Today's episode comes from a campus film screening and panel focused on Nurses Unseen, a documentary about the courageous efforts of Filipino American nurses who played a key role during the Covid 19 pandemic as they faced a resurgence of Asian hate and cultural invisibility.

Following the screening, Mt SAC's Equity Center hosted a panel discussion with the film's director, Michele Josue, alongside Mt SAC's nursing faculty Sophie Boquiren, Victoria Abatay Motoyer, as well as sociologist Dr. Anthony Ocampo from Cal Poly Pomona, who also appears in the film.

The film is a testament to cultural resiliency and highlights the historical and social forces shaping Filipino migration and nursing experiences. You'll hear panelists share the moments that resonated with them most and reflect on the spiritual and physical toll of being on the frontlines of a pandemic. Other themes touch on the embeddedness of care work within Filipino communities, and how the film itself represents a grassroot act of resistance in support of acknowledging Filipino contributions and encouraging the growth of Filipino media more broadly.

We hope this offers you a concrete example of how films, and film screenings can facilitate impactful dialogues that support learning. And we hope this encourages you to attend future screenings and use film to invite your students into these learning spaces.

Resources:

Nurse Unseen: https://www.nurseunseen.com/

Watch the live stream replay of this event of Nurse Unseen presented by Mt. SAC Arise - Equity Center - Technology Health Division & Library: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyXWtWEVAeI

Mt. SAC Arise, https://www.mtsac.edu/arise/ Mt. SAC's Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Student Achievement Program (AANHPI SAP), provides a dedicated success team to support and empower Arise students to achieve their goals both inside and outside of the classroom.

Mt. SAC Nursing Program https://www.mtsac.edu/nursing/ Mt. SAC has a two-year program designed to prepare individuals at the Associate Degree level for entry into the practice of registered nursing.

Learn more about Director, Michele Josue, and her other award-winning films https://www.michelejosue.com/

Run Time: 43 min, 55 sec

To Find the full transcript for this episode click HERE

Today we are taking on a topic that sits at the intersection of high school and college education: Dual Enrollment. With the increase of dual enrollment courses at Mt SAC and across the state, we wanted to explore the lived realities of the instructors who are teaching these courses and leading the way for high school student success at the college level.

I had the privilege of sitting down with two seasoned instructors, Felix Jollevet and Sonya Masl as well as Mt SAC's new Dual Enrollment Faculty Liaison, Candace Leuthold. We had a chance to explore what dual enrollment actually is, and what it means to teach college level material to high school students including the unique joys and challenges. Join me as we get into this important conversation together.

Resources:

Mt SAC Dual Enrollment Website

https://www.mtsac.edu/dualenrollment/

Dual Enrollment Slides from Board of Trustee Study (Great info)

https://tinyurl.com/dualenpresen

Great articles about teaching Dual Enrollment courses - discussing the growth of and the nature of achievement/access gaps within Dual Enrollment programs:

https://nortonlearningblog.com/2020/12/creating-positive-dual-enrollment-experiences-six-tips-for-college-and-high-school-teachers/

https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2025/04/california-dual-enrollment-community-college-growth/

https://www.ccdaily.com/2024/02/deep-dive-into-californias-dual-enrollment-data/

Login to Canvas and Enroll:

https://mtsac.instructure.com/enroll/D8RPY8

Run Time: 37 min, 42 sec

To Find the full transcript for this episode click HERE

How do political ideologies like fascism take shape, spread, and gain power over the way we think and act? Justin Freebourn, Ph.D. tackles this big question in this episode. He holds his ph.D. in Political Science from UC Riverside and has published work in the journals of Party Politics, Political Research Quarterly, and Legislative Studies Quarterly.

As Freebourn shares in his talk from Fall Flex Day 2025 called "Teaching Under Fascism: Ideological Framing for Learning and Science", he examinates how social sciences can shed light on how political shifts can lead to erosion of democratic competition making us fall into a system of exclusion and control. In this episode Freebourn explores how political ideology, persuasion, and knowledge itself is organized. Let's listen in.

References/Resources:

• Baer, J. A. (1983). Equality under the Constitution: Reclaiming the Fourteenth Amendment. Cornell University Press.

• Bishin, B. (2009). Tyranny of the Minority: The subconstituency politics theory of representation. Temple University Press.

• Borg, M. J. (2009). The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a life of faith. Zondervan.

• Freebourn, J. P. (2023). Fiscal Policy Preferences in the US Context: Theory, Measurement, and Practice. University of California, Riverside.

• Freebourn, J.P. (Forthcoming). Imagining Tomorrow: Americans' attitudes towards basic income. The Social Science Journal.

• French, J. R., & Raven, B. (1959). The Bases of Social Power. Studies in Social Power.

• Golash-Boza, T. M. (2016). Race and Racisms: A critical approach. Oxford University Press.

• Mlodinow, L. (2013). Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior. Vintage.

• Oatley, T. (2018). International Political Economy. Routledge.

• Stewart, A. J., McCarty, N., & Bryson, J. J. (2020). Polarization under rising inequality and economic decline. Science advances, 6(50), eabd4201.

Run Time: 1 hour, 7 min

To Find the full transcript for this episode click HERE