Students in the College of Education’s (COE) Early Language and Literacy LBS 310 course do more than study how children’s books contribute to early childhood literacy. By the time the course is over, students have written and illustrated their own books. It’s all part of CSUDH’s Project CYCLE: Crafting Young Children’s Literary Experiences, which brings the university and local community closer together. The goal of Project CYCLE is to provide the young children and families of CSUDH’s Infant/Toddler Center, Child Development Center, and the surrounding community with books to read at home. It also gives the teachers-in-training hands-on experience in creating useful early literacy ... Read More
Features
Inaugural Juneteenth Symposium Calls for Systemic Change
California State University (CSU) held its first Juneteenth Symposium June 15 and 16, celebrating Black history and achievement while demanding justice and equity within higher education and beyond. The event, hosted by CSUDH, was titled “By Any Means Necessary: Synthesizing the Voices of Our Ancestors and Everyday People.” Recent San Diego State graduate and CSU Board of Trustees Emerita Maryana Khames led the push to create the symposium after listening to students demand action in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. Students called on the CSU to take the lead in combating anti-Black racism and champion diversity, equity, and inclusion across the CSU’s 23 campuses, and throughout ... Read More
Jonathon Grasse’s New Book Explores Brazilian Music History
When ethnomusicologist, composer, and CSUDH Professor of Music Jonathon Grasse first started traveling to Brazil 30 years ago, he had no intention of becoming a historian of the country’s music—he was simply exploring the country with his Brazilian wife. Before long, though, he became fascinated by the nation’s diverse regional musical heritages, adapting his research and writing to teach a course on Brazilian music at UCLA, where he earned his doctorate. Eventually, his focus narrowed to the region that his wife hails from: Minas Gerais, a state in southeastern Brazil that is deeply connected to the nation’s slave past and home to many traditions related to the African diaspora. Grasse’s ... Read More
Commencement 2022 Strikes a Joyful Chord
Excitement, jubilation, and pride were palpable throughout the six Commencement 2022 ceremonies, where thousands of graduating Toros finally realized their dreams of walking the stage to the resounding cheers of family and friends. This year, CSUDH welcomed the return to its traditional commencement format, with more than 3,300 graduating students and 34,000 guests packing the Dignity Health Sports Park Tennis Stadium over the course of May 20 and 21. Prior to the reading of graduates’ names, each ceremony included a distinguished keynote speaker and speech by a selected student. The student speakers praised their fellow graduates’ perseverance in the face of grave challenges, shared ... Read More
Anthropology Graduate Brings Personal Perspective to Research
The CSUDH Class of 2022 has had many obstacles to overcome to reach graduation—and graduating senior Lukas Daniels (BA, Anthropology) is no different. He transferred from El Camino College to CSUDH in the spring of 2020, just in time for the campus to “go virtual” due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As he and his fellow students were navigating the transition to online learning, Daniels was dealing with his own unique challenges. He lives with Hyper Mobile Joint Disorder, which causes chronic pain in his joints, fingers, and limbs. “My joints kind of move in place when they're not supposed to,” he explains. His hypermobility issues can make typing painful and difficult—an obvious problem ... Read More
