Laughter and Learning Take Center Stage

Entertainer Bill Cosby was his usual funny self as he performed at Cal Poly Pomona's fund-raising gala, Founders' Celebration. The Feb. 21 university-wide event also featured Huell Howser, who charmed the audience as MC. Howser is the producer and host of the popular PBS series "California's Gold."

In front of a sellout crowd of 764 at the Pacific Palms Resort in the City of Industry, Cosby closed out the memorable evening, which netted $340,000 for student scholarships and academic enrichment. University President Bob H. Suzuki, a longtime friend of the comedian, announced on stage that the university's Child & Family Service Program and its mobile unit will be renamed the Ennis W. Cosby Child & Family Service Program and Friendmobile in tribute to Cosby's late son and the entire Cosby family.

The Friendmobile is a traveling clinic that helps low-income children in the community receive testing and counseling for learning disabilities as well as emotional and behavioral problems.

Beam Me Up, Scotty

Too bad students enrolled in a digital TV video production class at La Puente's Nogales High School couldn't get beamed up to Scotland for their latest project. They are co-producing a Star Trek parody called "Starship Hamilton" with schoolchildren at the South Lanarkshire Screen School of Scotland. The next best thing was a videoconference with their Scottish classmates, courtesy of high-tech facilities at Cal Poly Pomona.

It all began when teachers from the two schools met during a visit last October and spoke about a collaborative project between their two classes. Since travel costs hindered the project, taking advantage of the available facilities at Cal Poly Pomona was just too good to pass up.

The students hope to enter their project in the Burbank International Children's Film Festival.

Positive Chemical Reactions

"Ew, this is gooey!" cries a young girl, one hand full of moist cornstarch. Disgust quickly turns to excited fascination as the substance she holds shows both liquid and solid properties.

This and other simple chemistry experiments were offered in March to 60 students at Redwood Elementary School in Fontana. But they weren't part of regular classroom lesson. They were conducted on a Saturday morning in the school's cafeteria by visiting students from Cal Poly Pomona, all currently enrolled in Science 211: Chemical Sciences. Better known as "Science for Teachers," the class is designed to take the fear out of teaching science.

They're going to be able to test all their skills, get their feet wet and see if they like it," said Ann Marie Katze, a third grade teacher at Redwood and a 1999 Cal Poly Pomona graduate. "I know for me it was being abe to say 'I can do this!'"

The experiments appear to create a chain-reaction of understanding from elementary and college students alike.

"You almost can see the light bulbs go off above their heads," says Crystal Schall, a Diamond Bar resident in her final quarter of study at Cal Poly Pomona. "You feel like you've made a difference in their lives."

For more information about the Science 211 class, contact the university's chemistry department at (909) 869-3653.

On the Edge of Sanity

When given an assignment to write a radio drama for a class lass fall, Cal Poly Pomona political science major Farrah Hassen felt it was natural to address a topic fresh on her mind—the tragedy of Sept. 11. Her finished product not only received an A, but also airtime. Hassen's radio drama was broadcast on KPFK-FM in March during "Hot Talk," hosted by Saul Landau, who also teaches at Cal Poly Pomona.

"Ms. Sanity" lampoons America's heightened state of alert after Sept. 11 through a frightened couple convinced that their neighbor is a "terrorist." The couple calls Ms. Sanity, a radio talk show host who attempts to allay the fears of the misinformed pair and provide reason and calm.

"There is a point I'm making in the radio drama, but it's not supposed to be moral or preachy," Hassen says. "Above all, it's supposed to be entertaining. I just hope people will get the humor of it.

As an Arab/Muslim-American, Hassen was affected by many post-Sept. 11 events, especially racial profiling and the backlash against Arab-Americans. Hassen said writing the radio drama was a form of therapy for her.