MISSION EXPANDED

BY ASIANA PONCIANO
Editor

(from left) Jorge Villagran, Ricardo Cole, Atchare Sawangsin and Don Moore (left to right) print a project for their graphics class. PHOTO BY JORGE PARADA

Visitors to City College's Mission campus are welcomed by a mural painted on a beam above the entrance hallway. The colorful mural is a message written in 13 languages, all expressing a single word: "Welcome."

The Mission campus is a microcosm of San Francisco's diversity. Students come from different countries, speak different languages and are of different ages, but they all feel welcomed by the campus's staff and faculty.

In the center of this little world is Carlotta del Portillo, the campus dean, who does everything from meeting with community advisory boards to speaking one-on-one with students.

Portillo tries to be the first on campus every day and checks each classroom on all four floors, making sure they are open before students arrive. It is

with the same care that Portillo talks to students. She described being on the phone for an hour, trying to convince a female student to take Physics 10, a transferable class that would propel her closer to graduating.

PHOTO BY JORGE PARADA

The campus shares its building with Downtown High School, but there are plans for expansion. Portillo recalls when the Mission campus was a part of the Centers Division of City College, which held only noncredit classes that targetting the surrounding community. The Centers Division has ceased to exist, but the campus continues to uphold its tradition of serving the community by offering a broader curriculum.

"We sprang from the needs of the community and the requests of the community," Portillo said.

English as a Second Language

One important need met by the Mission campus is improving its students' English skills. According to English as a Second Language Coordinator Jaime Borrazas, an estimated 355,000 students have taken noncredit ESL courses at the Mission campus.

PHOTO BY JORGE PARADA

On the first level of the building, announcements of various ESL classes cover the walls of the main hallway. One class notice uses song lyrics and photos of musicians such as deceased rapper Tupac Shakur and Whitney Houston, to entice students to enroll in the "ESL Through Song Lyrics" course.

The school also offers various vocational ESL classes, such as "VESL for Child Development" and "VESL for the Biotech Industry." Both Borrazas and Portillo said the vocational ESL classes are determined by an advisory committee that surveys open job fields in the city and plans classes accordingly.

Mission Campus Perks *On-campus bookstore *Picture ID *Vending machines and student lounge *On-campus counseling *On-campus admission and records office *Easy access to Muni and BART *It's in the Mission District! In this lively neighborhood you can chomp on some great food or shop at thrift stores.

"In the past, we did all kinds of ESL classes," Borrazas said. "I used to teach a vocational ESL in the clerical field."

"The ESL program is 95 percent Latino," Portillo said. "The other 5 to 10 is a mixture of everything you can imagine. It's a real po tpourri."

"Yes, I loved the class," said David Maldonado, a former Mission campus student. "I know so many different people, Chinese, Japanese, Korean. I have new friends who are Chinese and Brazilian."

Graphic Design

Graphic communications is another strong department at the Mission campus, including both introductory courses like"Orientation to Design and Graphic Communication" and advanced ones like "Product Finishing."

Graphic communications instructor Nathan Atkinson teaches "Offset Printing Operations," a hands-on class where students pick up graphic arts skills using City College's only printing press.

"By understanding how offset printing works, you can transfer to specialize printing," said Atkinson, who mentioned paper, glass and wood as examples of those specialized fields.

After owning a printing business for 25 years, Atkinson began teaching at City College five years ago. Graphic communication students take his class to learn the full process of printing, from designing to finishing. Atkinson said some students in his class already work in the printing field, but want to gain more skills in order to have an edge in the job market.

"We do get calls in (from agencies and businesses) for students, and they get placed in jobs," Atkinson said.

Mission-based group that deals with community murals.

"I like the hands-on approach that Nathan Atkinson utilizes. We not only have lectures, but then we turn the lecture into practical use," said Tom Battiaglia, who will be receiving an AA in Graphic Communications and Science in Print.

Plans for the Future

Don Moore examines a negative of a page to be printed with graphics instructor Nathan Atkinson. PHOTO BY JORGE PARADA

Battiaglia recognizes flaws at the campus, such as lack of bathroom facilities and outdated printing equipment.

"The equipment is old in the press shop and could stand to be overhauled. I hope the (graphic communications) department will come up with the money to do so," he said.

Like many other students, Battiaglia enjoys the community around the campus. "I love the neighborhood with the variety of shops and restaurants," he said.

To accommodate construction, the campus will be moving to 375 Alabama and 17th streets at the end of July and will return in two years. Portillo said there will be two more buildings on the campus with an additional 140,000 square feet. The long-awaited expansion will not only add to the existing 21 classrooms, but also provide a coffee shop, a child development center, five multi-purpose rooms and a bookstore.

Administrators and faculty say as the Mission campus expands, so will the school's dedication to the community. The campus is a product of diligence, diversity and an eagerness to learn. After all, when people pass the campus gates they are welcomed in 13 languages.