Graduate student Robert Keel (Class of ’09, B.S., applied studies/public administration cum laude) received an Outstanding Graduate Student Award from the California Sociological Association (CAS) at the organization’s annual conference in November. He was recommended by sociology lecturer Susan Fellows and professor of criminal justice Theodore Byrne and received a plaque and a $100 monetary award. Keel, a Long Beach native, joined the Army after taking his GED and retired from the Army in 1998 after a military career that included serving as an operations manager for the Battlefield Coordination Detachment in Korea, ROTC instructor at Oregon State University ,and a drill sergeant at ... Read More
Sociology
Can’t Buy Me Love: Course Examines Consumer Spending
Despite the economic downturn, holiday spending still happens, with shoppers looking for the perfect gift at a good price. As is often the case, the would-be Santas are also buying presents for themselves, many of which will end up in the backs of closets or otherwise never used. This fall, in Anne Choi’s class on “American Consumerism,” students were asked to bring items to class that had caused them to feel buyer’s remorse. The session, which was recorded by American Public Media’s “Marketplace,” aired on NPR on Dec. 13. Choi says that people often think they can buy happiness “because the media tells us that we can.” “It has become easier to buy things than to do things that ... Read More
Samantha Hernandez: Sociology Major Featured in U.S. Dept. of Education Promo for Latino Education
Samantha Hernandez didn’t set out to be a role model when she made good grades in high school and got accepted to college. In fact, if anything, she was inspired by others to set those goals. However, the sociology major at California State University, Dominguez Hills has become just that as the featured student in a Spanish-language video produced by the U.S. Department of Education intended to promote college attendance among children of Latino families. The video is also currently streaming on the website for the documentary “Waiting for Superman.” For Hernandez, her educational superheroes were her teachers at Bishop Conaty – Our Lady of Lorreto High School in Los Angeles. “The ... Read More
