Oakland

Laney College President: For Who? For Oakland

Published

8 years ago

November 17, 2017

By Laney College President, Tammeil Y. Gilkerson, Ed.D.

Last Thursday, I attended the world premiere of “FOR O.” – a play at Laney’s Odell Johnson Performing Arts Center. Written by one of our former students, Antonette Bracks, the play focuses on gentrification in the Bay Area in a powerful yet humorous way.

The play, performed by student actors representing various bay area cities, is set as a “family meeting” organized by the city of San Francisco. The cities of Vallejo, Berkeley, Richmond, and Emeryville arrive for the meeting and are persuaded by San Francisco to stage an “intervention” with Oakland regarding the disconcerting changes of higher rents, new businesses, condos and outdoor encampments happening to her.

There are also other neighboring cities that show up uninvited, curious to find out about Oakland’s problems.

When first confronted by her siblings and cousins, Oakland acts defensively. She thinks that the businesses and condos – the gentrification – only shows how good her “hustle” is and that others are jealous of how “sought after” she’s become. But it’s Vallejo who tells Oakland that she’s the one who has probably been hustled out of her land.

Our student actors did a magnificent job capturing the personality of the cities they portrayed. San Francisco was the uptight and ritzy matriarch who did not want Oakland – her “cool and artsy” sister – to become like her. Berkeley, on the other hand, was the “hippie,” meditation-obsessed cousin that could sense only the “bad energy” surrounding her neighbor. Cameo appearances by San Jose, Alameda and Marin were also artfully portrayed.

As I watched “FOR O.” I couldn’t help but reflect on the need for continued support of the arts in our community. “FOR O.” and other productions like it, allows students to creatively express their thoughts and ideas while simultaneously stimulating critical thinking on issues affecting our communities. Arts education at Laney helps to nourish the creative capacities of our students and has been shown to improve academic performance. More importantly, a commitment to the arts has a way of unifying the community that cuts across all demographic categories and economic circumstances to provide a civic platform for exploring issues and facilitating dialogue.

Today the arts are under assault—especially by our current U.S. President. I believe participation and exposure to the arts fosters an innovative spirit that can help to create a common vision to tackle the larger issues we face. Find out more about our programs at http://laney.edu/academic-disciplines/.

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Financial Wellness and Mental Health: Managing Money Stress in College 

While everyone’s financial situation is unique, several common sources of stress have the potential to strain your financial health. These include financial and economic uncertainty, existing debts, unexpected expenses, and mental or physical health changes. Financial stress may differ from situation to situation, but understanding the factors contributing to yours may help you begin to craft a plan for your unique circumstances.

Published

3 weeks ago

March 17, 2026

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Sponsored by JPMorganChase

As a college student, managing financial responsibilities can be stressful.

If you’ve found yourself staying up late thinking about your finances or just feeling anxious overall about your financial future, you’re not alone. In one survey, 78% of college students who reported financial stress had negative impacts on their mental health, and 59% considered dropping out. While finances can impact overall stress, taking steps to manage your finances can support your mental, emotional and physical well-being.

When it comes to money, the sources of stress may look different for each student, but identifying the underlying causes and setting goals accordingly may help you feel more confident about your financial future.

Consider these strategies to help improve your financial wellness and reduce stress.

Understand what causes financial stress

2. Determine your financial priorities

Start by reflecting on your financial priorities. For students this often includes paying for school or paying off student loans, studying abroad, saving for spring break, building an emergency fund, paying down credit card debt or buying a car. Name the milestones that are most important to you, and plan accordingly.

3. Create a plan and stick to it

While setting actionable goals starts you on the journey to better financial health, it’s essential to craft a plan to follow through. Identifying and committing to a savings plan may give you a greater sense of control over your finances, which may help reduce your stress. Creating and sticking to a budget allows you to better track where your money is going so you may spend less and save more.

4. Pay down debt

Many students have some form of debt and want to make progress toward reducing their debt obligations. One option is the debt avalanche method, which focuses on paying off your debt with the highest interest rate first, then moving on to the debt with the next-highest interest rate. Another is the debt snowball method, which builds momentum by paying off your smallest debt balance, and then working your way up to the largest amounts.

5. Build your financial resilience

Some financial stress may be inevitable, but building financial resilience may allow you to overcome obstacles more easily. The more you learn about managing your money, for instance, the more prepared you’ll feel if the unexpected happens. Growing your emergency savings also may increase resilience since you’ll be more financially prepared to cover unexpected expenses or pay your living expenses.

6. Seek help and support

Many colleges have resources to help students experiencing financial stress, like financial literacy courses or funds that provide some assistance for students in need. Talk to your admissions counselor or advisor about your concerns, and they can direct you to sources of support. Your school’s counseling center can also be a great resource for mental health assistance if you’re struggling with financial stress.

The bottom line

Financial stress can affect college students’ health and wellbeing, but it doesn’t have to derail your dreams. Setting smart financial goals and developing simple plans to achieve them may help ease your stress. Revisit and adjust your plan as needed to ensure it continues to work for you, and seek additional support on campus as needed to help keep you on track.

 JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC