Nesians Unite is a growing learning community to provide support for Pacific Islander students at Chabot College.

The main goal of Nesians Unite is to help Pacific Islander students achieve their educational goals, whether that’s transferring or completing a certificate. 

Although Nesians Unite is still in the process of becoming a learning community, students have access to a large network. “They have direct access to mentorship from Nesians faculty as well as those in Movement,” Andrew Lai, a Nesians Unite instructor said. “We also have a sister program at San Francisco State, which they have access to, and we’re trying to build one at Cal State East Bay.”

Additionally, students have a community within Nesians Unite at Chabot. Although they have their own student organization, students have also started clubs, like the first ever Japanese club. Andrew mentioned that “outside of getting good grades and a degree, you have a community that’s going to be here to support you when you come to school.”

Already, Nesians Unite is a place for Pacific Islander students to feel seen, valued, and connected. Andrew also added that with Nesians Unite being under Movement, everyone can connect. If Nesians Unite or Movement is having an event, students in either program are invited, fostering more support and community.

Only one class is offered, which is Ethnic Studies 6: Introduction to Pacific Islanders and Oceania Studies. However, in Spring 2025, Ethnic Studies 13: Pacific Islander Expressive Cultures, a class that focuses on cultural arts from the Pacific, will be added.

For those interested in joining the program, you can enroll in one of the offered classes to automatically be added. Additionally, you can go to office 767 E and/or F in Building 700 to speak with one of the Nesians Unite faculty.

To find more information, you can visit the Nesians Unite page on the Chabot website: https://www.chabotcollege.edu/aapi/nesians-unite/index.php. 

Chaot College’s Umoja learning community offers an opportunity for Black students to achieve academic success while exploring culturally relevant topics.

Umoja offers six to eight classes per semester including English, communication studies and general studies, like Student Leadership. Tommy Reed, the program’s coordinator and counselor, explained that they ensure the classes are transferable. He said, “Whatever is happening in the Black community currently, they can have conversations and debates about it while meeting the course content requirements for transferring or graduating.” 

One class that is offered is The African American Experience, which surveys the history of the U.S. through the eyes of African Americans. This is the only class of its kind in the entire state of California.

What’s unique about Umoja is how they encourage students to not take math in their first semester. “We want students to have a balance of academic and experimental classes, allowing them to take classes they’re interested in,” Tommy mentioned. The structure allows students to discover their interests, find a suited pathway, and not be overwhelmed by the “must-dos.”

Students are encouraged to build relationships with program faculty through counseling or even being in the Umoja space in Buildling 700. They can also build relationships with Umoja students outside of Chabot through statewide conferences, college fairs, and tours of HBCUs.

With a focus on relationship-building, Tommy noted that it’s to help students find a sense of belonging, preparing them for success at other campuses.

If you are interested in joining, you can fill out the online application on the Chabot College Umoja page or set up an appointment with Tommy. To learn more about the program, visit the Umoja page: https://www.chabotcollege.edu/specialprograms/umoja/.

Chabot College’s RISE (Restorative Integrated Self-Education) program gives formerly incarcerated students who may have lost hope a chance to dream again, helping them to rebuild their lives.

The RISE program exists to support formerly justice-impacted students who want to pursue higher education and successfully reenter society. “We focus on increasing full-time enrollment, promoting academic success, and creating transfer paths, while building a strong community,” Eric Gentry, the program’s coordinator explained. “[We aim to provide] support through mentorship, workshops, and cohort models that emphasize collective growth and empowerment.”

Students have many opportunities to build networking connections beyond Chabot College. RISE often collaborates with local organizations, educational institutions, and community groups focused on supporting justice-impacted individuals. This effort allows students to connect with both professionals and peers who share similar goals.

Additionally, RISE offers courses tailored towards incarcerated students. “RISE has classes such as Entrepreneurship, English 1, and Ethnic Studies and they are aimed at providing practical knowledge and personal empowerment,” Eric said. Workshops are also held, covering topics like financial literacy and preparation for college success to teach students important skills for success.

For students interested in joining RISE, they can go to the program office, fill out the interest form on the Chabot website, or receive a referral from Chabot College staff or community partners. The main requirement for students to join is that they were formerly incarcerated or involved in the legal system in some way.

To find more information, visit the RISE page on the Chabot website: https://www.chabotcollege.edu/academics/academic-pathways-student-success/rise/.

The iconic film “The Silence of the Lambs,” is worth the watch. Loosely based on serial murderers Ted Bundy, dubbed the “Lady Killer” and Gary Michael Heidnik also known as the “House of Horrors Killer,” whose crimes only affected women. We get to see how a woman in charge navigates in a male-dominated industry while also trying to catch a serial killer.

Jodie Foster starred as Clarice Starling, a student top of her class at the FBI’s training academy. Jack Crawford portrayed by Scott Glenn sent Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, portrayed by Anthony Hopkins, a cunning psychiatrist who is serving a life sentence behind bars for cannibalism and murders. They believed that Lecter could help them unravel a series of murders in the Buffalo Bill case and that Clarice may be the one to gain information from the former psychiatrist. Clarice, is a disadvantaged orphaned country girl who has worked hard to get where she is and has low self-confidence due to her upbringing.

Clarice tells Lecter about a traumatic childhood incident where she was unable to save lambs from being slaughtered in a barn on her uncle’s farm and how she can still hear the screams. One of the victims’ bodies was found to have a death head moth native to Asia lodged in her throat. The Death’s Head Moths in The Silence of the Lambs symbolize symbolic of death or change. Jame Gumb’s perverted desire to transform himself into a woman via a horrifically violent path. Jame Gumb—also known as Buffalo Bill—is a serial killer who murders women and makes a “woman suit” out of the victims’ skin.

The title “The Silence of the Lambs” refers to the idea that the killer’s victims are silenced forever and that the only way to stop their suffering is to bring their killer to justice. The lambs represent innocent murder victims, and the silence refers to their lack of screams because they are dead or have yet to be saved. Lambs are often associated with religious connotations, particularly in Christianity, where they symbolize the embodiment of Christ’s innocence and the sacrificial lamb offering redemption and atonement for humanity’s sins. Lambs conventionally symbolize innocence and purity, and in the film, they represent the innocent victims of Buffalo Bill’s crimes. Their screams represent the extreme violence they are subjected to.

The film is filled with witty moments, one of the most notable quotes from the cannibal was “I’m having an old friend for dinner.” At the end after Lecter escapes prison, he makes a phone call to her and says, “Well, Clarice, have the lambs stopped screaming?” The Silence of the Lambs remains one of just six horror movies nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. In 1991 Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins won Oscars for Best Actress and Actor (the movie also won for Best Picture, Best /director, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Jonathan Demme’s direction and Ted Talley’s screenplay, it was also nominated for editing and sound.

The film was a critical and box office success, winning all five of the “Big Five” Academy Awards.

If you want to watch a film that is thrilling from beginning to end this is the movie to watch. The suspense and complex characters makes it a must-see for any thriller enthusiast.

Feeling out of place at Chabot because you need a note-taker or test accommodations? You are not alone – the Accessibility Center for Education (ACE) offers support and community.

ACE counselor, Linda Phan, explained that this community helps students to navigate the college setting while learning life skills and social interaction. “They have many groups from the adult schools or high schools,” she mentioned. “They’re in a cohort, taking learning skills, PE, and even psychology counseling classes together. And they hang out with each other in the cafeteria.”

She said that they push social interaction by hosting end-of-semester celebrations and the Able Disabled Club and encouraging the students to attend Chabot events. Linda says, “I feel like academics are really important, but I feel like students will do well academically if they’re happy and they have friends.” 

ACE also provides many resources that students can access. From one-on-one disability management counseling to providing specialized accommodations, like mobility tables. They aim to ensure that students have what they need to make attending school easier for them.

To get involved, students can complete an application online and then will be contacted to meet with an ACE counselor. If they qualify for the program, they can utilize its resources and find community. If you want to learn more about ACE, visit their page on the Chabot website: https://www.chabotcollege.edu/dsps/ace-learning.php.

Movement isn’t the only Chabot community that goes beyond classes and assignments. There’s also Puente, a learning community for Hispanic and other minority students alike.

The purpose of this learning community is to promote college transfers among minority groups, helping them to pursue higher education. They aim to support students in overcoming academic disadvantages.

Puente only offers English and Psychology Counseling (PSCN) classes, but Counselor Assistant Julie Sanchez said it’s like a family. “There are many benefits, community-wise,” she starts. “They’re taking the same classes with the same group of students, so they build familia within our community.” 

Students can build relationships through other opportunities like the Puente Club, field trips to universities, and even the Puente Motivation Conference. Last November, students even visited the Oakland Museum to explore exhibits that related to concepts in their English classes.

One thing that makes Puente unique is its mentorship program.

Students are paired with a professional in the field that they’re pursuing, allowing them to get first-hand insight. Adrian, a Puente student assistant, expressed that this has been most valuable for him. “The day I met my mentor was pretty cool. I now have someone to ask for help or advice whenever needed.”

Adrian also mentioned how the student assistants were a great help to him during his first year. He said they were helpful, and he was even able to build a relationship with them – it’s because of them that he decided to become a student assistant.

If you’re interested in joining, you must see if you’re eligible to enroll in the PSCN classes and ENGL 1, 4A, or 7A. Afterward, you can complete the online application and meet with a Puente counselor. However, if you don’t want to commit to the learning community, you can always join the Puente club, which will allow you to be involved.

For more information, visit the Puente page on the Chabot website: https://www.chabotcollege.edu/specialprograms/puente/.

Chabot College celebrated Building 600’s finished construction and opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony where many who were involved in the library’s making was in attendance.

On Oct. 15, people gathered on the north side of Building 600 where chairs were set up. The library’s entrance had a red ribbon tied across it that was cut in honor of the celebration. Before the cutting of the ribbon, there were a few key speakers including Chabot’s President Dr. Jamal Cooks.

“As president, I am overwhelmed with excitement about the wonderful new library.” Dr. Cook said during his speech.

Dr. Cooks took a moment to introduce Gloria E. Arellano-Gomez and her daughter, members of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, to read Chabot’s land acknowledgment. They spoke about the collaboration the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe had with Chabot during the project’s process.

“The land in which Chabot and Hayward is established was and continues to be a great spiritual significance and historical importance for our Muwekma Ohlone people.” Gloria stated.

Architects that were responsible for the planning, designing, and overseeing of the building’s construction were also acknowledged throughout the event by the speakers.

The ceremony was from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., ended with tours of the building for those who were interested. Some of the first in line for these tours were members of Chabot-Las Positas Community College District’s Board of Trustees.

“Please take a tour of the facility if you haven’t seen it. I’m planning to do that. I’ll be first in line,” Board President Dr. Hal G. Gin said while giving a speech before the ribbon cutting.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony marked a significant milestone for the community, celebrating not only the new building but the people who made it possible. With it already being heavily used, the students of Chabot couldn’t be more appreciative.

Starting college can be difficult – figuring out where to go, who to ask for help, or how to shape your college experience. At Chabot College, the First Year Experience (FYE) program makes everything easier.

FYE was created to help students transition to college, whether from high school or for first-time college attendees.

The program’s coordinator, Patrick Mwamba, said that “our main mission is to provide support holistically for students in their first year, in terms of like their transferring goals.” He added that they aim to remove structural barriers so that students can focus on their vision for life and future career.

Although students will have the core classes they need for their major, FYE also provides classes. Specifically PSCN, English, Math, and Ethnic Studies, allowing students to learn alongside peers in the same position as them.

What makes FYE unique is that students are split up into cohorts. The cohorts are divided by majors, allowing students to connect with like-minded people.

Even with the cohort structure, FYE emphasizes community building. “We have peer guides who are students that were apart of the program and will provide workshops [for all cohorts],” Patrick started. They also have events that students from the different cohorts can attend, such as movie nights or weekly hikes.

Patrick emphasized that this learning community offers a chance to help others navigate their college journey. Even if you aren’t a first year student, they encourage anyone who wants to provide support and be of guidance to join. To find out more information, visit the FYE page on the Chabot website: https://www.chabotcollege.edu/academics/fye/.

Are you interested in fighting for justice as a college student but aren’t sure of where to start? Chabot College has the perfect place-Change It Now (CIN), a social justice learning community.

What makes CIN stand out is that it’s multicultural, allowing students to learn from different perspectives while building community. The program coordinator, Carmen Johnston, said that because of the diversity “it’s important to us that students see themselves part of a community, but are also connected to their own and wanting to make a change in it.”

Carmen also stated how leadership is student-driven in its own way. If someone needs a ride to an event, needs somewhere to stay temporarily or even needs help with an assignment, someone is always ready to help.

CIN offers classes, such as English and Psychology that are taught from a social justice perspective. This is the way into the CIN as students begin getting exposure to to the topics and can connect with students already in the community.

Joymara Coleman, CIN’s part-time counselor, mentioned how alumni have expressed that it was nice finding people with common interest or having the same class as others.

She went on to say “they’ve [alumni] told me that they had a chance to flesh out what they were already interested in in a more dedicated space. They were able to further deepen what they were already called towards.”

If you’re interested in social justice or are looking for a community that shares your values, CIN is the space for you. With a community of like-minded individuals, you can learn to make a difference now and in your career. To learn more, visit the CIN page on the Chabot website: https://www.chabotcollege.edu/academics/cin/index.php.