In early September, Westwood held an appreciation dinner for five students in the KidsTek program who held paid internships with the college. The internship program is part of the Cisco programs offered at Hinkley High School and High Tech Early College in Denver, Colo. Westwood’s participation in KidsTek is part of the college’s commitment to provide students with a career-focused education that prepares them to earn IT certifications. Read more about the event on the KidsTek website.
Westwood College’s Inland Empire campus held its first U + 2 Career Fair on September 12th. The U + 2 events, held at various Westwood College campuses, encourage students to bring a friend as they explore career options, talk with employers and participate in on-the-spot interviews. A total of 25 employers attended the career fair and spoke with 80 Westwood students, alums and guests, according to Eric McDanel, Inland Empire’s Director of Career Services. The department also collected several pieces of professional business attire for its “Career Services Closet” and assisted students with resume and interviewing tips.
Two Westwood campuses commemorated Banned Books Week 2013 from September 22 – 28. Monica Dombrowski, Westwood’s Chicago DuPage campus librarian, took photos of students, faculty and staff with a banned or challenged book then used those pictures to create personalized posters, which she displayed outside of the Learning Commons. “It was great to see so much involvement in this event,” said Dombrowski. “Banned Books Week is the best week of the year 
for librarians because it gives us a chance to share information about the dangers of censorship, she said. “Showing people what might not be available to them helped me [communicate that] in a way that mere words cannot.”
In addition, Westwood College’s Los Angeles campus celebrated the week with a display of banned books in the Learning Commons. Library staff also shared a listing of books that have been banned over the years and gave away gift cards to students who submitted reports on banned books and why libraries celebrate the freedom to read.
One Los Angeles faculty member incorporated the Banned Books Week theme into a mock trial. In the case, a high school teacher assigns his students a banned book which results in one student reacting adversely. The mock teacher was sued by the school district for not following protocol for books outside the curriculum. The mock judge eventually ruled that the book should not be banned since it would infringe on the First Amendment and advised the teacher to follow protocol by informing and obtaining permission from the school administration in the future.