown—FA100 at 7pm

• 2/23 Culminating Day: Keynote speaker,

Rev. Lawson, Spoken word— President’s

Lane at 11-2

• 2/23 “Imitation of Life” panel

•

2/24 Martin Luther King’s “I Have aDream” Speech 12:30

• 2/25 Evening Celebration honoring of

Gwen Thomas—FA 100

• 2/26 Mayme Clayton Library Film

Screening (4130 Overland Ave) 4pm

• 2/28 Music Monday12:30-1:30

Look on WestWeek online for updates on

location and time

On the same day, a presentation on the Evolution of Black Music will take place atthe Fine Arts building. Here you will encounter various forms of Jazz, Blues, Soul,R&B, all the way to modern Hip-Hop.

The fourth week of February kicks off with a presentation on the 50th anniver-

sary of the Freedom Riders, entitled “Riding Towards Freedom” slated for Tuesday,the 22nd and hosted by Gus Montes and Professor Maynard Brown. The presentationwill also touch on subjects such as business and finance. “Financial literacy and en-trepreneurship are important,” says Professor Brown. “They are important becauseour (African-American) families have struggled disproportionately to others through-out (our nation’s history).” The very next day (February 23rd) features a gauntlet of activities including a Spoken Word event, focused on contemporary African-American poets, a speaker presentation by James Lawson, food vendors selling SoulFood and traditional African cuisine, and a screening of “An Imitation of Life,” fol-lowed by a discussion. The festivities take a change of pace on Friday, the 25th, withan evening dance and music production organized by Debra Holt, which includes apresentation honoring Gwen Marie Thomas. The Gwen Thomas event serves as abitter-sweet ending to the month as our West family not only remembers and reflects

on Black History, but on an extraordinary member of the black community whotaught us all to cherish and nurture values and virtues we have come to hold as trueand necessary. These include the will to succeed, strength of character, social con-

sciousness, caring for others, and caring for your local and larger community.

It is knowledge of our past that compels us best to move forward towards abrighter future. No event better captures this notion than Black History Month. Stu-dents, faculty and administration are all invited to participate in this annual celebra-

tion that promises to excite as well as educate.

Heritage continued

The Significance of Black History Month by Durrell Levy



Virginia Woolf, or something like that. What I really like do-

ing is creative writing, that is my passion, and here it’s not a

problem. I don’t need that academic writing to get tenure and

what I love is the teaching which I’m doing a lot of at West! Sofor me it’s a perfect fit. It’s a wonderful place to work, I love

my colleagues, and the students are excited, and it’s great. I

really like it.

Q: You became full time in 2009? How long were you an ad-

junct?

A: I was an adjunct for about 2 ½ years

Q: Oh, right! You said you started in 2006

A: Yeah, Fall 2006 and became full time in February of 2009.

Q: Do you have a favorite part of teaching?

A: The classroom. I love teaching in the classroom, more thanonline teaching. I love reading passages together and really

dissecting them and doing close readings where the students

are all participating. I thrive on that. Or showing students how

to read something they’ve never seen before, going beneath the

surface level of the text.

What did we read in 103? The Informed Argument?

Yes

I switched that now. Now I’m teaching novels and some of the

readings are very difficult. The students read it one way and

sitting down with them and showing the layers of what’s there

is like revealing layers of paint on a painting, or those color-

forms where when you take off layers you see a different thing.

I think it’s really difficult to do online. It’s not impossible, but

I thrive on that interaction in person.

I really like the students talking to me. Trying to read it and

giving it their best shot and working it out together and we

discover things and I learn a bit from them at the same time.

That for me is super-exciting. What I don’t like is students

who don’t try. Who just sit back and expect me to pour the

knowledge in their heads like an empty vase.

It’s very participatory I’m not the kind who just sits and lec-

tures, and people just walk out at the end. Maybe they got it,maybe they didn’t. I like to see the light bulbs going off.

Q: So students have told me about your class using novels like:

Lolita, Mrs. Dalloway, and The English Patient. Do you have

a favorite book or assignment to use when teaching?

I have lots of favorites. Now that I’m full time I can teach

more of what I want so I have more choice. My Chair, Prof.

Betty Jacobs, has been very generous with allowing me to do

what I love. I am really teaching my favorites. Nabokov‘s Lo-

lita, if I had to choose only one novel that’s one of my favor-

ites. And Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway and The Hours are

also two big favorites. I love teaching Martin Luther King’s

“Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” Every semester it really

moves me and I love talking about it with students. I think

it’s a fantastic way to teach how to write a persuasive argu-ment because it’s so compelling and the logic is so great. He’s

just brilliant.

Q: Any advice you would give to students on writing?

A: Yes, to read a lot. I think reading good stuff, not just ads

and magazines but good books and articles is important be-

cause if you can’t read you can’t write. Reading a lot, looking

up words, listening to NPR, listening to educated people

speak articulately has a big influence on how you speak your-

self. You know, if you never read good literature or good

prose, how can you expect to write it? It’s like saying ‘paint

me a beautiful landscape and you’ve never seen a landscape

painting before. How can you possibly do it? If you want tobe a painter, you have to go to the museum, look at the paint-

ings, watch someone paint it, see how it’s done, try a little bit.

It’s really getting your hands dirty but knowing what the end

result should be, because if you don’t know what it should

look like, it’s very hard to get there.

Q: So you have written for several programs from HBO to

lifetime and Oxygen, is there a certain audience or genre you

direct your writing towards?

A: Right now I’m writing a show for tweens; it’s very scary

though. I love it. I love writing scary stuff. I like action-

adventure/ thrillers. What I wrote for Lifetime was my pay-

ing job, but it wasn’t my first love. I like action-adventuremore, and what I am doing now, the horror show. I love cable

television. Because they don’t depend on advertiser’s dollars,

they can be much bolder creatively. I loved Six-Feet Under,

The Sopranos, Mad Men, Dexter. I love cable tv I believe

they are doing a lot of exciting things with drama.

Meet Your Professor continued


A world traveler, Prof. Thomas traveled to Brazil, France,

Germany, Holland, Italy, Japan, Indonesia, Kenya, and

China, as well as many other countries. She used her travels

to give classes world examples, even to including things such

as how to say hello in different languages. Gwen Thomas

held her students in esteem. Students were important to her,

not just another crowd of faces to be lectured; they were her

“CEOs”. Thomas took time to enrich the learning experi-

ence, regularly sponsoring student visits to: the Los Angeles

Black Business Expo, US Asia Expo, Hispanic Business

Magazine Conference, and Pacific Stock Exchange.

Continued on page 8

Gwen Thomas Continued



The 2010 football season ended on a good note with a con-

quest over Santa Monica, a record of 6-4, promising fresh-

men and returning sophomores. They’re ready to step into

the spotlight next season like freshmen sensation Geno Hall

as well as other talented freshmen receivers from Wildcats

offense. Most importantly, the Wildcats’ defense this sea-

son only allowed under two a game and offense proved to

be capable of run and gun.

Wildcat Updates

NOTICES

Art Exhibit Opening:Windows and Mirrors: Reflectionson the War in AfghanistanSaturday, February 19, 20117-10 pm (includes food, music,crafts)Social and Public Art Resource Cen-ter (SPARC) 685 Venice Blvd., Ven-ice, CA 90291

Capital Fellows Programs Fellows work for 10-11 months,as a full-time member of abranch office and receive healthbenefits, a monthly stipend, andgraduate units from Sacra-mento State.For info visit: csus.edu/calst/programs

West Magazine is out and online.Features student essays, fiction, art,and music Checkout at:

www.wlac.edu/WestMagazine

Remember! ASO has discountmovie tickets for Pacific, AMC,Laemmle, and Regal theatersfor $7.50 each!

West Los Angeles College Sport teams

Football Rundown By Phillip Horsely

Date & Time: Opponet/ Event Location

Men's Basketball

Wed, Feb. 9th @ 5pm Santa MonicaCollege

West LA

Sat, Feb. 12th @5pm Glendale College Glendale, CA

Wed, Feb 16th @5pm Citrus College West LA

Women’s Basketball

Wed., Feb. 9 @ 7pm Santa MonicaCollege

Santa Monica

Sat, Feb 12 @ 7pm Glendale College Glendale, CA

Wed, Feb 16 @ 7pm Citrus College West LA

Baseball

Sat. Feb. 12 @ 2PM San Diego City Morley Field

Tues. Feb. 15 @ 2PM Ventura Ventura

Fri. Feb 18 @ 2PM Cerro Coso Cerro Coso

Sat. Feb 19 @ 11AM Cerro Coso Cerro Coso

Tues. Feb 22 @ 2PM San Diego City West LA

Tues. Mar. 2PM L A Harbor West LA

Sat. Mar. 5 Canyons West LA

Tues. Mar. 8 Bakersfield West LA

Track & Field

Sat, February 12th West LA All-

Comers

West LA

Sat, February 19th Pomona-Pitzer Invitational

Pomona-Pitzer College

Fri, February 25th Conference Relays Ventura Col-lege

Sat, March 5th Ben Brown Invite Cal State Full-erton

Sat, March 12th Cal State North-ridge Invitational

Cal StateNorthridge

Want to sell a book or other service? Get a classified ad approved at the

ASO office in A5 or email the Newseditor at : [email protected] words: free11 - 25 words: $1Restrictions: We reserve the right to to refuse any ad which in our judgmentis not in keeping with the values of West Los Angeles College. Ads must be

prepaid in cash, certain classifieds excluded. Deadline: Last day of the month.

Want to share information about an

event? Tell us so we’ can share itin our notices section.Contact us at:[email protected]

Thomas cared for how students were doing in their daily lives as

well as in their classes. She was the type of person who took the time

to see why you did not smile or wave back to her and make sure

that you were okay. She was always ready to support a student who

showed a glimmer of promise. Eileen Gnehm, a former student at

West remembers how Prof. Thomas invited her and her husband,another former WLAC student, to an event at West LA church for

sponsoring students and made sure that he was given a fair opportu-

nity after he was ignored. “This young man has raised his hand”,

Eileen recalled Thomas standing up and saying, giving him a chance

to be heard, which lead to him receiving a full-ride scholarship to

CSULA. That was only one of many instances when she supported

her students. Even though she was a comfort to students, she also

insisted that they always do things right.

Even with Prof. Thomas gone many students are still influenced

by her. Her love for students let her take classes out of the class-

room and pushed students to their potential. The Associated Stu-

dent Organization, interested in carrying on her memory to future

generations created a scholarship in her name that will be offered inSpring 2011. In life, we all pick up the essence of ideas and values

from everyone else. Some are good, some aren’t. We’re all just pin-

balls bouncing off each other. People may leave, but the stuff we get

from them stays which means they never really leave. We’re all

lucky Gwen Marie Thomas left us with some pretty great stuff.

Gwen Thomas Continued

College Boulevard, whichconnects the college toJefferson Boulevard, will

open during the first twoweeks of the Spring 2011semester.

February 2011 Volume 1 Issue 2

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