The CSUDH Gerth Archives and Special Collections has been awarded two grants to assist in cataloguing several of its notable collections. The archives received a $100,000 grant from the California State Library to support CSUDH's LGBTQ History Access Project. The funds will enable the archives to hire an archivist to catalog, arrange, and describe several collections related to the Southern California LGBTQ community. They will also allow the Gerth Archives to stage a speaker's series related to the collections. “The Archives is very pleased that we were able to get the grant because there are a limited number of prominent LGBTQ archives in the state,” says Greg Williams, director of ... Read More
Staff
Staff Spotlight: Paola Carbajal-Kerr
When Paola Carbajal-Kerr says, “I'm proud to be a Toro,” she means it. The CSUDH alumna and current residential life coordinator for University Housing has been studying or working on campus for 15 years–she joined the Toro staff right after graduating from the university. “I worked in Student Affairs as an undergraduate student programmer for the Multicultural Center (now Multicultural Affairs),” she says. “I had so many great mentors at the time that I decided to join their ranks in helping to support students!” In her current position, Carbajal-Kerr leads the programmatic efforts for students living in the Residence Hall, as well as supervising the work of the student staff in the ... Read More
Staff Spotlight: Teddy the Toro
Teddy the Toro has been high-stepping across campus for over two decades, spreading Toro spirit and encouragement at just about every event that takes place at CSUDH. A typical day for the “#1 Mascot in California” starts off with a quick check of their Instagram messages, followed by “meeting with campus squirrels for the latest updates.” The rest of their day is spent walking around campus, “checking in with my Toros,” according to Teddy. For Teddy, the best part of the job is “bringing laughter, joy, hope, and spirit to everyone.” The self-proclaimed “most likable figure on campus,” Teddy's proudest moments have been representing CSUDH at national mascot competitions in 2019 and 2020–the ... Read More
Gerth Archives Obtains L.A. Free Press Collection
The CSUDH Gerth Archives and Special Collections just got a lot “freakier” with the acquisition of the archives of the L.A. Free Press, one of the first and most important underground newspapers of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The collection had belonged to Art Kunkin, the publisher and editor of the Free Press from its inception in 1964 until 1972. When Kunkin passed away in 2019 at the age of 91, his daughter began looking for an archive to house the large collection. She chose the Gerth Archives due to their dedication to archiving alternative voices from the local community. “The L.A. Free Press was really one of the first newspapers for the community during the 1960s,” says ... Read More
President Parham Addresses CSUDH’s Present and Future at Fall Convocation
CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham welcomed the Toro Nation back to campus for the fall semester with a stirring, wide-ranging speech at the 2021 Fall Convocation on Sept. 8. The event was held at the University Theatre, and was livestreamed on YouTube for those unable to attend in person. Provost Michael Spagna opened the proceedings with some light-hearted remarks about reassimilating onto campus after 18 months in COVID-19 seclusion, joking that he never wanted to use the words “unprecedented” or “pivot” again. Spagna introduced CSUDH Senate Executive Team member Terri Ares, an assistant professor in the School of Nursing. Ares noted that this year marks 30 years since she stepped ... Read More
