The Titanic Arrives Next Week

Carl H. Larsen, long-time San Diego journalist and freelance writer, is a resident expert on the Titanic disaster. He has visited many of the sites tied to the fatefully sunken ship. He is teaching a course starting in April on the disaster, The Unending Voyage of the Titanic, to explore the Titanic story from the ship’s creation, through its sinking, its discovery on the ocean floor—and its continuing hold upon us today. One class meeting includes a guided tour of the San Diego Natural History Museum’s Titanic exhibition, where enrolled students will get into the exhibit at a substantial discount. Other class meetings will feature guest speakers such as UC San Diego literature professor Steven Cox, and Barbara Chronowski, a San Diego actress who worked on the Cameron movie in Baja California for six months, has since become another Titanic “rivet counter,” giving talks about working on the film, the ship, and the expected roles of “first class” women during the Edwardian period.

Both in pursuit of his passion and to prepare for the anniversary, Larsen has been wading through the 90-plus new books due to publish in conjunction during the anniversary of the shipwreck.

“The books come in all varieties,” he notes, “from an examination of gay passengers and crew aboard the ship to a new Sherlock Holmes mystery set aboard the Titanic and which involves a submarine.”

First, the class will discuss a pictorial summary of the Titanic story by the editors of Life magazine. Larsen notes, “With Titanic, you usually see the same photos over and over, but the Life editors have scoured photo archives and have found some gems I hadn’t come across, including an overview of the extravagant funeral procession held for John Jacob Astor IV, the wealthy American who died in the disaster.”

Next, John Maxtone-Graham, the dean of authors who write about ocean liners, has detailed the use of the Titanic’s Marconi “wireless” system to summon rescue ships.

And, finally, historian Hugh Brewster takes a deeper look at the careers and lives of many of the first-class passengers, including one who was a well-known artist leading the committee evaluating designs for the Lincoln Memorial.

Larsen recently attended a San Diego preview of the James Cameron film “Titanic,” being re-released in early April, this time in 3D. “It’s much more vivid,” he said. “Especially Gloria Stuart, the actress who portrays Old Rose. And, the post-sinking scene of hundreds flailing in the 31-degree ocean brings home the enormity of what happened.”

Take some time to discover the many ties San Diego has to the Titanic’s tale, hear special details and tidbits about the hands-on history from those who know the tale, stem to stern, and discuss how this epic disaster has come to be “one of the great mythic events of the 20th century,” often recreated in literature, music, film and theater.

Carl Larsen, MS in Journalism from Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, is a freelance travel writer. A longtime San Diego journalist and a former section editor at the San Diego Union-Tribune, he currently writes for Creators Syndicate. His most recent excursions have included travels to the UK and N. Ireland on the Titanic Trail. He is teaching The Unending Voyage of the Titanic, starting Wednesday, April 4, 2012.

Job Seeker Trend: Enrollments Up at UC San Diego Continuing Education

Peter Chen, after being downsized from a job in company finance, decided it was time to bridge to a new career in the emerging discipline of data mining. When the construction industry hit the skids, Humphrey Rincon, a general contractor for 20 years, made the leap to become a Spanish/English translator and an interpreter. Leslie Widner, a teacher who was underemployed as a hotel desk clerk, hit the books to find a dream green-collar job in the field of sustainable business practices.

Chen, Rincon and Widner are all examples of adults returning to continuing education programs at the University of California San Diego (http://www.extension.ucsd.edu). The ongoing economic challenges have led to the number of continuing education students entering certificate programs at UC San Diego Extension increasing 19 percent last year, according to Elizabeth Silva, registrar and director of student services for the university’s continuing education programs.

A nationwide unemployment rate hovering above 8 percent, and above 10 percent in California and other states, may explain the trend of why a total of 3,841 students entered continuing education certificate programs at UC San Diego during 2011, as compared to 3,217 during 2010. Certificate programs offer a practical, concentrated study in a specific professional area. Students must complete a set of required courses and electives to earn a certificate.

“In record numbers college grads are enrolling in certificate programs typically taught by a practitioner with workplace experience,” says Mary Walshok, dean of UC San Diego Extension, and co-author of the book Closing America’s Job Gap (http://www.closingamericasjobgap.com). “Unlike the 1950s through 1970s, when schools of continuing education and extension services were more like second-chance universities for adults who didn’t have the opportunity to get a college degree, these programs today are hubs of education and training providing the practice oriented credentials which combined with a solid liberal arts degree make for globally competitive careers.”

Walshok noted that peer colleges — such as NYU, Harvard Extension School and the University of Chicago Graham School of Continuing Studies — all report similar profiles to those that are emerging at UC San Diego Extension. About 85 percent of certificate students are college grads and half of the enrollees are funded by their employers.

“For recent and mid-career college graduates facing a still challenging job market and a weak economy, continuing-education certificates remain an attractive way to bridge to employment areas that are in higher demand,” said Silva.

Another trend is that more highly paid employees have lost jobs in this downturn than previously. Because these individuals are looking for a quick way to retool for re-employment, demand for certificate programs is being driven by the desire to improve earning potential.

Most of the 102 certificates offered by UC San Diego Extension can be earned in one to two years at a cost of around $1,875 to $3,200.
The certificate programs that experienced the highest percentage of admission growth in 2011, in rank order, were:
•    Lactation Consultant
•    Data Mining
•    Copyediting
•    College Counseling
•    Biostatistics
•    Paralegal Studies
•    Lean Six Sigma
•    Leadership and Management
•    Reading Instruction From Research to Practice
•    Fundraising and Development

New specialized certificates that were added in 2011 include: Career Advising, Clinical Trials Administration in Latin America, Global Service Entrepreneurship, Graphic Design, In Vitro Diagnostics, Mobile Applications Development, Mobile Device Programming, and Video and Imaging Technologies.

Some of the areas of possible study for career changers or those wishing to add new skills to their resume include: Accounting; Business; Digital Arts; Education; Engineering; English Language Studies; Foreign Languages; Healthcare and Behavioral Sciences; Humanities and Writing; Information Technology and Software Engineering; Law; Leadership and Management Development; Life Sciences; Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health; Photography, Art and Music; and Public Service and Social Responsibility.

As the continuing education and public programs arm of the university, UC San Diego Extension educates approximately 56,000 enrollees annually, which translates to more than 26,000 students in over 4,900 courses.

Case Managers Bridge Health Care Gap

By Poorvi Adavi

“I spent $1,000 when my father fell sick. The insurance covered only half of the expenditure,” says John (not his real name), a Qualcomm employee from San Diego. “The doctors conducted many tests and then realized that it was just a fever.”

John’s case is not unique. Unfortunately, most patients today are confused by the maze of health care clinics, hospitals and doctor’s offices. Patients often feel they need help to decide what health care facility or course of treatment is the right one. According to a study conducted at Columbia University by Sheena Iyengar, author of The Art of Choosing, when people are overwhelmed with options they scarcely understand, they often pick poorly.

In other words, we all could use a little help when it comes to health care. This is where a case manager steps in. Case managers identify the level of health care patients need and help determine the not so obvious cost factors.

“A case manager also determines medical necessity and constantly reviews the level of care being provided, and recommends changes when needed,” says Miriam Snitkin, a lecturer for UC San Diego Extension’s Case Management Certificate Course. “Case managers help patients determine if they need a particular kind of test, treatment or procedure and help maintain the emotional and financial sanity of patients.”

According to the most recent data from the PricewaterhouseCoopers Health Research Institute, more than $1.2 trillion is being spent on health care each year in the U.S. According to the report, processing inefficient claims is the second-biggest area of wasteful expenditure, costing as much as $210 billion. Most of these expenses can be largely avoided through efficient case management.

Case management is an upcoming career in the health care industry and case managers have increasingly started to play a pivotal role in today’s health care system. They have a number of functions, including explaining options, costs and alternatives.

“I have seen where the case worker can actually save a person’s life by getting the right help at the right time for a patient who might have died otherwise,” says Brenda Macevicz, a San Diego resident.

The need for case managers is obvious. Patients often say they wish they could talk to someone senior at the hospital. Many patients don’t realize why they are being charged a certain amount of money. In addition, health care laws change rapidly and for case managers to be effective, it is imperative for them to keep abreast with these changes.

“The case management certificate program at the UC San Diego Extension helps students understand the above stated roles of case management in a very practical manner”, says Snitkin. “This certificate program trains students to engage themselves in the process of providing quality health care information to patients and understand, analyze and look for the most cost-effective solutions. It is perfect for people in the nursing field looking for a career change.”

The case management program, which started in 1995, currently attracts about 60 students a year. This program can benefit people with nursing or health care backgrounds, as well as those interested in social work. A nursing or health care background, although not necessary, is recommended so that managers can understand the nuances of each case.
“A diverse group of students from all over California and Nevada have taken our courses,” adds Snitkin. “This makes the program more interesting and brings a lot of inquisitiveness into the class, making it a very rewarding experience for students as well the faculty.”

Poorvi Adavi is a certificate student at UC San Diego Extension in the Business Management Essentials Program. Originally from Bangalooru, India, Adavi was a reporter with the daily newspaper The Hindu.

Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown to Speak

Gordon Brown, who served as prime minister of the United Kingdom and leader of the Labour Party from 2007 to 2010, will present a free lecture on “Meeting the Millennium Development Goals” at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 3, 2012 at the Estancia La Jolla Hotel and Spa across from the campus of UC San Diego.

Space is limited and reservations are required by emailing John LeJeune at jlejeune@ucsd.edu.

The lecture is presented by the UC San Diego Center on Global Justice in partnership with the UC San Diego Helen Edison Lecture Series, which is administered by UC San Diego Extension, and the university’s Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies.

Brown served as chancellor of the Exchequer from 1997 to 2007. A passionate advocate for global action to ensure education for all, Brown has since the start of 2011 co-led the Global Campaign for Education’s High Level Panel.

Brown has a Ph.D. in history from the University of Edinburgh. He was a member of Parliament since 1983.

In accordance with a major gift from a late philanthropist, the Helen Edison Lecture Series presents ongoing free public lectures on issues that advance humanitarian purposes and objectives. Previous speakers in the series, attended annually by thousands, include former Vice President Al Gore,  Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, double Pulitzer Prize winner Nicholas Kristof, Nobel Prize in Literature winner Toni Morrison and Hispanic dramatist Luis Valdez, just to name a few.

UCTV Prime Asks Viewers To Show And Share Their “Naked Art”

By Alison Gang

Whether it’s in the park, on the corner or inside City Hall, public art seems to pop up just about everywhere – often without much notice by the public for which it’s intended. UCTV Prime, a new YouTube original channel from the University of California, wants viewers to share the public art in their community– or “Naked Art,” as it’s referred to in the title of channel’s debut series—as part of its “Show Us Your ‘Naked Art’ and Win!” contest, running through April 3, 2012. When viewers upload a video response to any of UCTV Prime’s “Naked Art” YouTube videos, or post a photo on the channel’s Facebook page, they’ll be entered to win a beautiful book about one of the public art collections featured in the “Naked Art” series. Contest rules and links to enter are available at http://www.uctv.tv/nakedartrules

UCTV Prime, the first university-run original channel to be included among YouTube’s partnerships with recognizable brands like The Wall Street Journal, Madonna and TED, launched March 1 with “Naked Art,” a four-part series that looks at the preeminent public art collections on three UC campuses. The first installment takes viewers to UC San Diego’s Stuart Collection, featuring site-specific works by some of the leading artists of our time, followed by a trip to UCLA’s historic Murphy Sculpture Garden. The third program premieres March 16 and offers a tour of the collection at UCSF’s Mission Bay campus, an interesting blend of art and science. The series concludes March 23 with an overview of “Museums without Walls.” Bonus material, blog entries, photos and more are available at the “Naked Art” web site.

Each week, UCTV Prime presents 15 minutes of fresh content from throughout the University of California at www.youtube.com/uctvprime and www.uctv.tv/prime. Other series on the channel include “UCTV Prime: Vote,” a recurring, 5-minute segment offering election analysis and commentary by UC faculty and experts, and “UCTV Prime: Cuts,” another 5-minute series reporting on research developments, entertaining events and interesting personalities on the campuses and beyond.

UCTV Prime is one of around one hundred original channels on the YouTube platform created specifically for today’s connected viewers around the world. The new advertising-supported channels feature well-known personalities and content producers from TV, film, music, news, and sports, as well as some of the most innovative new media companies in the world and some of YouTube’s own existing partners, including UCTV, which operates one of YouTube’s most popular education channels, with 50,000 subscribers and over 4,800 videos.

Based on the UC San Diego campus, UCTV presents educational and enrichment programming from the campuses, national laboratories, and affiliated institutions of the University of California. UCTV delivers science, health and medicine, public affairs, humanities and the arts to a general audience, as well as specialized programming for health care professionals, teachers and researchers. UCTV is available worldwide via live stream, video archives and podcasting at www.uctv.tv, on YouTube at www.youtube.com/uctv and www.youtube.com/uctvprime, on iTunesU in the Beyond Campus section, and on cable in select cities throughout California. For a complete list of UCTV’s outlets, visit www.uctv.tv/wheretowatch.

Finding a Place for Jane (Austen)

By Peter Clark

Jane Austen created some of the most memorable characters ever to appear on literature’s grand stage. Born in 1775—the year marking the start of the American Revolution—she lived during the age of the French Revolution and Napoleon, but her characters rarely talk about or even allude to these massive turning points in European and American history. For that reason,  she has been labeled,  mainly by male critics, as a miniaturist,  as opposed to such 19th century titans as Tolstoy or Dostoevsky who focused on some of the major movements of their day. However, since when is human nature a small subject?

Jane Austen’s continuing appeal to all ages comes from the fact that she writes about real human beings in such depth and with such artistic wit and irony. In some ways, Austen herself is an enigma, a spinster aunt who never rubbed shoulders or exchanged ideas with the literary elite of Regency England. She never married and perhaps was courted just a time or two, yet every scene involving Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy—even when they seem to dislike each other—crackles with romantic energy and tension. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy seem to Austen’s millions and millions of followers in countries around the world as real people, not simply make-believe characters in a novel. Her characters pop off the pages and walk around your home as if they were members of your family.

Though she lived only 42 years, four of her six books—Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion and Emma—are classics that appeal to one generation after another and which seamlessly translates into movies. Why? Because she is a master of dialogue, so much so that directors usually let the books tell the story without changing so much as a noun or pronoun. Not even Shakespeare invented a comical character as hilarious and entertaining as Reverend Collins in Pride and Prejudice, whose pompous vocabulary and toadying to his superiors leaves us in awe of Austen’s wit and her mastery of irony.

Other authors, nearly all of them male, often discounted Austen’s writing. Henry James underrated her work, sniffing that she accidentally found her metier and produced tolerably decent novels dealing with the manners and morals of the English country gentry, but of course nothing like his more “sophisticated” books. Mark Twain claimed he hated Austen’s novels, although his famous line (“I hated Pride and Prejudice the first time I read it and still hated it after a sixth reading”) suggests otherwise in ironic fashion.

Peter Clark earned a Ph.D. in History and Literature from the University of California-Berkeley. He has taught numerous courses in both subjects for the UC San Diego Extension program, including courses in English, Russian and American literature. He is currently teaching The Genius of Jane Austen which begins April 12, 2012.

Please note, in a previous version, a research paragraph was added by an editor that lacked proper attribution and was included without Dr. Clark’s knowledge. We apologize for the error. It has been corrected in the current version.

Free Workshops at Career Development Night, 3/22

UC San Diego Extension will host its 4^th annual Career Development Night, where attendees can sit in on free workshops, meet Extension program managers, and learn how they can advance their careers. The event takes place this Thursday, March 22^nd, 5:00-7:30 p.m. at UC San Diego Extension’s University City Center, off the I-805 at Governor Dr. (map).

Will Marré, inspiring thought-leader and co-founder of the Steven Covey Leadership Center, will teach you how to tap into your potential to land a successful career you love in his 5:15 p.m. session. Today only 19% of us are satisfied with our careers, but you can change that. Discover how people are thriving in today’s job market by turning their talents and passions into value to maximize their opportunities, their earnings, and fulfillment. Take Marré’s Career Quiz to see if this session is right for you. Or, sign up for his 3-session class, which starts Thursday, April 12^th: How Your Unique Design Will Help You Reboot Your Career.

Phil Blair, CEO of Manpower will be speaking at 6:30 p.m. on Strategies for Success: What HR Won’t Tell You. His pragmatic, insightful and entertaining presentation will address the three essentials you need to know for every job search and interview. As one of San Diego’s most visible and respected business leaders, Blair will share with you how to read between the lines and discover what HR is really looking to find.

Additional speakers at Career Development Night include, Tom Greifendorff from Mitchell International, James Gharib, Senior Director of Technology Development from NuVasive, Natasha Balac, Director of Data Applications from the San Diego Supercomputer Center, and Recruiters from Time Warner Cable, ESET, HD Supply, Life Technologies and SAIC.

Career Development Night attendees will receive vouchers for $25 off a spring course enrollment.*

*Discount restrictions apply: Discount valid only for those who attend the event (attendance is recorded at check-in table).  Discount applies only to Spring 2012 courses in the following areas of study: Business, Engineering, Law, Leadership and Management Development, Life Sciences, and Information Technology. Expires Friday, March 30, 2012.

To sign up for Thursday’s event, visit extension.ucsd.edu/careernight.

Quiz: Is My Career Right For Me?

By Will Marre

Research confirms that your career is the cornerstone of your personal well-being. Yet sadly less than two in ten people are fully engaged with their work.

Take this short, 10-question quiz to see if your career is right for you. This spring’s new course, “How Your Unique Design Will Help You Reboot Your Career,”  course could transform your life.

Discover where to invest your time and energy to attain your best future.

Quiz:

1. Do you find yourself looking forward to going to work?
   Yes, frequently
   No or very rarely

2. Do you consistently engage yourself in new activities that make your work more fulfilling and enjoyable?
   Yes, every week or every other week
   No or very rarely

3. Do you work with good friends that you trust and encourage you?
   Yes
   No, not really

4. Are you actively developing your strengths and talents to get more out of work and life?
   Yes, consistently
   No

5. Do you have a low stress work style that is enjoyable in terms of its pace, variety, and growth?
   Yes, usually
   No, rarely

6. Do you usually have high energy and feel fit and healthy?
   Yes, usually
   No, not as often as I’d like

7. Are you in a highly satisfying relationship with your boss that makes you feel valued and affirmed?
   Yes
   No

8. Are you frequently coming up with and taking action on new, creative ideas to make both your work and your life better?
   Yes, frequently
   No, rarely

9. Are you clear that the career you’re investing yourself in is the right one for you?
   Yes, I am clear and happy
   No, I often wonder about it

10. Do you have an excellent coach or expert friend that helps you make great decisions about your work and your life?
    Yes, I talk to him/her every week
    No, I try to figure it out on my own

Score:
# No
# Yes

This quiz is based on the forces of the new science of Life Harmony, which studies human thriving when our careers, relationships, and lifestyle are aligned.

Understanding Your Score

• If your Yes score is 9 or above: Congratulations.  You are in the top 10% of people who are thriving in their work and consistently taking action to keep their life progressing in a fulfilling and rewarding direction. Why you should take the class: As a hungry learner your thirst for development will be maximized by the quick and efficient tips, techniques, and insights you will receive over three fast paced sessions.  And you will likely enjoy encouraging and inspiring others to achieve what you’re achieving.
• If your Yes score is 7 or 8: Be encouraged.  You are very close to having self-inspiring career.  Your score means you have a lot of things right and just a series of small, consistent changes may add up to a big change in how you feel about your career.  Your score may reveal a certain area you can focus on that the new skills and science based know-how that you will learn from the course will help you conquer.  You are close.  Join us.
• If your Yes score is 6 or below: You are a member of a very big club of the vast majority of people who are suffering every day with stress and uncertainty wondering what to do.  Our “Reboot” course is designed to free you from the little, invisible mistakes you are likely making and give you the power to change your work, improve your performance, and remodel your career into a more fulfilling, and enjoyable one virtually every day.  Our Career Center is a growing community of people just like you that are making positive, life-fulfilling changes every day.  There will never be a better time to free yourself from whatever is in your way.

Will Marre’s next class, “How Your Unique Design Will Help You Reboot Your Career,” begins Thursday, April 12th from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at UCSD Extension University City Center, 6256 Greenwich Dr., San Diego.  The class meets three times (4/12, 4/23 and 5/7).  Fee is $95, and includes eight assessments. Parking is free.

Will Marré is the co-founder and former president of the Covey Leadership Center where he translated the concepts of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People into powerful leadership courses taught to millions of executives worldwide.   Today Will is an evangelist of socially strategic enterprise that transforms Corporate Social Responsibility into Corporate Social Opportunity. Will is founder and CEO of ThoughtRocket, a learning community systematically designed to center your life around your personal purpose so that you have enriching work, fulfilling relationships, and a lifestyle of full engagement. Read more about Will

UC San Diego Extension’s Center for Life/Work Strategies is a nexus of resources to help professionals manage their short and long-term career paths. As the job market has fundamentally changed, so must the way in which people approach their employment—it’s up to individuals to understand and build upon their strengths and develop a plan to meet their career goals.  Workshops, assessments, coaching and online careers resources are available at extension.ucsd.edu/careers.

Spring Arts Spree Presents “MLK: The Man Behind the Myth”

Join in on UC San Diego Extension’s annual Spring Arts Spree and attend a free lecture, March 21, 7 p.m., entitled Martin Luther King, Jr.: The Man Behind the Myth, presented by Rabbi Ben Kamin, a nationally-renowned expert on race relations and civil rights. Explore the conflicts and contradictions that plagued this extraordinary man, the guilt and anguish which haunted him even at the moments of his greatest successes, the darkness that oftentimes weighed down the man who shed such an intense light on what it means to be a human being. No matter how much or how little you know about MLK, you owe it to yourself to be there.

- Stan Walens, Program Representative, Humanities & Performing Arts, UC San Diego Extension

Dr. King and Me

by Ben Kamin

For some 44 years, I have carried a memory in my head, an ache, a yearning—to help fulfill, in some small way, the mission of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. The intonation of his unique and historic ministry lives in every book I write, every sermon I preach, every time I eulogize, bless, name, or marry someone. All the emotional and doctrinal rivers of my life run into the sea of his plaintive oratory; his anguish for a nation in need of moral outrage, his unbridled disdain for war, and even his profound personal loneliness inform my life as a father, husband, community worker, and certainly as a rabbi.

People ask me, why do you care so much about this Dr. King—you are a Jewish leader after all and shouldn’t you have been inspired by a Talmudic sage or at least another rabbi? And I respond that Martin King was both of these and more. The power and vision of his rhapsodic journey transcend any denominational context even as God cannot be reigned down by any one religion.

The triumph of his painfully short duration as the conscience of this nation, from the Montgomery bus boycott of 1955 to the Memphis sanitation workers strike of 1968, was that this reluctant “drum major for justice,” this rather small, almond-eyed man who was given to depression and who so feared death, converted the scripture into ethics. And so the morning after his assassination, when I was a 15-year old sophomore at Cincinnati’s racially-charged Woodward High School, I was changed forever. My black classmate and close pal, Clifton Fleetwood, skinny, mischievous, wickedly funny, literally pushed me away from a fiery demonstration by 400 grieving African American students—chastising me that “No, Ben, this is not for you.” But it was, and remains for me; I am inextricably locked into the essence of MLK.

Clifton would find out 36 years later, after I searched for and found him (and the reason he said such a thing), that this rejection led me to a path from which I have never strayed. My account of this quest, set against the background of the churning, frightening, yet redeeming 1960s, and the imprint of King’s life and death became my 2010 book, Nothing Like Sunshine. Having spoken about Dr. King in countless community and academic settings, made deeply personal pilgrimages to his tomb in Atlanta and the former Lorraine Motel in Memphis, having written about his legacy in The New York Times and as a regular columnist for The Cleveland Plain Dealer, I was invited to launch this book at the National Civil Rights Museum—Lorraine Motel in Memphis.

Next month, I return to the Museum, and its sanctified balcony where Dr. King was felled by a bullet, to launch my newest book, ROOM 306: The National Story of the Lorraine Motel. During these last several years, I have commiserated with so many of King’s closest colleagues and protégés—brave men and women, from Rev. James Lawson, the Gandhian leader of the Memphis garbage men’s strike to Maxine Smith, the indomitable NAACP director, to Clarence B. Jones, King’s personal attorney and drafter of the I Have A Dream preachment to Dorothy Cotton, the director of education of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to Rev. Samuel “Billy’ Kyles, who was standing next to King at the moment of the assassination. I also value a close association and partnership with Prof. Clayborne Carson, director of the King Institute at Stanford University.

These remarkable people and others like have become my friends and teachers. They have allowed me to live a heartbeat away from my spiritual mentor. No, Clifton, this was for me.

Rabbi Benjamin Kamin (D.D., Hebrew Union College), author of Nothing Like Sunshine: A Story in the Aftermath of the MLK Assassination, is a nationally-known teacher, counselor, and author (7 books and over 250 newspaper articles), and a frequent presence on radio and TV. He serves on several national boards dealing with community affairs and interfaith relations.

Celebrating a Decade of Jazz Education at UC San Diego

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA — UC San Diego’s division of Extended Studies is proudly sponsoring the tenth year of Jazz Camp on its La Jolla campus June 24-29, 2012. A five-day summer program designed for intermediate to advanced musicians ages 14 to adult, UC San Diego Jazz Camp offers a diverse, one-of-a-kind journey into the world of jazz workshops, private lessons, faculty concerts and more. Each year, more than 50 students, ranging in age from 14 to 73, and in conjunction with more than fifteen local, national and internationally-known jazz musicians, immerse themselves in an action-packed week of classes, jam sessions, and concerts.

In support of scholarships for the 2012 camp, UC San Diego is hosting an all-ages camp alumni concert led by three-time camp alumnus Joshua White on piano, fellow alumnus Fernando Gomez on drums and camp faculty member Rob Thorsen on bass, who will be joined by a variety of guest alumni soloists. The concert takes place on Sunday, March 18, 2012, 4-6 p.m. at the Conrad Prebys Music Center on UC San Diego’s campus. Tickets are $15 for the public, $10 for students, and all proceeds go toward the scholarship fund for the 2012 edition of the camp. Parking is free on Sundays in the Gilman Drive Parking Garage. Visit extension.ucsd.edu/spree, or call (858)534-3400 to register in advance, or attendees can pay at the door (cash only, please).

Several UC San Diego Jazz Camp alumni made it into the national spotlight in 2011. Joshua White, alumnus of the camp in its first three years from 2003-2005, won second place and a $10,000 prize in the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz’s International Competition, the jazz world’s most prestigious annual awards honor. He was selected as one of the three finalists by an all-star panel of judges that included such jazz piano icons as Herbie Hancock, Ellis Marsalis and longtime James Moody Quartet pianist Renee Rosnes.  Another camp alumnus, Chase Morrin, took first place in the Open Combo Division at the Monterey Jazz Festival’s Next Generation Festival along with fellow alumni Fernando Gomez and Tyler Eaton.  Morrin, who is a skilled composer, also took the top prize for his piece, “Mumphis” which was performed at the 54th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival by the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra.

More information about UC San Diego Jazz Camp is available at jazzcamp.ucsd.edu, or inquiries can be made via email, jazzcamp@ucsd.edu, or phone (858)534-5760. Registration closes for the 2012 session on May 24^th.