Instructor mixes meditation and kaleidoscopes
“Nirvanic Toolbox: Kaleidoscopes, Singing Bowls, Meditation and More” will be presented by the 2010 Glendale Community College Distinguished Faculty Award winner Chris Juzwiak at 12:20 p.m. April 21 in Kreider Hall.
Juzwiak is an English instructor at the college. He began teaching at GCC in 2001. His lecture will be a recounting of his personal and unique journey in nirvanic consciousness. In addition to discussing a pragmatic and physiological approach to meditation, he will have on display 35 kaleidoscopes from America’s top kaleidoscope artists and a large assortment of Tibetan singing bowls.
Juzwiak earned his bachelor’s degree and his masters in comparative literature from UCLA. He is fluent in French and Italian and conducted research at the Sorbonne in France and the University of Pavia in Italy.
At GCC, Juzwiak is chair of the Developmental Composition Program and is a research director in the Full Emersion program in association with the Carnegie Center for Teaching and Learning. The program is an effort to improve student outcomes in developmental composition classes through extensive use of technology in the classroom.
In addition to the Distinguished Faculty Award, Juzwiak has received the GCC John Craven Award for Innovative Pedagogy in Composition Instruction.
This is the 24th Distinguished Faculty Award to be presented by the Academic Senate. The recipient is chosen following on-campus nominations and a committee selection process. The winner is announced each year during commencement ceremonies and is asked to give a presentation that is followed by a reception during the next academic year.
ESL INSTRUCTOR WINS STATE TEACHING AWARD
Debbie Robiglio, an instructor of noncredit English as a Second Language (ESL) at GCC, received the “Spirit of Teaching Award” by the California Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages on April 7 during the opening ceremony of the annual convention in Long Beach.
Presented annually by CATESOL and co-sponsored by Pearson/Longman, the “Spirit of Teaching Award” is given to support and reward exemplary teachers in the ESL/ELD field. Elementary, secondary, adult, community college and university teachers compete together in this competition. But only one ESL teacher is chosen among all groups combined. The competition is open to all teachers in California and Nevada.
MORE “EVENING WITH THE STARS” IN APRIL
“Evening with the Stars” presentations will be held in the GCC Planetarium at 7 and 8:30 p.m. Friday and 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
“Evening with the Stars” is displayed on the digital dome and takes guests on a one-hour, fact-filled ride to the stars, galaxies, constellations and planets. All shows are presented by a live narrator, allowing audience members to ask questions. The shows are also kid-friendly.
Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. No credit cards are accepted. There is no late seating as the doors must remain closed during the planetarium shows.
Presentations in the planetarium are on a custom-built 30-foot diameter dome. Patrons view the shows from power reclining seats. The all-digital full-dome theater was developed by Sky-Skan with both 2D and 3D “live” digital star fields. The planetarium also features a fully computer-controlled 5.1 surround sound system and automated high intensity LED lighting.
There is free parking for all public shows in Circle Drive, in front of the college and entered from Verdugo Road. The college is at 1500 N. Verdugo Road.
For more details call (818) 551-5275. Additional “Evening with the Stars” presentations will be at 7 and 8:30 p.m. May 20 and at 6:30 p.m. May 21. For information on other planetarium activities, go to https://vision.glendale.edu/index.aspx?page=182.
WENDY GROVE is public information coordinator at Glendale Community College. Her column runs once a month. Reach her at (818) 551-5161 or by e-mail at wgrove@glendale.edu.
