De Anza College Quick Notes

This email was sent to all students registered for winter quarter.

March 17, 2025

Quick Notes for the Week of March 17

Transportation Update

Limited Number of Uber Gift Cards Available to Students

Due to the VTA strike, the Resource Hub is offering a limited number of $25 Uber gift cards – one per eligible student per week, while supplies last – to students who need transportation to campus. The cards will be distributed based on need, as well as verification of in-person classes or on-campus employment.

The Resource Hub, located in Registration and Student Services (RSS) Building Room 143, offers assistance with a variety of student basic needs. You can stop by the office or fill out the online form.

DASG Election Results

One Election Extended to This Friday, March 21

DASG logoThe De Anza Student Government executive officer elections have closed, with the exception of voting for the Chair of Environmental Sustainability, which will be extended because not enough ballots were cast for that office. You can view the results in ballot order or vote count order on the DASG website.

Make sure to review the Chair of Environmental Sustainability candidate information and cast your vote by this Friday, March 21, at 4 p.m.

This Week

DASG De-Stress Day

If you’re stressed about finals, join De Anza Student Government for De-Stress Day this Wednesday, March 19, from noon-2 p.m., in the Fireside Room.

Students will have the opportunity to pet therapy dogs and cats. There will also be free boba tea on a first-come, first-served basis. This event is a collaboration between DASG, the Active Minds club and Mentors at De Anza.

Next Week

Vocal Classes Perform at Grace Cathedral Next Saturday, March 29

Grace CathedralDe Anza’s Chorale and Vintage Singers ensemble classes have been invited to perform at Grace Cathedral, thanks to instructor Cyril Deaconoff, who holds a doctoral degree in music, and vocal music student Manuel Martinez.

The ensembles will perform “Fauré Requiem,” in collaboration with the Chamber Orchestra, led by instructor Grace Lai, and the Voices of Silicon Valley ensemble, led by Deaconoff. The performance will take place Saturday, March 29, from 5-7 p.m.

Student Spotlight

Students Win Big in State Business Leader Contests

FBLA students in large groupTeams of De Anza students took away first-place honors in five competition categories at the Future Business Leaders of America state conference in San Diego on March 7-9, while clinching a spot in the national competition later this spring.

Competing against students from other California community colleges and universities, De Anza teams won first place in business presentations on topics including accounting, business ethics, hospitality management, impromptu speaking and management. De Anza students also took second place in five business presentation categories.

Overall, 53 De Anza students participated in the state contest, led by FBLA club officers Javin Ku, Alan Dang, Van Loc Nguyen and Zain Darwish and their adviser, Accounting instructor Jeff West. For a complete list of winning team members, visit deanza.edu/news/achievements.

Upcoming

Benefit Concert for Study Abroad

Louvre museum at nightThe Study Abroad program is hosting a classical music concert to benefit the upcoming summer study trip to Paris. Featured performers will be Joseph Gold, a virtuoso violinist who was coached by Jascha Heifetz, and Carl Blake, who holds three degrees in piano performance and has performed around the world as a U.S. State Department musical ambassador.

The concert will be held on Thursday, April 10, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Visual & Performing Arts Center (VPAC) auditorium. Suggested admission is $15; admission is free for De Anza students and Study Abroad donors.

This year’s study program in Paris will focus on literature, composition and psychology, led by English instructor Julie Pesano and Psychology instructor Susan Thomas. For more information, please visit deanza.edu/study-abroad/paris-2025.

Spring Open House

Spring Open HouseDe Anza will hold a Spring Open House on Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The open house is an opportunity for prospective students, family members and community residents to learn about all the amazing programs and facilities that make De Anza the college that's always Tops in Transfer – and Tops in Career Training, too.

Graduating high school seniors can also learn about De Anza's six Villages – supportive communities where students can find new friends and resources that are relevant to their major or area of interest. There will also be campus tours, Planetarium shows, a parent information session and food trucks. Visit deanza.edu/open-house to learn more.

Taste of History is Saturday, April 26

California History CenterThe California History Center’s special fundraising event, A Taste of History, is Saturday, April 26, from 4-6:30 p.m. Attendees can learn about the role of local history through archival materials and oral history projects supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Tom Izu, executive director emeritus of the California History Center, will lead a panel discussion about the unique and humane nature of archives and libraries as both physical and social spaces. Panelists will include student Uriel Barrón-Bryant, community member Margaret Butcher and Asian American and Asian Studies chair Mae Lee.

The event will also include wine tasting from local producers and a performance of jazz standards by Vocal Flight, a student acapella group. Attendees can also view the exhibit, “Belonging and Identity,” which combines photos from Lisa Teng’s photography students and art from Jamie Pelusi’s Pride Center students.

Tickets are on sale now and cost $95 per person. All proceeds support student multimedia, oral history and archival projects that preserve and share our local history. If you can’t attend the event, you can also donate online.

Employee Spotlight

Leah Smith of EOPS Awarded Tenure

President Omar Torres, Leah Smith, Chancellor Lee LambertCounselor Leah Smith was granted tenure by the Foothill-De Anza district Board of Trustees last Monday, March 10, during a special ceremony honoring new tenure recipients from De Anza and Foothill colleges.

Smith has been working as a counselor at De Anza since 2021, starting with the English Performance Success program in the Language Arts Division, and moved to Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) last year. Before becoming a counselor, she worked with students as an EOPS Services Coordinator.

Smith, a Bay Area native, has a bachelor's degree in Justice Studies and a master's degree in Counseling and Guidance, both from San José State University. At De Anza, she has served as treasurer for the Black Faculty, Staff and Administrators Network (BFSA), faculty adviser to the Black Student Union, and a member of the Academic Senate.

Smith was honored along with three newly tenured members of the Foothill College faculty. The board also approved moving 15 first-year and 10 second-year De Anza faculty members to the next stage on the track toward receiving tenure.

Mark Your Calendar

Be sure to check these program websites for:

You can also check the Events Calendar for additional events and details.

This Week

Next Week

Tell us about your event! Use the online form at deanza.edu/communications/tell-us.

dates and deadlines iconDates and Deadlines 

  • Final Exams – next week, March 24-28

Check the Academic Calendar to find more important dates and deadlines by quarter.

Governance Meetings

Governance

Learn more about college governance at deanza.edu/gov.

Tell Us!

Quick Notes is an email digest of timely information for De Anza students, faculty and staff. Watch for it in your inbox regularly.

Use the online form at deanza.edu/communications/tell-us to let us know about an upcoming activity or other news that you want to share with the rest of the college community. That’s the best way to get your item on our radar for the website Events Calendar, newsletter and social media planning.

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