The

Volume 1, Issue 2 2011, February 7

Black Heritage Celebrated at West By Scott Stamler

February is the one month which has us all reflect
on 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. This
year, West LA College (WLAC) has taken the initiative to
put together a series of events celebrating Black History
Month. 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 and
held 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 committee
become necessary in terms of cultural awareness. We are an
educational institution and we have a large African-American
population, simple, right? Unfortunately, like all other situa-
tions, this is never the case. However, this turns out to be
fortunate for those who will participate in these events as the
committee was well aware of the need to not only make it an
educational experience but extremely enjoyable as well.
The festivities kick off Monday, February 14th, with
Motown Monday, a day-long music festival featuring a com-
pilation of Motown artists from the 1960’s, 70’s, and 80’s. “I
expect young people to recognize that Motown music reflected
the 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 the
new generation to the older generation’s struggle goes directly
to the heart of this celebration. The celebration continues the
next day with a double feature screening of “African American
Lives”, a documentary by Henry Louis Gates Jr., and “When
We Were Kings”, a documentary depicting the Rumble In The
Jungle boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George
Foreman, and the politics surrounding the fight. Then on
Thursday, February 17th, the BHC partners with the Associated
Students Organization (ASO) to present the “Black Youth
Roadmap to Success” workshop. The workshop will consist of
a panel of college faculty and administration, including Helen
Young, Sherron Rouzan, Casey Hunter, and Vanita Nicholas,
that will touch on subjects pertaining to routes towards success
for black youths.
Continued on page 6

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-
Professor Thomas
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 at
West 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
 Page 2 The Student Voice

Letter From the Editor

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 covered
in 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

The Student Voice Lose weight and feel great while you get lean and
Feb. 2011
save some green ! By Emilio Medrano
Editor-In-Chief
Alexandre Johnson Let’s be honest, we all want to look in tip-top shape for the sum-
wlacnewsletter@gmail.com mer. And at the rate that time is flying by, summer is sure to be here within
Layout Editor 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-
Tera Coneway
sure that you have the physique that you want and deserve by the summer.
Contributing Writers:
It all starts with what you eat. Sure, those 99 cent Arizonas at the bookstore
Emilio Medrano, Tera Coneway, Alexandre Johnson
sound like a refreshing bargain. But at a brutal 400 calories and devastating
Durrell Levy, Scott Stamler, Lateshia Pernell, Phillip
90 grams of sugar per 24 ounce can is it really? A better deal is water.
Horseley
______________________________________ Ralphs is only a short walk from campus. Consider carrying a gallon of wa-
Student Voice is published 10 times a year and is ter around with you. At only a whopping 25 cents per gallon and zero grams
available free at West Los Angeles College of fat and sugar you will not find a better deal than this. Plus the round trip
PUBLISHED BY walk to fill up your gallon is sure to burn a minimum of 100 calories.
Associated Student Organization Chips, french fries, cookies, and candy bars equal calories, fat, sugar and
9000 Overland Avenue (A5) Culver City, CA 90230 carbs. Pack meals for the day at home and bring them to school with you.
Advertisements Replace a bag of chips with an ounce of healthy raw almonds or some baby
There are a wide range of prices for ad space. If inter- carrot sticks instead of buying burgers or other high calorie crap at the food
ested in placing an ad contact the ASO office. truck. Make a sandwich or some chicken and veggie stir-fry at home and
Corrections bring it with you. By taking control of what you eat you are only spending a
If you believe that we have made an error, contact fraction of the cost and have total control of the amounts of fats, sugar and
the Newsletter Editor or go to ASO office. calories that you consume
Continued on page 5
Gwen Thomas Continued
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 not
come 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
Volume 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 campus
full 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 zone
and 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 dialogue
with 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
Page 3
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; it
is 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 no
school 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 to
spread 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.
 Page 4 The Student Voice

The Benefits of Student Involvement Loose weight continued

By Lateisha Pernell Food is meant to be consumed for sur-
vival and fuel. It is not a source of comfort or just
Students gain beneficial leadership skills through campus involve- because you’re bored. Craving a cheese burger or
ment and community service. According to research studies, involvement in pizza? Save it as a treat for Sundays. It has been
clubs, sports, or community organizations can help students improve grades scientifically proven that eating five to six
in school. Being a part of a club or team gives students the responsibility to smaller meals throughout the day at 2 ½ to 3
be held accountable for their actions, the freedom to share ideas, provide hour intervals will ignite your metabolism to
feedback, and learn from others who have greater experience. Students who shed fat and give you high energy levels so you
are involved can enhance their skills and creative abilities by working with don’t feel lethargic during the day.
peers to achieve organizational goals. Participation in clubs can improve the It will also keep your focus and concentration in
communication skills of students who are willing to associate themselves line so you can perform better in your classes and
with others and dare to be different. keep those grades high.
For recipe ideas, workout suggestions,
and other health
Although students may discover that their talents are unlike their
conscious advice “Youtube is a useful
peers, they can be a valuable asset to their team and enlighten others by
you could easily resource besides using it
demonstrating their strengths. Furthermore, active students can develop the
find them for
following skills necessary to succeed in the workforce: free on the inter- to view music videos, TV
• Time Management net. Did you shows, and other
• Human Relations know that you foolishness and nonsense
could find all of
• Problem Solving that most of you insist on
these on You-
• Organization Tube? Yes, You- submerging yourselves
• Multi-tasking tube is a useful
into on a daily basis.”
Be resourceful on your campus and in your community. People need support resource besides
and dependable students in various areas. Get involved and change your using it to view
world. music videos, TV shows, and other foolishness
and nonsense that most of you insist on submerg-
ing yourselves into on a daily basis.
West’s Giving Spirit This is only a map. It is up to you to
guide yourselves towards your goals. You’re not
By Alexandre Johnson going to accomplish your goals if there is not an
innate desire to do so. Great health and a smash-
Last December the Associated Student Organization (ASO) and ing physique cannot be bought, won, or stolen. It
the Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society (AGS) teamed up to produce the can only be earned.
Foster Youth Toy and Book Drive. Together the organizations set up
boxes around campus in four locations to collect items for foster youth.
Bags of toys came in from students and faculty. At first, the numbers
seemed low. There were even hiccups along the way, such as when
used toys were donated that could not be distributed. However, dona-
tions picked up as the drive neared its end and the organizations soon
found boxes filled.
The organizers at West were happy with the final volume of
toys and gifts collected. “Overall the drive went well,” Rachelly
Escobar of ASO stated, both groups would like to thank everyone who
donated. These toys and books were later handed out to foster children
on December 19th at Exposition Park through the Child Youth and
Family Collaborative (CYFC). Providing gifts to children in ages rang-
ing from babies to 17 year-olds we hope we made a brighter Christmas
for 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 at
West have to help those in need.
A box filled with
donated gifts in the
ASO office
Volume 1, Issue 2
Meet Your Professor
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 were
used 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 office
every 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
Page 5
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 we
only 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 really
like 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
 Page 6 The Student Voice

Heritage continued African American Heritage Month

Schedule of Events
On the same day, a presentation on the Evolution of Black Music will take place at
the Fine Arts building. Here you will encounter various forms of Jazz, Blues, Soul, • 2/14 Music Monday President’s Walk
R&B, all the way to modern Hip-Hop. (outside MAS & MSB)
th • 2/15 Film Screenings ATA 128 at 11am
The fourth week of February kicks off with a presentation on the 50 anniver- and 1pm
sary of the Freedom Riders, entitled “Riding Towards Freedom” slated for Tuesday,
• 2/17 Evolution of Black Music with
the 22nd and hosted by Gus Montes and Professor Maynard Brown. The presentation
speaker Scot Brown - FA 100 at 11:30
will also touch on subjects such as business and finance. “Financial literacy and en-
• 2/17 Black Youth: Roadmap to Success
trepreneurship are important,” says Professor Brown. “They are important because
panel 1-2:30
our (African-American) families have struggled disproportionately to others through-
rd • 2/22 Film Screenings w/ panel discussion—
out (our nation’s history).” The very next day (February 23 ) features a gauntlet of
ATA 128 at 11am and 1pm
activities including a Spoken Word event, focused on contemporary African-
• 2/22 The Economics of the Freedom Rid-
American poets, a speaker presentation by James Lawson, food vendors selling Soul
ers w/ Maynard Brown—FA100 at 7pm
Food and traditional African cuisine, and a screening of “An Imitation of Life,” fol-
th
lowed by a discussion. The festivities take a change of pace on Friday, the 25 , with • 2/23 Culminating Day: Keynote speaker,
Rev. Lawson, Spoken word— President’s
an evening dance and music production organized by Debra Holt, which includes a
Lane at 11-2
presentation honoring Gwen Marie Thomas. The Gwen Thomas event serves as a
bitter-sweet ending to the month as our West family not only remembers and reflects • 2/23 “Imitation of Life” panel
on Black History, but on an extraordinary member of the black community who • 2/24 Martin Luther King’s “I Have a
taught us all to cherish and nurture values and virtues we have come to hold as true Dream” Speech 12:30
and necessary. These include the will to succeed, strength of character, social con- • 2/25 Evening Celebration honoring of
sciousness, caring for others, and caring for your local and larger community. Gwen Thomas—FA 100
• 2/26 Mayme Clayton Library Film
It is knowledge of our past that compels us best to move forward towards a Screening (4130 Overland Ave) 4pm
brighter future. No event better captures this notion than Black History Month. Stu- • 2/28 Music Monday12:30-1:30
dents, faculty and administration are all invited to participate in this annual celebra- Look on WestWeek online for updates on
tion that promises to excite as well as educate. location and time

The Significance of Black History Month by Durrell Levy

When we talk about preserving cultural roots, we must
first 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
history. We must acknowledge the memory of those who have
shown 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 the
highest 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.
Volume 1, Issue 2
Meet Your Professor continued
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! So
for 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 than
online 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-
Page 7
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 to
be 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-adventure
more, 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.
Gwen Thomas 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
 Wildcat Updates Gwen Thomas Continued
West Los Angeles College Sport teams
Thomas cared for how students were doing in their daily lives as
Football Rundown By Phillip Horsely 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
The 2010 football season ended on a good note with a con- that you were okay. She was always ready to support a student who
showed a glimmer of promise. Eileen Gnehm, a former student at
quest over Santa Monica, a record of 6-4, promising fresh- West remembers how Prof. Thomas invited her and her husband,
men and returning sophomores. They’re ready to step into another former WLAC student, to an event at West LA church for
the spotlight next season like freshmen sensation Geno Hall sponsoring students and made sure that he was given a fair opportu-
as well as other talented freshmen receivers from Wildcats nity after he was ignored. “This young man has raised his hand”,
Eileen recalled Thomas standing up and saying, giving him a chance
offense. Most importantly, the Wildcats’ defense this sea-
to be heard, which lead to him receiving a full-ride scholarship to
son only allowed under two a game and offense proved to CSULA. That was only one of many instances when she supported
be capable of run and gun. her students. Even though she was a comfort to students, she also
Date & Time: Opponet/ Event Location insisted that they always do things right.
Men's Basketball Even with Prof. Thomas gone many students are still influenced
th
Wed, Feb. 9 @ 5pm Santa Monica West LA by her. Her love for students let her take classes out of the class-
College room and pushed students to their potential. The Associated Stu-
dent Organization, interested in carrying on her memory to future
Sat, Feb. 12th @5pm Glendale College Glendale, CA
generations created a scholarship in her name that will be offered in
Spring 2011. In life, we all pick up the essence of ideas and values
Wed, Feb 16th @5pm Citrus College West LA 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
Women’s Basketball lucky Gwen Marie Thomas left us with some pretty great stuff.
Wed., Feb. 9 @ 7pm Santa Monica Santa Monica
College
Sat, Feb 12 @ 7pm Glendale College Glendale, CA
NOTICES
Wed, Feb 16 @ 7pm Citrus College West LA West Magazine is out and online. College Boulevard, which
Features student essays, fiction, art, connects the college to
and music Checkout at: Jefferson Boulevard, will
open during the first two
Baseball www.wlac.edu/WestMagazine weeks of the Spring 2011
Sat. Feb. 12 @ 2PM San Diego City Morley Field semester.
Tues. Feb. 15 @ 2PM Ventura Ventura Art Exhibit Opening:
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Fri. Feb 18 @ 2PM Cerro Coso Cerro Coso Windows and Mirrors: Reflections
Fellows work for 10-11 months,
Sat. Feb 19 @ 11AM Cerro Coso Cerro Coso on the War in Afghanistan
as a full-time member of a
Tues. Feb 22 @ 2PM San Diego City West LA Saturday, February 19, 2011
branch office and receive health
7-10 pm (includes food, music,
Tues. Mar. 2PM L A Harbor West LA benefits, a monthly stipend, and
crafts)
Sat. Mar. 5 Canyons West LA graduate units from Sacra-
Social and Public Art Resource Cen-
Tues. Mar. 8 Bakersfield West LA mento State.
ter (SPARC) 685 Venice Blvd., Ven-
For info visit: csus.edu/calst/
ice, CA 90291
programs
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