The Mt. San Antonio College Podcast

In this special reflection episode, we revisit the highlights and transformative moments from our first season that launched on March 3rd, 2018 all the way to its tenth season. Hosts, Chisa Uyeki and Ivan Sanchez reflect, along with the podcast’s long-time producer of eight and half years since the podcast’s inception, Christina Barsi, on how the show evolved to bring listeners into real experiences on campus. From capturing live in-person events to becoming a key resource component in keeping the campus connected during the swift changes that took place during covid to finding our way back to capturing in-person experiences on campus in our most recent season - the podcast has served as both a recorded history of the resiliency Mt. SAC faculty and students alike have shown and as a way to connect to current events and resources that help our students succeed. As we celebrate the journey so far, we also mark a heartfelt transition, wishing our producer, Christina Barsi, all the best on her new endeavours as life shifts and her time with us comes to an end. Join us as we look back, reflect, and gear up for future seasons together!A note from our producer:This project allowed me the unique opportunity to learn so much about myself, what I’m capable of, and the craft of audio storytelling, along with how to gently guide others in a process that often asks you to step out of your comfort zone for the bigger goal of creating the space and platform for others to shine, to share or to simply cover much needed information. When this project began, it asked me to step out of my comfort zone at every turn but in doing so - I discovered a version of myself that I didn’t know was there. It shaped my professional career and craft with a unique skillset that is hard to find in podcast production these days and it opened me up to a world of issues that I now deeply care about and embed in my approach to my work, how I hire and how I advocate for others who are a part of my industry or want to be. I attribute so much of the person I’ve evolved into over these past eight and a half years…to my work with this podcast. I am forever grateful and I will miss it. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your journey.Run Time: 20 min, 24 secTo Find the full transcript for this episode click HERE

Today, we are highlighting student research from Mt. SAC's Sociology Research Showcase!The Sociology Research Showcase is a campus wide event that gives students an opportunity to share original empirical research in STEM, Social Sciences as well as developing research projects and literature reviews. The event includes projects from multiple areas of study and serves as a way to celebrate the wonderful research being done by our students right here on our campus . During this event, our cohost Ivan Sanchez, spoke to many student participants, some who brought family, friends, and significant others to celebrate their work.At its heart, the showcase is about giving students a space to be seen as researchers, giving them a chance to take the questions they have been developing in class or in partnership with a faculty mentor and present them in a public academic setting.One of the most exciting things about the showcase is the range of topics students explore (which we've listed for you below). While the diversity in projects is always pleasant to see, they all show how student research can connect classroom learning to real public issues and topics.In partnership with the Sociology department, psychology, the honors center, the equity center, the humanities and social sciences division, and many more partners across campus we put together this event every year. Enjoy!Resources:Event Website: https://www.mtsac.edu/sociology/research_showcase.html Undergraduate Research Librarian-created guide to undergraduate research including what research is, resources and strategies for successful research, and opportunities for sharing what your findings.Some examples of student project titles include:Socioeconomic Dental Health Inequality and Self-Esteem Across the LifespanThe Politics and Bioethical Standards of Gene Therapeutics Shaped by Organizational InfluenceThe Perception of Happiness in a Relationship on Social Media Among College StudentsThe Cognitive Bias of Anchoring Effect in Quantitative EstimationHow to Improve Transfer Experience of a First Year Engineering Student?International Surrogacy and the Necessity of U.S. ProhibitionThe Pollution Weather Balloon ExperimentLabor Protection in Fast FashionRacial and Ethnic Disparities in Prehospital Analgesic Intensity and Pain Relief for Adult Musculoskeletal Trauma: A NEMSIS StudyThe Influence of Suggestion on MemoryThe Relationship Between Sense of Belonging and Ethnocultural Identity and Campus Engagement in College StudentsRun Time: 24 minTo Find the full transcript for this episode click HERE

While many of us celebrate Thanksgiving, we must also acknowledge that it is a holiday often observed in a way that erases the lived experiences of Indigenous people and ignores the ongoing impact of colonial oppression. In this episode taken from Fall Flex Day 2025, we hand the microphone over to Dr. Primavera Reza-Nakonechny. In this workshop, she breaks down the collaborative effort and complexity behind drafting a meaningful land acknowledgement, sheds light on the attempt to censor specific words in education, and the persistent attempts at historical erasure.You'll also hear from some of the participants and myself as we reflect on how small but significant changes to our lessons can help center Native perspectives in our courses. We hope that this invites you to pause and reflect on your own teaching practices. Enjoy.Resources:Mt. SAC First Peoples Native Center (includes text of the Mt. SAC Land Acknowledgement) Mt. SAC Native American & Indigenous Heritage MonthMt. SAC Native American Student Support and Success Program (NASSSP) Grant"Creating Student Impact: The First People's Native Center." Mt. San Antonio College Podcast, Episode 205, 12 Nov., 2024. Joining Podcast co-host Chisa Uyeki in conversation with Primavera Reza-Nakonechny & student Alisa Ciulla and learn about the founding of the center and its key role in empowering Native students, fostering identity development, and a strong sense of belonging."Crafting An Intentional Land Acknowledgement at Mt. SAC." Mt. San Antonio College Podcast, Episode 206, 26 Nov., 2024. Podcast co-host Chisa Uyeki interviews Mt. SAC First Peoples Native Center's Primavera Reza-Nakonechny & student Alisa Ciulla about the importance of language, the practices and meaning behind land acknowledgments, how Mt. SAC is working to craft a Land Acknowledgement with tribal input, and how we can go beyond statements into meaningful actions.Bledsoe, R. "First Peoples Native Center Opens" Newsroom, 15, Nov., 2022, Mt. San Antonio College. Photos and news story on the Center's grand opening in 2022.On censored words at the federal level: Connelly, A. "Federal government's growing banned words list is chilling act of censorship." Pen America, 1 Oct, 2025, www.pen.org/banned-words-list/.Yourish, K., Daniel, A., Datar, S., White, I., & Gamio, L. (2025, Mar 10). These Words Are Disappearing in the New Trump Administration. New York Times https://mtsac.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/these-words-are-disappearing-new-trump/docview/3175748596/se-2 [link requires Mt. SAC sign-in]California Community College Chancellor's Office American Indian and Alaska Native Student Success Land Acknowledgement and Tribal Consultation ToolkitLand Acknowledgement StatementsNative Land Digital honors the sovereignty of all Indigenous nations, their lands, and their waters. We recognize that these boundaries and territories are representations of the sacred. This is an honouring of Indigenous resilience past, present and future. Native Governance Center's Tips for Creating an Indigenous Land Acknowledgment StatementLAist What to know about land acknowledgment, and why it's deeper than just a statementNational Museum of the American Indian, Honoring Original Indigenous Inhabitants: Land AcknowledgmentRun Time: 25:44To Find the full transcript for this episode click HERE

What does skating and environmental advocacy have in common? As it turns out, a lot. This episode of the Mt. San Antonio College Podcast introduces award-winning skateboarder and environmentalist Peggy Oki, who visited campus to talk about her legacy skating, but also how it opened her eyes to the natural world.Hosts Chisa Uyeki and Ivan Sanchez meet students creating their own skateboard art and art letters, shedding light on the intersections between skate culture, creativity, and environmental activism, and proving the value of creative approaches to advocacy.Resources:THE ART OF SKATE: Activism, Art and Design show continues through November 13, 2025 at the Diana Berger Art Gallery Instagram @mtsac_dianabergergalleryTo learn more about skater, artist, and activist Peggy Oki, check out https://www.peggyoki.com/ including her activism for Whales and Dolphins through the Origami Whale ProjectPeggy encouraged action to protect wildlife.- To learn more about marine mammals currently protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act check out Cetacean.org, including actions you can take to protect these animals.- ECOS (Environmental Conservation Online System) US endangered animals list provides information about each animal protected by the Endangered Species Act.Mt. SAC Fine Art and Commercial Art Programs that participated in the Art of Skate Festival included: Mt. SAC Graphic Design & Illustration: Shaping the next generation of creative professionals and Mt. SAC Printmaking.Run Time: 14:53To Find the full transcript for this episode click HERE

Welcome back to the Mt. San Antonio College Podcast! In this special season 10 premiere, hosts Chisa Uyeki and Ivan Sanchez dive into the heart of what makes Mt. SAC — and community colleges in general — so unique: a deep commitment to creative, innovative teaching and ongoing learning.This season, we're excited to introduce our new producer, Kate Mishkin, who brings her passion for storytelling and curiosity about education into the mix. Season 10 is all about reconnecting to purpose. Tune in on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.Run time: 8:24 minTo find the full transcript for this episode, click HERE

While parenting is tremendously rewarding, it is challenging on many levels. For our students who are also parents or guardians, they have to balance the demands of caring for children and the demands of college. Today we delve into this topic and how to best support these students. We talk with Dr. Julie Marquez, who directs a number of student support programs, including EOPS and Care. Dr. Marquez shares her knowledge of services available on campus and off, as well as actions we can all take to contribute to a family-friendly college culture which supports these students. We also hear directly from students at the 4th annual Parenting Institute, which was held in February of 2025. Enjoy! RESOURCES for Students who are parents: Student Parents l points students to resources for Food & Basic Needs, Child & Pregnancy Care (including locations of lactation stations) , Priority Registration, Health & Wellness, Finances & Taxes, and more. Lactation Room Locations: https://www.mtsac.edu/hr/lactation.html Mt. San Antonio College Parent Institute: The Parent Institute is an interactive and inclusive learning experience for Mt. SAC's parenting students, which includes workshops, community-building activities, a resource fair, and motivational speakers. The Parent Institute is designed to empower students to embrace their identities as parents, their ability to succeed and to reach their educational goals. CalWORKs is the acronym for California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids. All Community Colleges in California have a CalWORKs Program on campus. Community College CalWORKs Programs serves students in all 58 counties. By providing educational support to Mt. SAC student-parents who are receiving cash aid, we hope to change two generations at a time. CARE: The CARE Program is designed to support EOPS students who are single parents, head of household, and who are receiving Cash Aid for themselves and/or their children. Mt. SAC Child Development Center provides on-campus quality early care and education services for the children of college students, staff, and the community at-large are provided on campus throughout the year. Run Time: 39:47 To Find the full transcript for this episode click HERE

"This book makes me feel understood…I see parts of myself within this book and reflected in ways that I didn't think I would ever hear anybody reflect them." Listen in to hear Mt. SAC students, like Jimmy Smith, thoughtfully reflect on the book Flamer, written by Mike Curarto, who you'll also hear from in this candid and informative discussion about banned books and the ways in which we can combat coordinated censorship. We'll explore the importance of the freedom to read, the power of books, and the damage that censorship causes. First, we'll hear from a few students, and then you'll join me for a conversation with Mike Curato, the author of the graphic novel Flamer, which has been the target of coordinated censorship efforts. And finally, Lessa Kanani'opua Pelayo-Lozada, Director of Glendale Library, Arts & Culture, will talk about the book banning in the U.S., providing her perspective as the 2022-2023 President of the American Library Association. Enjoy. Resources: Kim Earhart, Censorship in US History Textbooks, Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. 50th anniversary ed. Toronto: Anchor Canada, 2009. Print. Mt. SAC Library, General Collection, 823.914 Ac45t 2009 https://caccl-antonio.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01CACCL_ANTONIO/1c1rl6n/alma991000274809705277 "Chinua Achebe, The Art of Fiction, No. 139 " The Paris Review, Winter 1994. https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/1720/the-art-of-fiction-no-139-chinua-achebe "Florida Scoured Math Textbooks for 'Prohibited Topics.' Next Up: Social Studies," New York Times, March 20, 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/16/us/florida-textbooks-african-american-history.html "Whose History? How Textbooks Can Erase the Truth and Legacy of Racism," Thurgood Marshall Institute, Jakiyah Bradley, February 2023. https://tminstituteldf.org/books-censorship-black-history/ "Two States. Eight Textbooks. Two American Stories." New York Times, Dana Goldstein, January 12, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/01/12/us/texas-vs-california-history-textbooks.html# Additional access link (requires Mt. SAC login) Mike Curato Mike Curato, Author and Illustrator Curato, Mike. Flamer. First edition. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2020. Print. Mt. SAC Library, General Collection; 741.5973 C922f Austrian, J. J. Worm Loves Worm. First edition. New York, N.Y: Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2016. Print. Mt. SAC Library, Children's Collection Lessa Kanani'opua Pelayo-Lozada Mt. SAC Library Banned & Challenged Books Booklist Office for Intellectual Freedom. "Censorship by the Numbers." American Library Association, 8 Apr. 2025, www.ala.org/bbooks/censorship-numbers PEN America. "Book Bans." 04 March 2025, https://pen.org/book-bans/ PEN America tracks book bans and fights censorship in public schools and libraries across the country. Penguin Random House, "Read Banned Books." 2025, https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/banned-books/ Links to book resumes (used for justification for inclusion of materials), organizations you can support, and actions you can take. Office for Intellectual Freedom. "Challenge Reporting." American Library Association, https://www.ala.org/tools/challengesupport/report Form for reporting book challenges, censorship, and other challenges to libraries, library services, and library workers and communities. Unite Against Book Bans, "Unite in Your Community." https://uniteagainstbookbans.org/ A campaign by the American Library Association to share information and data about book challenges, support actions against book bans, and provide access to news, tools, and resources. Run Time: 29:05 To Find the full transcript for this episode click HERE

The Mt. SAC Podcast last checked in on our Basic Needs Resources in Fall of 2022, in what has become our most downloaded episode in the nine seasons of the podcast. Because there is a clear interest in this topic we wanted to provide an update about the resources currently available, the students served, and how we can best support students facing housing, food, and other basic needs insecurities. Join Chisa Uyeki, Mt. SAC Podcast co-host, as she invites Admin Specialist, Monica Arellano, Program Specialist, Lorena Cardozo and Student Resource Navigator Lead, Richard Chavez to talk with us about Basic Needs and the available resources at Mt. SAC. Resources: To Request Basic Needs Assistance https://www.mtsac.edu/basic-needs/forms/request_assistance.html Basic Needs Resources Program https://www.mtsac.edu/basic-needs/ Look under "resources" drop down for more detailed information Sign-up for the Basic Needs Resources Newsletter Basic Needs Resources Newsletter More resources can be found in the Basic Needs Resources Program & Mountie Fresh linktree https://linktr.ee/mountiefresh Affordability, Food, and Housing Access Taskforce Report REAL COLLEGE CALIFORNIA: BASIC NEEDS AMONG CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS https://saragoldrickrab.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/basic_needs_among_california_community_college_students-final-2023.pdf 2023-2024 Student Basic Needs Survey Report (The Hope Center) https://hope.temple.edu/research/hope-center-basic-needs-survey/2023-2024-student-basic-needs-survey-report Syllabus statement (faculty can add this to the syllabus) "Food and housing challenges affect many students at Mt. SAC. If you are experiencing this, you are not alone. If these challenges are affecting your success in the course, let's talk and I'll share what I know about campus resources. If you feel more comfortable talking with someone else, many people are here to support you like Basic Needs Resources Program, Counselors, the Mt. SAC Health Center, your coaches or club advisor, and Mt. SAC staff at the many programs and centers on campus. Or if you would like to explore resources on your own, check out the Basic Needs Resources Program, Mountie Fresh Food Pantry, and the Basic Needs CalFresh Outreach webpages." Run Time: 35:31 To Find the full transcript for this episode click HERE