Skyline College student Ahmed Animo represents the masses. Ahmed performed a free-style rap that speaks truth to elevate and create change in students and non-students where they can become educated and empowered through rap music.
“The different groups around campus are trying to create unity among students,” Animo said.
As a kid, Animo learned from his brother who was an MC that rapped in their home using his own recording devices to make beats and sounds. Break dancing, graffiti, DJ’ing, and MC’ing, is essential for using the media to educate the people.”
B-boy student [or break dancing] Barnaby Lee uses the art of break-dancing to “form a group for individuals who are interested in break-dancing around campus.” Lee believes his mission is to have a place to practice and learn how to break-dance.
When Lee first tried break-dancing here on campus with no music near the old cafeteria study lounge, teachers and security said he couldn’t break-dance in the area. The area is used for quiet time for students who wish to study and not for break-dancing.”To this Lee said “If a student was tap or ballet dancing, would you have said anything to them about it?” Lee said he was quietly studying his dance.
“There are people who are looking to learn break-dancing as a form of art or learning process and those students don’t know where to go or dance. I have a supervisor who helps to try and finalize a club around campus to educate other students.”
“B-Boy dancing is a self expression that entails, balance, creativity, and flexibility, then strength is all good for dancing,” Lee said. “With more practice, the more things you can do and the more doors will open for you.”
The ASTEP program and The Black Student (BSU) program, is a learning community program that is designed to teach students to learn from an afro-centric perspective. Counselor, courses, and instructors, and activities, are specific to the program.” ASTEP has been around at least ten or fifteen years in the making but says he only been around for three years,” said Green.
“ASTEP is a retention program for African American students.” Green says there are some deficiencies when it comes to African American students in the community when it comes to higher education. “The ASTEP program looked at working with students for retention and case management model as compared to them matriculating through school on their on and to help students to build some type of community to get their degrees, certificates, and transfer on their on.”
The ASTEP have over 150 students enrolled at Skyline. Some of the past students are still on the rosters, and they are trying to figure out who is active and non-active for involvement. Green says over seventy students are in their orientation class and that classes are packed.
Nate Nevado, the coordinator for the Kababayan program, came up with the idea last year to have a hip hop conference concert called Rock The School Bells. Nevado wanted to involve more than just the Kababayan program so he approached ASTEP and Puente.
“Working together and telling the students that they are each other cousins, brothers, and sisters is great for ASTEP, Puente, and Kababayan program and the other two learning communities on the campus. And so together they created the first Rock The School Bells,” Green said.
Green would hope high school students entering their first year at Skyline College would register. “ASTEP is at the college level free of charge and is not allowed for high school students but says they are more than welcome to sign up for the program or programs.”
