Crazy Eights! - McDowell Technical Community College

Transcription

A Campus Newspaper of
McDowell Technical Community College
1
Crazy Eights!
The
McDowell
Sun Costa Rica
ica!
8 Week Shor
ch 8th
Shortt-Session Begins Mar
March
8 Week
ends or EEvvening
eekends
eningss
8 Classes To Choose FFrrom
8 Week
se
eekss To Complet
Completee Entir
Entiree Cour
Course
See page 8 for the complete list
Shining a Little Light on Our
Corner of the World
Volume 4 Number 4
February 2
4, 2
008
24
2008
Autobody Ace Leads
ASE Certification
If you own any kind of vehicle, it is a given that sooner
or later you are likely to be involved in an accident. Fortunately,
most accidents are minor “fender benders.” But that still leaves
the damage to the car or truck to be repaired. Given the emotional attachment many people have for their vehicles, finding a
qualified repair shop with skilled technicians is paramount. But,
how can you tell if the shop you are dealing with is really going to
do a good job? One way is to select a shop that displays the
Automotive Service of Excellence (ASE) certificate.
ASE standards are some of the highest in the automotive repair industry. Having this certification indicates that a
shop and its technicians have successfully passed numerous inspections and tests to assure they are performing at a superior
level.
Recently, the Auto Body Repair program at McDowell
Technical Community College was awarded ASE certification for
Non-Structural Analysis and Damage Repair and Painting. This
makes MTCC the only school in the state of North Carolina to
receive this coveted certification. It also means that students
graduating from our program will have the highest level of certification available. With this certification, graduating students
should be able to realize not only more demand for their services
but also a higher level of pay.
In order to be recognized by ASE, the Auto Body Repair
program, taught by David Toney, had to undergo serious scrutiny
of not only the curriculum, but also a complete review and update of the facilities used to teach the students.
The paint booth on campus has been refurbished and
updated to ASE standards thanks to a grant from PPG (Pittsburgh
Continued on page 8
Story and Photo by:
John Rountree,
Photography Instructor
Ticos
ur
Ticos,, PPur
uraa Vida,
And EEco-t
co-t
ourism
co-tourism
By Gabrielle Thompson, Corrdinator of Library Services
Learning and Dis
covery are the selling
Disc
points for Overseas Adventure Travel. Having enjoyed every minute of our trip through the
Galapagos, Amazon rainforest, and Manchu Picchu
in 2005, we decided to join the company on their
Costa Rican Christmas 2007 adventure. Once
again, OAT delivered. Our guide, Rafael, was encyclopedic in his knowledge of his country. We spent
an amazing thirteen days circumnavigating
Columbus’s “Rich Coast” and fell in love with the
beauty of the land and its people.
The author and her family on
the Rio Frio: daughter Lyric,
husband Ed, and author
Gabrielle Thompson.
When Christopher Columbus arrived in
1502, the golden figurines and pendant necklaces
owned by the indigenous population led him to assume that gold mines existed in this rich land. The
Spanish decimated the local populations and confiscated what gold they possessed, never realizing
it had been panned from the rivers, not mined.
Deportation and enslavement followed for the natives, as they were sent to the silver mines of
Mexico and Peru. Disease finished off most of the
rest, and the Spanish settlers had to work the farms
they established themselves. Agriculture allowed
for the country’s economic survival, but Coast Rica
became a backwater of the empire.
The fertile, volcanic Central Valley, at an
altitude of 3,000 feet, became the center of Costa
Rican coffee production and remains so today. San
Jose is the capital city and home to sixty percent
of the population. It was the third city in the world
to have electricity, following Paris and Manhattan.
It did not retain its colonial architecture, allowing
the Spanish edifices to be sacrificed to the rapid
growth of the 1950’s and 1960’s. An outstanding
architectural exception is the National Theater, or
Teatro Nacional, which was built between 1890 and
1897. Coffee growers of the region assessed a five
A gorgeous orange and gold butterfly- la mariposa, in
Spanish- hams for a Christmas photo with ecotourists in
Costa Rica. Photo by Lyric Thompson.
Continued on page 11
“Show Me The Money?” We Can!
Fun Fest
Blazes New
Territory
By Dr. Bryan W. Wilson, President
By Michael Lavender,
Director of External Relations
Get out your calendars, your PDA’s, or your
Crackberry’s, and mark or enter reserve May 3rd on your schedule. That’s the date of McDowell Tech’s first annual “Family
Fun Festival,” held on the campus all day, beginning at 10 a.m.
Jointly sponsored by the Student Government Association, the McDowell Technical Community College Foundation Board, and MTCC itself, the Family Fun Fest promises to
have something for everyone in your family. Bands from various genres are being lined up and applications have gone out
for craft and food vendors of all types. There will be inflatables
for both children and adults to enjoy, a Mopar Car display and
new cars for auto enthusiasts, an RV from Tom Johnsons, face
painting, soft drinks from Pepsi and barrels full of excitement.
Admission will be free for children 12 and under, all
Continued on page 5
Over the past several months, our
staff has been involved in a strategic planning
effort aimed at identifying what kinds of training and new programs the college needs to be
addressing now and in the future. We have
surveyed local business and employers to assess job demand and anticipated job growth.
We were fully aware of the shortages in the
health care area and the need for more public
school teachers. However, we were shocked
to discover the large number of current jobs
going unfilled because of a lack of skilled workers. All you hear about in the news media is
attention to plant closings and the loss of jobs
overseas. The public perception is that opportunities are not available in the local job market. The reality is that the opposite is true.
T her
e ar
e ccoun
oun
tle
ss unf
illed v
ac
ancie
s in
here
are
ountle
tles
unfilled
vac
acancie
ancies
manuf
act
uring in our ccoun
oun
oda
y . Why is
manufact
acturing
ountty ttoda
oday
this true? The reason is the lack o
off skills
skills,, no
nott
oppor
y . Skilled positions are going unopporttunit
unity
filled because of a lack of available applicants
with the training, education and experience
necessary perform these jobs.
The skills areas where they are havs,
ing the most difficulty filling are for Welder
elders
Machinis
s T
echnial/E
lectr
onic
Machinistts , Electric
Technilectrical/E
al/Electr
lectronic
onics
cians and Indus
trial Main
e T
echniIndustrial
Mainttenanc
enance
Technicians
cians.
McDowell Technical Community College has offered all of these programs for many
years. However, in recent years we have
struggled to recruit large numbers of students
into these programs. Young people do not
seem to be attracted to these type professions.
They do not view this type employment as
glamorous or fashionable. Most are interested
in College Transfer programs aimed at preparing them to go to a 4 year college or they are
not interested in an education above high
school. They are being advised by their
teachers, guidance
counselors, and parents that they need a
4 year college degree, despite the fact
that over 75% of all
jobs in the United
States require less
that a Bachelor’s Degree. In fact, many
of these occupations
pay greater than many professions requiring a
Bachelor’s Degree. A Welder, Machinist, Electrical/Electronics Technician and/or Maintenance Technician with a one or two year degree will earn several thousand dollars a year
Continued on page 12
Cross Shoulders Lots Of
Responsibility
Story and Photo by John Rountree, Photography Instructor
Pathw
utur
athwaays ttoo Your FFutur
uturee
Expo 2008
Free Invitation on Back Page !!!
Penny Cross, Dean of Health Sciences
It is the growth industry of the
future, and the future is here now.
Healthcare in America is now one of the
leading sectors of our economy. The demands from the baby boomer generation, just now beginning to retire, are
going to insure that jobs in this industry
will continue to be in high demand. To
meet that demand, McDowell Technical
Community College has named a new
Dean to oversee the Health Sciences Department. Penny Cross assumed this
leadership role last July.
As Dean of Health Sciences she
directs the Practical Nursing Program
(LPN) and supervises the following
health science programs: Health Information Technology, Nursing Assistant,
Phlebotomy, and a new program scheduled to begin in the Fall of 2008, Dialysis Technology. Ms. Cross also serves
McDowell Technical
Community College
54 College Drive
Marion, North Carolina 28752
828-652-6021
www.mcdowelltech.cc.nc.us
****ECRWSS
Postal Customer
on the operations committee of two programs in the Foothills Consortium: Associate Degree Nursing (RN) and Surgical
Technology.
McDowell Tech is part of the
Foothills Nursing Consortium and the
Foothills Surgical Technology Consortium. Both Foothills programs include
McDowell, Isothermal and Cleveland
Community Colleges. Working together,
the three schools are better able to utilize resources and off-site teaching centers like hospitals, nursing homes and
similar clinical facilities. The Registered
Nursing Program, as well as the Surgical
Technology Program is offered through
these consortiums.
Nursing programs have consistently been some of the most popular
classes offered at MTCC. Each year there
Continued on page 8
Non-Profit Org.
US Postage PAID
Fayetteville, NC
Permit No. 109
2
Boyce Wins President’s
Award for Innovations !
Egg On My Face
The next lateral entry class is scheduled to
start on Tuesday, March 18 at 5:30 pm.
Contact UNCA today for further information.
Free
Resume Help!
The JobLink Career
Center is available to
help students and recent graduates complete a resume during
workshops held on
Mondays at 1:30 pm.
Call 659-6001, extension 0 to sign up for
one of these workshops.
The McDo
well Sun
McDow
c/o Michael Lavender, Editor
54 College Drive
Marion, NC 28752
828-652-0681
The McDowell Sun is a campus
newspaper of McDowell Technical Community College. It is
available throughout campus
and is distributed several times
per year as a saturation
mailpiece through the United
States Postal Service.
To submit articles or information
for publication, contact Michael
Lavender at 828-652-0681. Emailed articles are preferred:
([email protected])
Please include the word “Sun” in
the subject line to help us
distinguish your email from
spam. Before sending an email,
please scan for viruses. All
articles must be about MTCC or
be of general interest to faculty,
staff, students and alumni. No
politically oriented material will
be printed.
We reserve the right to refuse
any material for content or other
reasons. All submissions are
subject to editing for clarity,
length and grammar.
27,000 copies of this document
were printed at a cost of approximately 22 cents per copy.
MTCC is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution.
In the last issue of
The McDowell Sun, we identified programs in teacher
education that are becoming
available at various community colleges throughout the
state for individuals interested in the lateral entry
teaching program in public
schools. I failed to mention
that McDowell Tech has a
program on our campus offered through the University
of North Carolina at
Ashevillefor persons interested in lateral entry teaching. Unlike the other programs we referenced, this
program is university-based,
with McDowell Tech as a distance education site, versus
the other community colleges, which offered the program under their own auspices. For more information
on the lateral entry program
at McDowell Tech, contact
the admissions office at
UNCA (1-800-531-9842).
Ms. Barbara Boyce, State Director of Continuing Education for the NC Community College
System recently received the 2007 President’s
Award in the category of Innovations, presented
at the Fall Conference of the North Carolina Community College Adult Educator’s Association
(NCCCAEA) in Greenville, NC.
Boyce is a native of McDowell County
with over 23 years of experience in the employment and training field, including several years
spent working in McDowell County. From 19851988, she was a Job Readiness Instructor and JTPA
Coordinator at McDowell HIgh School. She worked
at McDowell Technical Community College for 12
years, from 1988-1996, as Coordinator of Basic
Skills and Director of Human Resources Development.
In 1996 Boyce moved to Raleigh to become the State Director of Human Resources Development for the NC Community College System,
a job which she held until 2005 when she was promoted to Director of Continuing Education for the
System.
Ms. Boyce has state-wide responsibility
for the continuing education program which constitutes the largest portion of the student body
served by the Community College System.
Barbara was recognized as having provided many insightful solutions and innovative solutions in a variety of areas during her 11 year tenure at the System Office.
The list of innovations is numerous, but
two worth highlighting include her contribution to
the colleges of the valuable Data Warehouse reports and analysis, and the much needed “Reference Guide to the Administrative Code.”
President Martin Lancaster made the following remarks in her honor earlier this year:
“At the end of the day the results are more
effective services to a diverse student body, improved tools for analysis and application by faculty/staff and an overall improvement in decisionmaking by the North Carolina Community College
System.
“In every organization there are those individuals who go quietly about their business and
make a significant impact on the organizations they
serve. They don’t seek the limelight nor do they
publicly garner the praise they so richly deserve but
they march on in a steady manner to improve the
daily performance of the systems of which they are
responsible. They ultimately enhance the service
to those who matter the most, the students.
“Ms. Boyce is one of those heroes with a
passion for excellence and a commitment to quality systems and service. Her commitment to creativity, innovative planning and implementation has
proven to be a successful addition the System Office.”
Boyce holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s degree in Education with a concentration in Agency Counseling
from Western Carolina University.
Her mother and numerous family members continue to live in McDowell County and she
visits as frequently as she can. She and husband
Larry Vick reside in Raleigh, NC.
Look FFor
or Phot
os FFrrom Our Fir
Photos
Firee and Rescue
Colleg
xt Issue
Collegee In The Ne
Next
--The Editor
PBS Documentaries:
Anytime, Anywhere
....Free
By Sharon Smith, Director of Library Services
There’s no need to wait for reruns of your favorite PBS videos any longer. They are now conveniently available at the library or in the comfort of your
own home anytime you choose. Students, teachers,
and/or library patrons at McDowell Tech CC now have
free access to quality PBS educational and entertainment programming over the Internet. Because the
McDowell Technical Community College Library is a
member of NC LIVE, North Carolina’s statewide library
consortium, the Library is now able to provide access
to nearly 400 quality PBS programs covering a wide
variety of topics. Remember Ken Burns’ Baseball and The Civil War? How about the
Emmy award-winning series American Experience and Frontline? They are part of the
larger collection of videos that are currently available at no charge with a simple college
library card. Any college student or faculty/staff member can obtain the remote password to view these videos at home. (Community patrons can obtain access through the
McDowell Public Library.)
Paid for by grants from the North Carolina State Library, the award-winning programs available from the PBS collection will include the science series Scientific American Frontiers, history series Empires, the investigative journalism program Frontline, and
kids’ series Cyberchase and Liberty’s Kids.
Library Director, Sharon Smith states: “Thanks to our membership in NC LIVE,
we are able to offer this outstanding new resource to our library patrons. It’s wonderful
to have quality, well-researched videos that are appropriate for viewing by adults or children. Instead of watching television, these entertaining and informative videos offer an
opportunity to enhance education and quality of life. The addition of these PBS videos to
the already significant offerings of NC LIVE provides our citizens with another invaluable
resource that can enhance education and the quality of life in our community.”
NC LIVE, North Carolina’s leading purveyor of online library content and services, provides citizens with access to articles and indexing from more than 25,000 newspapers, journals, magazines, and encyclopedias, access to over 25,000 ebook and eaudiobook titles, and streaming media through its statewide network of community college libraries, university/college libraries, and public libraries. Founded in 1998, NC LIVE
operates from its offices located at North Carolina State University Libraries and University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Libraries.
”The quality of the PBS programming will provide North Carolinians with the
perfect video marriage of education and entertainment, and is a natural fit for students,
faculty, and patrons of all of the State’s libraries,” said Tim Rogers, Executive Director of
NC LIVE. “We’re very proud to be the first statewide cooperative that will be using streaming technology to deliver these incredible resources, continuing a North Carolina tradition of great libraries that support and enhance education, economic development, and
quality of life.”
All users will need Flash Media Player 9.0 or higher and a high-speed Internet
connection in order to watch the videos on the computers in the library, or at home. It is
not possible to view the videos over a dial-up Internet line.
This exciting new resource is available from http://www.nclive.org and from
http://www.mcdowelltech.edu/library.html
For details about the PBS videos available at the MTCC Library, please contact:
The Library staff at
McDowell Technical Community College Library
652-0697 or 652-0604
Blues Kristmas Poster Design
By: Terra Fender
First-Year Graphics Student
Attention: Graduates of
McDowell High School
The William Harold Smith Charitable Trust provides
scholarship assistance to graduates of McDowell High
School attending a post-secondary institution. Awards are
based on need and may be renewed as long as the recipient
maintains good grades. Applications are available in the
MTCC Financial Aid Office and at McDowell High School.
Free Tuition For
High School Students
If you are at least 16 years old and are in good academic standing at your high school, you can attend MTCC
tuition free!! Get a headstart on earning college credit! Call
Julie Padgett at 659-0417 and get started today.
Rachel Mills-then.
In each issue, we run a contest to see who can correctly guess an MTCC employee from his/her childhood photo.
Unfortunately, last issue’s photo was apparently a little too
difficult for anyone to guess. Not even our staff recognized
this employee. Therefore, there was no winner from last issue. The mystery employee was Rachel Mills, a teacher in
our Child Development Center.
Anyone and everyone is invited to submit an entry
(guess) in each contest. Entries should be emailed to Michael
Lavender at [email protected] All entries are due
three weeks from the issue date on the front cover of each
issue. A winner is chosen at random from among all correct
entrants and he/she wins her/his choice of an MTCC bud vase
or mug.
This month’s mystery child is shown below, right.
This one is should be very easy to identify. If you can’t guess
who this is, you need to get to know our employees better.
This Month’s
Mystery Employee
Fall 2007 Dean’s List
Dean’s List
Amir S. Adili
Joseph A. Amorello
Amber S. Arrowood
Ian M. Beck
Hubert D. Carrillo
Crystal R. Curtis
Sean M. Curtis
Christina N. Earley
Amber F. Eline
Melinda M. Gasperson
Marvin L. Griffin
April D. Hall
Michelle Her
Christopher A. Hollow
Chad E. Hunter
Sherry Y. Kincaid
Tyler L. Moore-Boyd
Christina J. Ollis
Jayme N. Owenby
Thomas L. Reid
Allen B. Smith
Thomas R. Tyo
Greta D. Walker
Billy D. Williams
Sherry R. Wimsatt
President’s List
Jeffery B. Allman
Shirley M. Barnett
Tyler K. Barrows
Michael R. Benfield
Alice M. Bernard
Monique V. Betke-French
Terry J. Blake
Anthony D. Borsotti
Jacob S. Boyter
Tony J. Cable
Elizabeth M. Cadwell
Sewell V. Carmack
Lauren R. Carrigan
Jason B. Combs
Lee G. Creamer
Kristyn M. Dalton
Timothy D. Davis
Brittaney L. Denton
Rhonda T. Dobson
Jennifer R. Emert
Terrayle L. Fender
Sherhonda L. Fields
David F. Garren
Tammy S. Gouge
Billie S. Haney
Shannon M. Haynes
Randall S. Hollifield
Krystal D. Hollifield
Karen M. Holloway
Dale H. Hooper
Edwin J. Hopper
James M. Howell
Crystal D. Johnson
Regenia M. Johnson
George W. Johnson, Jr.
Randall K. Laws
Deborah S. Leazer
Tomeka L. Logan
Mary L. Lounsbury
Whitney R. Mace
Nicholas A. Moretz
Michelle N. Mostiller
Melissa A. Parry
Louise S. Penland, Jr.
Robert C. Poston
Candice L. Powers
Jefferson D. Rockett
Annie L. Scott
Thomas G. Smith
Raechel Suggs
Deborah S. Thomas
Barbara Ann J. Tillison
Joel R. Tuttle
Joseph H. Vallance
Casey E. Vanbuskirk
Michelle A. Vess
Elizabeth G. Ward
Howard F. Watts, Jr.
Space: The Final Frontier
ontier??
Rachel Mills-today.
Financial Aid 2008
By Kim Ledbetter, Director of Financial Aid
If you or someone in your family is considering college for next fall, now is a
good time to begin looking at financial aid issues. Spring and early summer are good
times to apply for financial aid if you want to meet most scholarship deadlines.
In addition to State and Federal Financial Aid Programs for which you may be
eligible, there are a variety of scholarships available to students meeting established
criteria. By submitting an MTCC scholarship application, students will be considered
for any of the following for which they qualify:
MTCC Board of Trustees Scholarship
Crane Fund for Widows and Children (specifically for students who are widowed or have disabled spouses or parents)
Jeld-Wen Scholarship
Wachovia Technical Scholarship
Maxine Souther Robinson Memorial Scholarship (Associate Degree Nursing
majors)
Nurse Education Scholarship/Loan Program (Associate Degree Nursing or LPN
majors)
Need-Based Nursing and Teaching Scholarship
American Society for Quality Control
State Employee’s Credit Union Foundation Scholarship
In addition, students who graduated from McDowell High School are eligible
to apply for the William Harold Smith Memorial Trust Scholarship. These applications
are also available in the Financial Aid Office.
Lastly, the NC Community Colleges’ Foundation Teacher Preparation Scholarships Selection Committee accepts applications for the GlaxoSmithKline Foundation
Teacher Preparation Scholarship/Loan. More information is available in the Financial
Aid Office.
Thomas Nolan, a scientist with the Jet Propulsion
laboratory visited the McDowell Tech campus recently to give a presentation to students in the
Early College program. Mr. Nolan shared stories
of his experiences working with various space
missions, including the Mars Rover expedition in
2003. A remotely controlled vehicle, the Mars
Rover has sent back thousands of images to earth
from many sites on the planet’s rocky, red surface.
He encouraged the students to consider a career
in science.
Tutoring Program
McDowell Tech’s Basic Skills Department is looking for volunteers to
help in a tutoring program for adult students who need to improve
their skills in reading, math or English as a Second Language. Each
tutor will be asked to work with a student on either Monday or Wednesday morning between 9:00am and noon. Training will be provided.
For more information please call Lee Hughey at 659-6001 ext. 101.
Attention:
Spring
Graduates
If you are finishing
your course of
study this spring, it
is imperative that
you go to the Student Services Office as soon as possible to complete an
application
for
graduation, a payment form and a
completer’s survey.
If you have questions about this process, please contact Rick Wilson at
652-0632.
Mar
dis Gr
as
Mardis
Gras
By David Garren
First-year Graphic Design Student
Nur
sing
Nursing
Application
Deadlines
All persons interested in being considered for
the Fall 2008 Practicall Nursing Education Program
should apply as soon as possible. Admission Requirements must be met by May 5, 2008. Please contact
Jane Wyatt at (828) 652-0611 for further information.
Honor’s List
Bryan J. Bailey
William T. Barnes
Angela M. Buff
Kayla R. Conner
Nicole C. Connolly
Laeesha O. Corpening
Cythnia E. Crisp
Richard L. Crisp
Adessa M. Denton
Brandon S. Dulaney
Betty L. English
Robyn R. Euceda
Kasey D. Finley
Anthony S. Franklin
Johnathan A. Fuller
Rebekah P. Gibson
April M. Holland
Delisa S. Houk
April N. Hughes
Shane W. Jarrell
Emilie H. Johnson
Tanya R. Jones
Angela M. Kelly
Pratakshya Khadka
Chelsea A. King
Austin K. Laws
Rebecca H. Lowery
Courtney D. Lunsford
William W. McFarland
Brenda K. Monosso
Brianna M. Moretz
Hannah M. Nichols
Malorie N. Padgett
Haley E. Pate
David M. Prevette
Teresa L. Ray
Cynthia E. Rhom
Stacey E. Riggins
Ronald E. Ronson
Tabitha L. Seagle
Tiffini M. Smith
Michael D. St.Denis
Stephanie C. Timmermann
Benjamin A. Valdovino
Amber W. Wallen
Ashley M. Wells
Daniel M. Wheeler
Tyrone Williams
Chue F. Xiong
Summer Registration Begins April 14th!
Mystery-ious Employee?
3A
4A
Ans
wering The Ques
tion:
Answ
Question:
Will The RReal
eal PPTK
TK Induct
ees Please
Inductees
What’s Up With Nursing?
Stand Up?
The Beta Zeta Lambda chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at McDowell Tech held its Fall
Induction Ceremony on November 4,
2007. Twenty-one new members
were inducted into the honor society
during a candlelight ceremony in
front of family, friends, and MTCC
staff. Students must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 out of
4.0, accumulated at least 12 semester hours towards an associate degree and be of good moral character
in order to become a member of the
Honor Society.
The purpose of Phi
Theta Kappa is to recognize and encourage scholarship among associate
degree students. To achieve this purpose, Phi Theta Kappa provides opportunities for the development of
leadership and service, for an intellectual climate to exchange ideas and
ideals, for lively fellowship for scholars, and for stimulation of interest in
continuing academic excellence. The
Society is recognized by the Ameri-
can Association of Community Colleges as the official general honor society for two-year colleges.
The keynote speaker for the
ceremony was Traci Burr, the Phi
Theta Kappa Carolinas Region VicePresident of South Carolina. She gave
an inspirational talk about how she
dropped out of school in the ninth
grade, got married, had a family, and
at the age of 37 went to get her GED.
Not only did she sign up to complete
her GED, she also signed up for
classes at the local community college. She is currently completing an
associate degree in forensic science
and plans to eventually earn her doctorate degree. She has a 4.0 grade
point average and has been offered a
full scholarship to Harvard University.
Traci encouraged the inductees to
continue their journey through education and to “keep up the good
work”.
The ceremony was followed
with a reception.
By Audrey Bailey, Assistant to the President for Public Information
North Carolina Community College System
Ian Michael Beck
Stephanie Mashell Calhoun
Linda P. Early
William Derek Farmer
Christopher David Freeman
Tammy Sue Gouge
Rachel Katrina Hall
Sandra Lynn Hicks
Randy S. Hollifield
Tanya Ruth Jones
Tim Lee Lail
Randall Keith Laws
Andrea Osbon McCall
Brenda Kay Monosso
Michelle Nicole Mostiller
Christina Jo Ollis
Dustin Lee Poteat
Cynthia Buff Rhom
Barbara Ann Tillison
Sandra Lee Vess
Jeannie Mae Wiseman
Raleigh – The State Board of Community Colleges has approved a contract for a
major study to help identify the best ways for community colleges to respond to North
Carolina’s urgent shortage of nurses.
The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill will conduct the study, which will focus ideas to improve program
retention and increase pass rates on licensing exams for students enrolled in Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) programs in the North Carolina Community College System. The $65,137
contract runs from today through June 30, 2008.
The North Carolina Community College System prepares the majority of registered
nurses educated in the state. The State Board is undertaking the study in response to recent
trends that indicate the state has a nursing shortage now and will face growing demand,
with the possibility that by 2020, the supply of registered nurses in North Carolina will only
meet 70% of the demand.
According to the North Carolina Board of Nursing, 8,129 new registered nurses
(RNs) began active in-state practice in North Carolina between 2005 and 2006. An analysis
done for that Board conducted by North Carolina Health Professions Data Systems shows
that only 51.5% of those RNs were educated in North Carolina.
Of those North Carolina-educated RNs, close to two-thirds (about 65%) earned
their credentials in one of the 55 Associate Degree Nursing programs in North Carolina’s
community colleges. However, the state loses a number of potential RNs, because more
than 40 percent of the students now going into community college ADN programs drop out
for academic, financial, personal or other reasons.
Identifying reasons for the attrition rate and analyzing the best practices of the
most successful community college nursing programs are two key aspects of the study begun today by the State Board. Referencing the 2005 National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission’s Accrediting Manual, the study will also look at appropriate measurements
for student progress and success, including graduation rates, student performance on licensure examinations and job placement rates within a year of graduation. Also of interest are
factors influencing the decisions of nursing graduates to practice in North Carolina elsewhere and whether to pursue nursing degrees beyond the associates’ level.
The goal is to have data in time for the short session of the NC General Assembly.
Deliverables include a PowerPoint presentation and policy brief by April 30, 2008 that summarizes key findings from the analysis and outlines the potential implication of the findings
for policy makers.
Newly Minted!
These folks are worth a mint to us. They are the newest
members of the McDowell Technical Community College
Foundation Board. As volunteers on the Foundation Board,
they help raise funds to supplement programs, activities,
and equipment that are not supported by local, state and
federal dollars. In that regard and others, these folks are
worth a million bucks to us! Shown, left to right, are Sandra
Brown, Jack Wood, and William Robinson.
Crafty Little Devils
Por
tr
ait: PPat
at
ti Smith
ortr
trait:
atti
By Mary Lounsbury
First-Year Graphic Design Student
At Christmastime, these
ladies from the Child Development Center were part
of a “make-your-ownholiday-shirt” contest.
Pictured are Tamara Taylor,
left, and Karen Ricker, right
and inset, who won “Most
Festive Dressed.”
Yes, those are
“reindeer antler
pointsettias.” In
my book, these
ladies also won,
“Most Crafty
Little Devils.”
5A
MACA Hangs
Write On!
Julia
Nunnally
Duncan, English Instructor, was
recently listed in the January
edition of the “Writers and
Books” newsletter from the NC
Arts Council, published at
www.ncarts.org. The newsletter featured her new book of
ape
poetry, An Endle
Endlesss T
Tape
apesstry,
published last fall from March
Street Press.
Duncan appeared at
Malaprop’s Bookstore in downtown Asheville on Sunday, February 3 as a featured reader in
the visiting author series
Poetrio, which recognizes acclaimed poets whose books
have recently been published.
In addition, Duncan
was recently listed as a featured
er
ary T
Liter
erary
Trrails o
off the
writer in Lit
Nor
th C
ar
olina Moun
North
Car
arolina
Mounttains, by
Georgann Eubanks, available in
local bookstores or through
www.ncliterarytrails.org.
January is the month when MACA sets aside gallery space in their building to display the photographs of
students in the Fundamentals of Photography class at
McDowell Tech, taken almost exclusively by Huskins Bill students from McDowell High School. This year, 12 students
showcased their work, with a total of 36 images.
This is the sixth year for the annual show. All but
one of the students is enrolled at McDowell High School;
one is home schooled but also takes this class from the
College. The class is taught by John Rountree.
All equipment and supplies for the photography
classes are provided at no charge to the students through
the Huskins Bill. This is one of several Huskins classes
offered by the college. Other Huskins classes include
College Transfer, Nursing Assistant, and Machining.
In the photography class, students learn how
to operate and adjust a 35mm camera, how to develop
their own film, and make their own enlargements. The
young photographers then learn how to dry mount and
prepare their photographs for presentation.
The students represented in this year’s show
were: Lauren Carrigan, Kaylee Dunn, Lukas Englebach,
Robin Fry, Ethan Gibbs, Brittany Hollifield, Allison Holt,
Sunni Lorber, Jenny McCormick, Anna O’Niell, Ashley
Pittman, and Larien Rollins.
Student
Images
Photos, top to bottom by:
Jenny McCormick
Lukas Euglebah
Sunny Lorber
Fun Fest Blazes
Continued from page 1
McDowell Tech students (including the Early College), faculty, staff and
vendors. Current McDowell Tech students will also receive a free meal.
For others, tickets will be $5, with proceeds going to the
McDowell Technical Community College Foundation, which supports a
variety of college functions. Ticket price will include all activities except
food purchase. There will be no additonal charge for inflatables.
The Family Fun Fest is the brain-child of Dr. Bryan W. Wilson,
President of MTCC. He envisioned the day as an alternative to the traditional Spring Fling traditionally enjoyed by students, faculty and staff
only. He wanted to plan an event where students’ families and the whol
community could participate in a day of fun and learning.
The event will be similar to Mountain Glory Festival, held each
fall in downtown Marion, but with one major difference. MTCC faculty,
staff and students will also have displays in some ares of the college
where citizens and family members can learn more about various vocations and program offerings, and tour college facilities.
Attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket to
spread on the lawn while enjoying music, food and karaoke.
Tickets will be available at the gate and in advance from members of the Foundation Board, SGA, many employees and from Sharon
Smith in the College Library. Smith, who vice-chairs the Foundation Board,
is coordinating the College’s planning for the new event.
Vendors who have not received an application may call Smith
at 652-0697 for an application. Booths are $10, $30 and $50 for informational, craft and food booths, respectively.
As the event grows from year to year, Dr. Wilson hopes that the
College will be able to draw more and more musical talent and crafters,
establishing a new spring tradition in McDowell County.
Be sure to catch our next issue of The McDowell Sun for more
information on the May 3rd event. That paper will be out in April and we
will include more information about musical arts, etc. at that time. We
will also list additional information on our web beginning in early April.
Check out www.mcdowelltech.edu
The MTCC Family Fun Festival---Blazing New Territory. Come
and join in the excitement.
Sierr
Sierraa With Seagulls
By Barbara Tillison
Second-year Photography Student
Vice-President Resigns
Dr. Dirk Wilmoth, Vice-President for Finance and
Administration recently announced his resignation effective
April 11th. A search process is underway to find someone to
fill the vacancy he is leaving.
Dr. Wilmoth’s letter to faculty and staff best expresses the nature and intent of his departure:
“It is with a mixture of regret and anticipation that I
announce my resignation to become the Vice President for
Business and Finance at Emory & Henry College in Emory, Va.
My last day here will be April 11.
The hardest part of this transition will be leaving all
of my new friends and associates at McDowell Tech. I am so
grateful for the warm reception I have received since I arrived last May. I had no intention of leaving so quickly; however, this is a opportunity that I cannot pass up for both me
and my family.
I have the highest respect for the roles that each of
you play in this most important mission at McDowell Tech. I
am particularly grateful for the professionalism and “can-do”
attitudes exhibited by my staff in the business office, facilities management, bookstore, and the Child Development
Center.
It is with great interest that I will watch the realization of the initiatives that President Wilson and his leadership team are putting into place.”
Young Child
By Betty English
Heading ttoo
Emor
Emoryy and
Henr
Henryy
6A
Solemly
A Thousand Splendid Suns I Do
Swear!
By Khaled Hosseini
Book Review by Gabrielle M. Thompson, Coordinator of Library Services
Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, and moved to
the United States in 1980. He is a U.S. envoy to the United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR, and has written two novels about Afghanistan: The
Kit
eR
hous
and Splendid Suns
ite
Runner
Thous
housand
Suns.. The latter is a historical
unner and A T
and cultural study of Afghanistan over the thirty years of war with the
Soviets and life under the Taliban as seen through the lives of two women.
It is a sweeping study of women’s roles in a Muslim country and an
inspiring tale of human emotions.
The story opens with Mariam, a bastard child of a rich man,
Jalil. She and her mother live in a hut in a clearing her father built for
them. He visits them once a week, but Mariam longs to be accepted by
him and to be allowed to live in town with him and his three wives and
other children. Her mother had been a housekeeper in his home but
was banished when she became pregnant with his child. As a woman,
she is made to bear the blame. Mariam feels her mother wishes to keep
her prisoner in the hut. Mariam’s only friend is the Mullah who visits
her to teach her to read the Koran and memorize the daily prayers to
Allah. On her fifteenth birthday, Mariam walks to town to find her father’s
house. Her mother begs her not to go and insists she will die if the girl
leaves her. Mariam finds her father’s home, is refused entry, refuses to leave, and spends the night on the doorstep. The next day her father still refuses to see her and has his chauffeur drive her back to the hut. During
Mariam’s absence, her mother has killed herself.
As a result of her death, Jahil brings Mariam to his home. His wives will not accept her. A marriage is
arranged with a forty-two-year-old widower, a shoemaker. Rasheed lives in Kabul, a two day bus ride away. Mariam’s
husband takes her to Kabul, where she learns to be a wife and to wear a burqa in public to prevent other men from
looking upon her.
With the onset of Ramadan, Mariam experiences her first collective fast and feels joy in being a part of a
spiritual community dedicated to prayer. Her husband’s temper flares with the month long fasting, but Marima is
dedicated in her life of service to Rasheed. When she becomes pregnant, she is overjoyed. Rasheed, who previously lost a son, begins buying and building items for a boy, insisting she is carrying a male child. This fills Mariam
with dread and superstition. Mariam miscarries. Afterward, Rasheed finds fault with everything she does. With
the onset of more pregnancies, always ending in miscarriages, Rasheed begins to beat his wife. Life for Mariam
changes from service to fear and endurance.
When the Soviets take control of the country, daily life changes in Kabul. At this point in the story, we are
introduced to nine-year-old Laila who attends the Soviet sponsored school. Her life is one of freedoms never
known by Mariam. Her parents encourage her education and she is allowed friendships with girls and boys.
However, her older brothers have left the city to join the Mujahideen to fight the Soviets, and her mother suffers
from depression. When the boys are killed, her mother becomes a recluse. Laila’s father encourages his daughter
to study for the University, a chance not offered before to Afghan women. With education, he insists, there is a
chance for freedom.
Her father takes her and Tariq, her young male friend, to see the massive Buddhas near the Bamiyan
Valley. He wants to show them what Afghans were capable of building and to encourage them see beyond the
limits of Kabul. His dream is to go to America, but he knows his wife will never leave until the Mujahideen drive the
Russians from Afghanistan.
When Laila turns fourteen, the Mujahideen take control of Kabul. The family’s joy is short-lived when the
warlords turn upon one another, bringing warfare to the city.
Bombs drop daily. Life is struggle, and fear. Tariq tells Laila he and his family are leaving. He begs her to
flee with him, but she cannot leave her parents. Laila succumbs to her passion for Tariq in a hurried coupling.
After he has fled the city, Laila’s home is bombed, killing her parents and wounding her. Rasheed rescues her from
the debris and takes her to his home to be cared for by Mariam.
Rasheed, now sixty, desires this blond fourteen-year-old for a second wife. Mariam, thirty-three and
barren, has no say in the courtship that ensues. When a stranger visits to tell Laila that Tariq is dead, she agrees
to become Rasheed’s wife. Her momentary passion with Tariq has left her with child and she faces death, or life in
a brothel. Marriage to Rasheed seems her only choice. Aziza, the daughter born to Laila, becomes a bridge between the women. As Rasheed’s jealousy of the baby, and suspicions of her paternity grows, Mariam and Laila join
together in a united front to make their lives bearable.
At this half-way point in the book, a certain magic transforms the story. The author, Khaled Hosseini, has
visually transported us into this strange, Muslim world where life is hard and people poor, where war is forever
ongoing, and where women are the property of their husbands. Yet, in the second half of the book, the two women
bring the beauty and love of the Afghan people to the page, allowing us an intimate journey into their soul. It is
this story of how two dissimilar women, raised in totally different environments within the same country, get past
their hatred and fear of one another to become as close as any mother and daughter could be. It is the story of
friendship becoming love and, finally, sacrifice. It is a haunting novel. Hosseini captures the tender nature and
bond that women share with their daughters and, if they are very lucky, with one another.
The ascension of the Taliban in Kabul brings even more horror to the family. It is decreed that everyone
must pray five times a day, men must grow beards, and boys must wear turbans. Singing, dancing, playing cards,
painting, watching movies, listening to music, and writing books become illegal. Women are not allowed to speak
unless spoken to; to be in public without a male relative; to make eye contact with men or laugh in public; or to
wear cosmetics, jewelry, “charming clothing” or nail polish. Girls no longer are allowed to attend school, nor are
women allowed to work. Stoning is the punishment for adultery. In the span of a lifetime, the women have seen
the collapse of any humanity in their world.
But their humanity is found in one another. They discover wholeness in their sisterhood and are even
willing to give their lives for one another. Enduring unspeakable horrors at the hands of men, Laila and Mariam still
hold hope for one another, and for their country. The ending of the book fills the reader with the sense that the
world will survive war, politics, and religion as long as people love each other with such intensity.
Top photo: Returning Trustee Carroll Hemphill, second from
left, and newly appointed Trustee Darren Waugh, left, take
the oath of office from Dr. Bryan Wilson, President, assisted
by Rhonda Silvers, Executive Assistant to the President and
Personnel Officer.
Bottom photo: Due to work conflicts, Larry Miller, returning
trustee, took the oath of office in a separate ceremony.
For Financial Aid Inf
ormation
Information
Contact Lisa Byrd (652-0624)
or Kim Shuford (652-0602)
Fast-Track GED
Get back on the right track by getting your GED. MTCC
is now offering GED Fast-Track Classes both day and
evenings to help people prepare for the GED Test. These
classes began Monday, Sep. 10th and are free of charge.
Classes will be held at the McDowell County Job-Link
Career Center. For more information call 659-6001 or
come by Job-Link.
Also a Champions FFor
or Childr
en Awar
Children
ardd Winner
Griffith Completes Master’s
Congratulations
to
Joy
Griffith,Supervisor of the Child Development Center and Children’s Services Network who recently completed her
master’s degree in education with a concentration in two-year college administration. (The Children’s Services Network is
a resource and referral agency for parents
with children.) Griffith was also recogwell
nized in the last issue of T he McDo
McDow
Sun as a “Champion For Children Award
Winner,” presented by the McDowell
County Partnership for Children and Families.
Griffith has been a life-long advocate for children in McDowell County,
working in the field for over 20 years. She
helped bring Smart Start to McDowell
County and has led efforts to provide professional development opportunities for
early childhood educators in the county.
In fact, she administers the Professional
Development Supplement program for
early childhood professions and the Quality Bonus program for the Department of
Social Services, b oth at no cost to those
agencies.
She is a founding member of the
McDowell County Partnership for Children
and Families where she has held numerous leadership positions, including president. She currently represents Western
North Carolina on the North Carolina Local Partnership Advisory Committee.
In nominating Griffith for the
“Champions For Children Award, colleague
Sherri Owenby, Director of the McDowell
Children’s Center said, “She has dedicated
her life – her career – her never ending
energy – to the betterment of childcare in
McDowell County. She acts on her heartfelt love of children and is not afraid to
speak her mind. She deserves our admiration and respect as well as our undying
gratitude for the outstanding work she has
done on behalf of our children.”
Joy received an associate’s degree from McDowell Technical Community
College and a bachelors degree from
Gardner Webb University. She and her
husband Ken, owner of Griffith Painting,
have a son and daughter, Caleb and
Courtney.
By Barbar
Barbaraa Tillison
Sec
ondye ar Pho
aph
yS
tudent
Secondond-y
Phottogr
ograph
aphy
Student
7A
Tickets available at McDowell Technical
Community College or at the door!
8A
ASE Certification
Paint and Glass). PPG is a leading supplier of high quality
paints and glass used for collision repairs.
The path to certification has been long and difficult.
The first time Toney applied for program certification, he was
turned down. Even with the updating of the paint booth it
was still another 18 months until he was successful. With the
on-campus booth retro-fitted to bring it up to national standards, the next step was to update the text used in the Auto
Body Repair program. Instead of using a traditional text, students now follow the I-CAR model of collision repair training.
This is a computer based curriculum that allows for classroom
instruction as well as hands-on learning.
In addition to the physical changes on-campus, the
ASE certification also requires that Toney meet with an advisory board of ASE certified auto body technicians twice a year.
He is required to visit working shops on a regular basis to stay
up to date with current industry practices.
David Toney has already been certified as an ASE
technician, another of the requirements for school certification. In addition, he traveled to Chicago to receive training
and certification for teaching I-CAR.
Toney is now working with vocational teachers at high
schools in the area to establish a “feeder” system that will
bring new students into the program here. In addition to bringing in students from McDowell High School, he also reports an
increase in enrollment from students living in Buncombe and
Burke Counties.
Toney himself is a product of our local high school
and became serious about auto body repair even before he
graduated from McDowell High. He is also a graduate of the
MTCC Auto Body program and has the distinction of being the
first student to spray paint a car at McDowell Tech. He is the
owner of D and D Auto Body in Dysartsville, a collision repair
shop that Toney has temporarily closed while he teaches at
the college.
The Automobile Systems Technology (auto mechanics) program, taught by Barry Spratt received
ASE certification about six years ago. Now, with the Auto Body
program also being ASE certified, it makes this area of vocational education at MTCC one of the strongest in the state.
Vice-President Shirley Brown, David Toney (Autobody Instructor) and President Dr.
Bryan Wilson look with pride at the plaque designating McDowell Tech as the first
Autobody program in the state to achieve ASE certification.
Cross Shoulders Responsibility
is a longer list of potential students than there are
available positions. Nursing is one of the few programs at the college for which there is limited and
competitive enrollment. Selection is based on a point
system that includes testing of potential applicants.
For the Practical Nursing Program, for example, there
were 200 applicants for the class which entered in
the fall of 2007. From that group, 75 sat for the entrance exam and 40 students were admitted to the
program.
The measure of a successful program in
Nursing is the completion rate of graduates on the
National Council Licensure exam. Each student who
completes a nursing degree must sit for this exam,
which measures his or her competence to perform
in the field. Cross proudly points out that the class
of 2007 Practical Nursing (LPN) graduates achieved
a 97% pass rate on the NCLEX exams!
Nursing is a critical and demanding profession. Although it requires a significant commitment
of time and energy to become a nurse and the stress
levels for students and employed nurses can be high,
the rewards can also be high, both financially and
personally. Due to an ever-growing demand from an
aging population, healthcare, in general, and nursing, specifically, are expected to continue as highgrowth professions.
Ms. Cross began her career at MTCC in 1991
as a Nursing Assistant instructor and worked in the
Practical Nurse program prior to being promoted to
Director in 2002. Her appointment as Dean of Health
Sciences became effective in July, 2007.
Cross holds a Masters degree in Nursing
Education from the University of North Carolina at
Greensboro and a Bachelor of Science degree in
Health Care Administration. Prior to joining the faculty at MTCC, she worked as a Registered Nurse at
McDowell Hospital in Marion and Mission Hospital
in Asheville.
Penny has lived in Marion most of her life.
She and her husband, Chip, have two teen-aged children. They like to camp and enjoy being outdoors.
But for day-to-day stress relief, Penny likes to run.
She has completed one marathon and a half-marathon. The Cooper River Bridge Run in Charleston is
her favorite 10K run. She and Chip have been running this race for the past 20 years.
With a big reserve of energy and enthusiasm, the future of Health Sciences programs at
McDowell Technical Community College will be
shaped by Penny Cross. She promises to continue
the standard of excellence already established at
MTCC, while working to expand program offerings.
With Penny at the helm, MTCC is sure to
remain at the forefront in preparing all Health Science students for better careers, today and tomorrow.
Crazy Eights!
8 Week Shor
ch 8th
Shortt-Session Begins Mar
March
8 Week
ends or EEvvening
eekends
eningss
8 Classes To Choose FFrrom
8 Week
se
eekss To Complet
Completee Entir
Entiree Cour
Course
All classes eexxcept Nur
sing Assis
tant I begin Mar
ch 8th.
Nursing
Assistant
March
tant I begins Mar
ch 6th.
Nur
sing Assis
Nursing
Assistant
March
egistter No
Now!
652-6021
Regis
w! 65
2-6021
Traditional Classes (Saturday only):
American History II (His 132)
Saturday, 8:30-2:20
Instructor: Rick Wilson
Medical Terminology II (Med 122)
Saturday, 8:00-1:50
Instructor: Staff
General Psychology (Psy 150)
Saturday, 8:00-2:00
Instructor: Jerry Lowley
Basic Welding Processes (Wld 112)
Saturday, 8:00-3:50
Instructor: Jamie Ward
Traditional Class (Thursday & Friday Evening and Saturday):
Reg
ist
or tthis
his cclas
las
nly is F
ebr
ua
m.
egist
istrratio
ationn ffor
lasss oonly
Febr
ebrua
uarr y 20t
20thh at 8:00 aam
Fir
st da
las
irst
dayy ooff cclas
lasss is M
Maarch 6, 2008.
Nursing Assistant I (Nas 101)
Thursday and Friday evening, 4:00-9:50
Saturday, 7:00-3:50
Instructor: Penny Cross
Traditional Classes with Online Component:
Traditional classroom supplemented with online features such as discussion
forums, class notes and assignments. Orientation and requirements presented
during first class meeting.
Success and Study Skills (Aca 115)
Saturday, 8:00-10:00
Instructor: Mary Ledbetter
Expository Writing (Eng 111)
Saturday, 8:30-2:30
Instructor: Kelly Crawley
Online Class:
Orie
nt
atio
n-c
ir
st cclas
las
s.
Orient
ntatio
ationn is oon-c
n-caa mpus at time ooff ffir
irst
lass.
Introduction to Computers (Cis 110)
Orientation on Saturday, March 8, 9:00 am
Instructor: Mark Hyatt
Tallent
-ed Addition!
allent-ed
Patricia Tallent was recently hired as a new Library Assistant. She has a
BA in English from UNC-Greensboro and has taken microcomputer classes at
CVTCC and at MTCC. She previously worked as a newspaper reporter in Lenoir
and Hickory, NC.
For the last two years, she has worked at the McDowell County Public
Library and has served as a part-time GED instructor at MTCC. At the McDowell
Technical Community College Library, she will be checking out books, providing
customer service, and learning a variety of library jobs to assist the current library staff.
Time Passed
By Betty English
When
Service Is Your Middle Name
MTCC Director of Library Services,
Sharon Smith, was re-elected in September
and took office in January 2008 to continue
as the Western North Carolina Conference
United Methodist Women (UMW) Treasurer.
She had previously served for four years
(2000-2004) as their Communications Coordinator, publishing their quarterly newsletter,
the CONFERENCE GRAM, which was sent to
over 4500 UMW.
The Western North Carolina Conference UMW consists of over 900 local units
with over 38,000 members, from Greensboro
west. There are over one million UMW in the
world. As Treasurer, she will serve on their Executive Committee, the Spiritual Growth Committee, School of Christian Mission Committee, and the Program Planning Committee. She
will Chair the Finance Committee. She will also
serve on the Board of Trustees at Pfeiffer University, representing United Methodist
Women.
Ms. Smith has been an active part of
the McDowell Tech campus for over 35 years,
and previously served as Chair of the Curriculum Committee and the Professional Development Committee. She continues to serve on
both committees. She has been a part of the
college’s SACS Steering Committee twice. She
was Executive Director of the McDowell Technical Community College Foundation and now
is their Vice-Chairman and the liaison between
the College and the Foundation. She worked
closely with their recent Endowment Campaign.
She has been a member of several
professional library organizations; ie, Western
North Carolina Library Association (WNCLA),
the
North
Carolina Library Association (NCLA),
the
North
Carolina Council of Resources Development (NC
CORD), the N.
C. Council of
Community
College Library
Administrators (CCCLA), and the North Carolina Community College Learning Resources Association
(NCCCLRA). She has chaired several committees of some of these organizations and was
the Secretary and President of the NCCC
Learning Resources Association.
In the community, Ms. Smith. is currently a member of the Glen Alpine Woman’s
Club, the Gamma Omega chapter of Delta
Kappa Gamma, the McDowell Public Library
Friends of the Library (treasurer), and the
United Methodist Women at Marion First
United Methodist Church (where she also
maintains their library). She is very active in
her church, serving in many areas.
She has also been involved with Hospice of McDowell County, the United Way, the
McDowell Woman’s Club, the McDowell Dread
Disease Society, MACA, Foothills Theatre,
MEDA, the Chamber of Commerce, and various other civic groups. She has served on
some of their Boards, and as an officer in several of them. She feels that volunteering and
helping others is an important part of her life.
MTCC Family
Get Well and “On the Mend”
Mother of Steven Greenway, Graphics Instructor, who recently broke her hip and has had other
serious medical conditions.
Martin Lawing, recent BLET graduate, who was shot and paralyzed while responding to an emergency call in Burke County.
Walt Rumfelt, son of Joyce Rumfelt Creech, who is recovering from a life-threatening infection.
(To follow his progress, go to www.caringbridge.org and type in WaltRumfelt for password/
code.)
Jay Smith, who is recovering from surgery for prostate cancer.
Sympathy
Family of Mr. John Roach, College Trustee who died this month.
Jeannie Edwards, Director of Human Resources Development, WIA Youth Program, Career Start
and CRC, on the death of her mother, Dottie Horton.
Perry McKinney, Evening Director, on the death of his mother.
Welcome
New Employee:
Patricia Tallent, Library Assistant.
Bir
th
Birth
Drue Garrett Rose, son of Breanna and Dean Rose, who weighed 8 lbs. 5 oz. at birth. Breanna is
Controller in the Business Office. Photo below.
Heads Up,
High school students interested in taking classes in the late afternoons and
evenings, as a dual/concurrent student, should make an appointment to take their placement test as soon as possible by calling 659-0418.
For further information, call Julie Padgett at 659-0417.
High Schoolers!
Who needs
a Freebie?
McDowell Technical Community College offers free tuition to all high
school students who are at least 16 years of age. Through the Huskins and Dual/
Concurrent programs, students can enroll in day and evening courses and begin building their college transcript.
Huskins students earn credits toward high school graduation and credits toward a one year degree, two year degree, or certificate of completion at
s, and ffee
ee
s ar
e FREE! Five programs are availMcDowell Tech! Tuition, book
books
ees
are
able: Photography, Health Information Technology, College Transfer, Machining I and II, and Nursing Assistant I. These students attend 1st and 2nd periods at
the high school and are released to come to McDowell Tech for classes beginning around 12:30.
Dual/Concurrent students begin earning college credits toward a oneyear degree, two-year degree, or certificate of completion at McDowell Tech!
o FREE! Students can take
Students must pay for books and fees. Tuition is als
also
classes from any curriculum, not just the five listed in the Huskins Program.
This does exclude some curriculums that have special admissions requirements
such as our nursing programs. Students generally attend evening classes, but
if they have early release, they could attend afternoon classes.
All students must successfully pass the McDowell Tech placement
exam and have approval from their high school principal. For more information, contact Julie Padgett, College Liaison, at 659-0417.
It’
ship
It’ss Lik
Likee A Free Scholar
Scholarship
ship!!
“Blue Corn”
Photo By Annie Scott
From Our FFriends
riends at
Smar
Smartt Star
Startt
Is Your Child RReady
eady ffor
or Kinder
Kinderggar
artten
en??
The McDowell Partnership for Children & Families has free activity guides
for parents of three- and four-year-olds to help prepare your child for
Kindergarten. Parents may drop by the Partnership office at 70 N. Main
Street between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to pick up a copy. This publication is made
possible by a grant from the Wachovia Foundation.
Healthy Smiles ffor
or PPrreschooler
eschoolerss
Money is available to serve children 3 to 5 years old in need of assistance
with dental care. Applications are available from the McDowell Partnership
for Children & Families, 70 N. Main Street in Marion. Funding is limited.
For more information, call 659-2462.
9A
Solitude
By Barbara Tillison
10
Top Dawgs!
By Michael Lavender, Director of External Relations
Three McDowell Technical Community College students and one instructor recently
had artwork selected for the year-long North Carolina Community College System Art Exhibit
scheduled to open at the NCCCS Office Building in Raleigh in late March.
Photography Instructor Tom Raab and second-year photography student Barbara
Tillison each had photos selected for the show, while Mary Lounsbury, a first-year graphics
student, had a poster design chosen and David Garren, also a first-year graphic design student, had a pencil drawing selected for the exhibit.
An opening show is scheduled for March 25th at 3 pm at the Caswell Building, 200
West Jones Street, next door to the State Capital.
Congratulations to each of these individuals for continuing to showcase the excellent work done in our Photography and Graphics Departments.
By Barbar
Barbaraa Tillison
By Mar
ounsbur
Maryy LLounsbur
ounsburyy
By Da
vid Garr
en
David
Garren
By Tom Raab
Photography Instructor
SPRING SEME
STER, 2008
SEMES
Class Schedule
Corpor
at
each –
Corporat
atee, Business and Outr
Outreach
Continuing Education
Classes ffor
or Cer
tification, ffor
or Skills Training
or FFun!!!
un!!!
Certification,
aining,, and ffor
McDowell Technical Community College offers life-long learning opportunities to any adult, regardless of his/her educational background, through Continuing Education. A variety of courses are available and are designed to provide educational opportunities to
prepare for an occupation, to upgrade or retain individuals already employed, and/or to provide cultural and general interest for
one’s personal self-improvement. The classes are non-curriculum and vary in length and price.
Do Y
ou Ha
ve a T
ick
et ((Cit
Cit
ation
)?
You
Hav
Tick
icke
Cita
tion)?
Please call one of the following for additional information concerning these courses or any course you would
like to teach or have offered.
Deborah 828-652-0675
Lorrie 828-652-0662
Tonja 828-659-0422
Brad
828-652-0674
Cr
af
Craf
aftts
A variety of different types of crafts are introduced, including Silk Ribbon Embroidery, Brazilian Embroidery, Pen
and Ink Rouged Oils and others.
R egis
tr
ation FFee:
ee: $20.00
egistr
tra
Ins
truct
or
tructor
or:: Pat Rose
Instruct
Loc
ation: Marion Senior Center
oca
s Hour
s: 24
Class
Hours:
Clas
Loc
ation: Old Fort Senior Center
oca
Clas
s Hour
s: 24
Class
Hours:
Loc
ation: Blue Ridge Terrace
oca
s Hour
s: 24
Class
Hours:
Clas
Please call for dates and time.
Quilting
Make beautiful quilts for your personal use or for gifts.
Instruction will be given on choosing patterns, tracing,
and the steps in the quilting process.
Ins
truct
or
Instruct
tructor
or:: Rose Wakefield
ee: $20.00
R egis
tr
ation FFee:
egistr
tra
Loc
oca
Clas
s Hour
s: 24
Class
Hours:
D ates: March 5, 2008 – April 30, 2008. This will be an 8
week course.
T ime: Wednesdays, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon
Swedish W
e aving
We
Welcome to the wonderful world of Swedish weaving!!!
Swedish weaving, is a form of embroidery, is very relaxing and fun needle craft that dates back several centuries. Swedish weaving produces beautiful patterns for
Afghans, table runner, and towels.
or
Ins
truct
Instruct
tructor
or:: Bonnie Goldsmith
R egis
tr
ation: $20.00 plus material and supplies.
egistr
tra
Mrs. Goldsmith will have a list of material and supplies
on the first day of class.
Loc
oca
Clas
s Hour
s: 24
Class
Hours:
D ates: March 4, 2008 – April 29, 2008. This will be an 8
week course.
T ime: Tuesdays, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon
Working with P
or
celain
Por
orc
This class will teach you to make china dolls, tea sets,
and decorative items from porcelain.
Ins
truct
or
Instruct
tructor
or:: Barbara Allison
R egis
tr
ation FFee:
ee: $20.00
egistr
tra
Clas
s Hour
s: 16
Class
Hours:
B ask
etry
aske
Learn the old fashioned art of making your own baskets.
These baskets are practical, sturdy and fun to make.
Ins
truct
or
Instruct
tructor
or:: Barbara Allison
R egis
tr
ation FFee:
ee: $20.00
egistr
tra
Clas
s Hour
s: 16
Class
Hours:
If you have been charged with a minor traffic violation in
the 29th Judicial District (McDowell and Rutherford) or
other counties in North Carolina honoring the National
Safety and Health Council’s Defensive Driving Program, you
may elect to have it reduced by the District Attorney. MTCC
offers the Defensive Driving Program through the National
Safety and Health Council of North Carolina which trains
motorists in the principles of safe driving.
Class should be taken at least 10 working days before court
date.
**Students for the 4-hour and the 8-hour class must preregister and pay for these classes at least 2 days before
the day of the class.**
Items required for pre-registration:
·
Citation Form
·
Permission Slip, if you have one.
·
Driver’s License
·
Another form of ID
Regis
tr
ation ffee
ee
egistr
tra
ee: $50.00 for 4-hour course or $75.00 for
8 – hour course.
Registration fee must be Cash, Certified Check, or Money
Order to MTCC.
P re-r
egis
tr
a tion loc
a tion: **MTCC Campus, William
e-regis
egistr
tra
loca
Harold Smith bldg, office 116 or 115. **
For more information on this course call Lorrie 828-6520662 or Deborah at 828-652-0675.
Mo
ehicle De
aler Lic
ens
e–R
ene
wal
Mottor V
Vehicle
Dealer
Licens
ense
Rene
enew
This course is designed to meet the continuing education
training requirements for the Used Motor Vehicle Dealer’s
license renewal.
Ins
truct
or
tructor
or:: Dennis Mauk
Instruct
ee: $
Regis
tr
ation FFee:
egistr
tra
$50.00
Loc
ation: MTCC Campus, Bldg. William Harold Smith
oca
Da te s: April 21 & 22, 6:30 – 9:30 pm
Pre-r
egis
tr
ation: April 14 -17, 9:00 am – 6:00 pm. Paye-regis
egistr
tra
ment of registration fee required at this time.
Adv
anc
ed C
ar
diac Lif
e Suppor
dvanc
anced
Car
ardiac
Life
Supportt
May 9, 2008
Time 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
This is a 8 hour recertification class for individuals who
are currently certified ACLS providers. This class instructs
the students in the guidelines provided by the American
Heart Association for care of the cardiac patient.
Regis
tr
ation FFee:
ee: $50.00 (emergency service personnel
egistr
tra
fee exempt); plus books.
Loc
ation: MTCC Campus, William-Harrell Smith Building
oca
For more information and to pre-register, please contact
Tonja Pool at 659-0422.
Pedia
tric A
dv
anc
ed Lif
e Suppor
ediatric
Adv
dvanc
anced
Life
Supportt
April 10 & 11, 2008
Time: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm both days.
This will be an initial class for the individual seeking certification in the American Heart Association’s Pediatric Advanced Life Support. For more information, please contact Tonja Pool at 659-0422.
No
ublic
Nottary P
Public
This class is designed to prepare participant to be commissioned as a Notary Public. Topics to be covered are
requirements for testing fees, general powers and limitations, certifications, oaths and affirmations, depositions,
affidavits and negotiable instruments. Participants must
have completed high school or the equivalent.
Ins
truct
or
Instruct
tructor
or:: Charlita M. Lytle
Regis
tr
ation FFee:
ee: $50.00 plus cost of book $22.30 new
egistr
tra
edition
Loc
ation: MTCC Campus, Bldg. William Harold Smith
oca
Da te: March 29, 2008
Pre-registration March 17 - 20, 9:00 am – 6:00 pm. Payment of registration fee required at this time.
11
Costa Rica: An Extra Special Christmas !
percent duty on their production to begin construction;
however, they backed out of the deal after two years when
very little had been accomplished. The government stepped
in, deciding to tax all exports so they could finish the job.
The Italian architect, Molinari, and his Italian workers carved
and set marble and laid parquet floors of purple heart, rosewood, quizarra, and guanacaste. Twenty-four-caret gold
highlighted columns, pillars, and scones. The interior reflects the feminine influences of French palaces and Italian
theater, but the outside of the structure is strong and masculine. Rooftop statues represent goddesses of dance,
fame, and music. The originals reside in the foyer, to protect them from corrosive pollution. The Intermezzo sports
a painting of a coffee plantation harvest, Allegory of Coffee and Bananas by Aleardo Villa. It is incorrect in many of
its details, including the proximity of the plantation to the
sea (where coffee will not grow) and upside down banana
stalks. The triple-tiered theater boasts a delicately painted
heraldic ceiling with a massive center chandelier that was
built in 1800. Pulleys allow it to be lowered to ground level
for cleaning. The wooden seats (1,010) were removable,
which allowed the floor to be raised to stage level for ballets. Termites and fungus have ended this capability. The
presidential box and widow’s boxes along the stage (where
women could watch the performance without being seen
in public, thereby dishonoring their husband’s memory and
causing scandal) add another touch of class to the beauty
and wonder of construction during a time when the rest of
the country consisted of dirt roads and adobe houses. When
the theater was completed, its estimated cost was equivalent to the value of fifty-five percent of all of Costa Rica’s
exports at that time.
Nearby, the National Museum (a fort-like edifice)
dons bullet holes over its exterior surface, reminders of
Costa Rica’s Civil War. It was the last war fought by Ticos:
they abolished their army on December 1, 1948. Their pacific nature is a strong aspect of their national pride. Beyond the entrance, massive, pre-Columbian spheres found
in the rainforests near Gulfito attest to the workmanship of
Costa Rica’s ancient civilization. These stone balls, discovered in 1948, range in sizes from softballs to towering
spheres, all perfectly round and seamless. They are estimated to have been created from 0 to 100AD. The Ticos
have requested a designation as a “Patrimony of Humanity” from UNESCO, based on their antiquity. Petroglyphs of
animals, shamans and gods adorn blocks of stone along
the museum. Carved tables made from massive single
stones give further proof to the ancients’ mastery, and intricate gold figurines and necklaces made through a lost
wax process confirm their artistry. Jade carved from 500BC
to 700AD, shows that their expertise continued through
the ages.
Outside of the city, we lunched at Dorka Estate
Alajela coffee plantation. It is home to the oldest wet coffee mill in Costa Rica. Originally, coffee was brought from
Jamaica in 1779. In 1840 it became an export to England.
Transporting coffee beans from the volcanic central valley
to the coast took ten days by oxcart. The brightly painted
oxcarts and their wheels are used today as decorations all
over Costa Rica. Coffee is still a major export, with seventy
percent of the crop sent to the United States. A plant takes
four years to bear and lives for one hundred years, but is
usually discarded after twenty-five years when its productivity diminishes. Picking is a difficult task, and pickers earn
only $1.50 a basket. Eight to ten baskets is considered a
normal day’s effort. Nicaraguan and Panamanian families
do the work, with children as young as fourteen picking
alongside their parents. Workers are given housing, water,
and electricity during the season. The plantation we visited requires three thousand workers to harvest forty-five
hundred acres, for a total of five million pounds of coffee.
This need for outside labor has created immigration problems, resulting in a million foreign workers in a country of
four-an-a-half million Ticos.
The Cost Ricans call themselves “Ticos” because
of a tendency to add the familiarity of “tico” as an ending
to endearments. It makes their Spanish language unique,
as does the phrase, “Pura Vida!” The Spanish translation is
pure life, but Ticos use “Pura Vida!” to mean everything
Top, Ed picking coffee.
Bottom, ox cart for coffee.
from “No problem, Mon” to life is wonderful—it is a positive, joyful response or greeting offered at every opportunity.
On the Caribbean side of the country we stayed
at the Sarapiquis Centro Neotropico Lodge, adjacent to the
Trimbina Biological Reserve. In the morning, brilliant yellow kiskadees, white crown parrots, and blue-grey tanagers vied for bananas, papaya, and watermelons on platters in the garden surrounding our open-air restaurant.
Walking through the tropical gardens, we spotted parakeets, honeycreepers, hummingbirds (58 species exist in
Costa Rica, some of which are as big as robins), flycatchers, cowbirds, robins and a wide variety of brilliantly colored tanagers. In the evening Irma, a member of the Maleku
tribe, spoke to us of the Indian culture that is rapidly disappearing in a land where only 35,000 true natives still exist.
Her tribe consists of 650 people, all of which are cousins.
Tribal law prohibits cousins to marry, which will lead to the
tribe’s extinction.
The Trimbina Biological Reserve was begun by the
Wisconsin Museum, but sold to the Pura Vida Association.
It offers swinging bridges over the rivers and giant kapok
trees along the paths. Howler monkeys, sloths, and bullet
ants live in the overhead branches. The mastate bark, from
sixty-five species of trees, was used by the natives for cloth.
The Noni tree offered a cure for one hundred and ten illnesses. Eighteen hundred varieties of orchids flourish in
Costa Rica, which is known for its Eco-tourism. Thirty percent of the land is in ecological reserves, protected for future generations, which include rainforests, cloud forests,
dry forests, and tropical lowland humid forests. Besides
our forest walk, we went whitewater rafting and toured a
pineapple plantation. We learned everything we didn’t
know about choosing a good pineapple (green with no
smell, firm skin, and able to bounce when held by the crown
without breaking off the leaves) and ate the luscious fruit
until our bellies could hold no more.
The next day we stopped in town to practice our
Spanish by buying the ingredients for bocas, or Costa Rican
hors d’oeuvres. At the Chachagua Rainforest Hotel, we prepared our pre-dinner feast in an open kitchen with the help
of the restaurant’s chef. The “rooms” of the hotel were
individual cabanas with two queen beds and full porch,
complete with swing. The shower in the bathroom was
made of mirrored glass to allow a birds-eye view of toucans and the tropical gardens. Outside, a brilliant blue
swimming pool reflected a melodic, soothing rock waterfall.
Soothing is an apt description of the land and its
people. The natural beauty is lush and green; the people
are joyous and friendly; the welcome is warm. By not having a military, Costa Rica is able to invest heavily in education (it has a 97% literacy rate) and health services. The
workers pay nine percent of their salary for healthcare and
the companies pay twenty-three percent. There is no welfare, except for single mothers and the disabled. Everyone
has access to clean water, and ninety-five percent of the
population has electricity. Gas is $4.00 a gallon. There is a
ten percent inflation rate; however, the ratio of rich to poor
is twenty percent each, with sixty percent middle class.
There are 70,000 Americans residing in Costa Rica. The
only requirements are an income of $600.00 a month and
no criminal record, or the ability to invest $150,000.00.
Costa Rica is considered the least corrupt country in Central America.
Phot
os bbyy LLyric
yric Thompson
Photos
Upstairs at Teatro
Nacional
Teatro Nacional
Chandalier at
Teatro Nacional
Ed and Gabrielle
with Spheres.
Middle top, ancient
carved table.
Middle middle, Gabrielle
with Kapok tree.
Middle bottom, rafting.
Right top, lost wax gold
process.
Right middle, pineapple
pleasures.
Right bottom, making
bocas.
12A
Jobs, Jobs & More Money!
Wee Corner
The Week o
oung Child will be ccelebr
elebr
ated April 1319
008. T
he ffoc
oc
us
off the Y
Young
elebra
13-19
19,, 2
2008.
The
ocus
or Childr
en-Childr
en
ven
o “Bring Communitie
sT
oge
ther ffor
Children-Childr
en-Children
ev
entt is tto
Communities
Toge
ogether
of this annual e
Bring Communitie
sT
oge
ther
o bene
en.
Communities
Toge
ogether
ther”” tto
beneffit childr
children.
McDowell County will hold the following event during this week to kick off the
McDowell County Kindergarten Transition Plan.
·Early Childhood Teachers will visit kindergarten classrooms.
·Parents of enrolling kindergarteners can pick up, “Preparing Your Child
For Kindergarten, an activity guide for families”, from the McDowell
County Partnership for Children & Families. Call Caroline Rodier at 6592462 for more information. This guide includes information on Physical
Development, Emotional & Social Development, Language Development,
Cognitive Development, and Approaches to Learning and is available due
to a $1,000 grant from Wachovia Bank.
Kinder
gar
egis
tr
ation D
ay for McDowell County is April 18th. For informaindergar
gartten R
Regis
egistr
tra
Da
tion call the McDowell County School Central Office at 652-4535.
Profe ssional De
velopmen
Dev
elopmentt
·April 18th,, at 12:00, early childhood teachers will have a roundtable discussion on
Professional Development with Deborah Presnell, Early Childhood Instructor/MTCC
at the ECRC.
·Birth to Kindergarten Programs
Western B-K Online Program– Contact Cathy Litty at 828-227-2272.
ASU B-K Three Year Cohort-Contact Tiffany Soiset-Sheaff at 828-262-3113
April is Child Abus
eP
tion Mon
th
Abuse
Prre ven
ention
Month
Children’s Services Network will be offering training on Child Abuse & Neglect on
April 1st from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. with N.C. State Abuse & Neglect Consultant,
Lori Herrick. For registration information, call Wanda Wood at 659-8302.
McDo
well Coun
arly E
duc
ation Demogr
aphic
sR
epor
McDow
Countty E
Early
Educ
duca
Demographic
aphics
Repor
eportt
Children’s Services Network’s annual McDowell County Early Education Demographics Report will be available April 1st. To request a copy, call Joy Griffith at
652-0637.
Qualit
y Child C
ar
e in McDo
well Coun
Quality
Car
are
McDow
Countty
DID Y
OU KNO
W?...
YOU
KNOW?...
W?...The North Carolina Division of Child Development rates early
childhood facilities on a scale of 1 to 5 stars, based on the level of education and
program requirements met. According to the Smart Start Performance Based
Incentive System (PBIS) results for McDowell County, 82% of children were placed
in 4 & 5 star facilities in 2006-2007. Of subsidized placements, 85% were placed
in 4 & 5 star facilities. We are proud of the facilities for their effort and commitment to offer quality care for children.
By Annie Scot
Scottt
more than a 1st year public school teacher and
salaries equal to first year nurses. In fact, one
local employer indicated to me that after a
year or two of employment his company pays
in excess of $40,000 a year for these skilled
positions. As a public school teacher you
would need 10 to 15 years experience to earn
this kind of salary.
The main factor hurting manufacturing, obviously, is the focus upon plant closings, loss of jobs, downsizing, etc. Myself and
college staff have personally been involved in
assisting employees at virtually every plant
closing or major layoff that has occurred in
our community in the past 20 years. I have
personally gotten to know hundreds, even
thousands, of individuals who have lost their
jobs due to closings or downsizing. Of all the
individuals that we have attempted to help
find new jobs or enroll in training programs,
we rarely have helped a Welder, Machinist,
Electrical/Electronics Technician or Maintenance Technician. Why? They haven’t needed
our help. They always seemed to have other
jobs lined up prior to the closing of their plant
or the loss of their job. The reason is that their
job security is not in their respective company
but in the skills they possess. If you have these
type skills you need not worry about job security. Some company out there is looking for
you if you possess these types of skills. In fact,
local manufacturers are competing for these
skilled employees, offering high salaries to entice them away from their current employer.
As a community college, we have an
awesome responsibility. As mentioned previously, over 75% of all jobs in the United States
require less than a Bachelor’s Degree. However, the vast majority require training above
a high school education. How do we convince
young people to finish their high school education? How do we convince young people
that they need training beyond high school?
How do we direct more young people into
skills areas rather than pursuing a 4 year degree that does not necessarily prepare them
for the job market?
The answer lies in changing the
public’s perception. The answer lies in makact
ing the public aware of the reality. The ffact
is tha
e ar
e man
y good p
aying job
s
thatt ther
there
are
many
pa
jobs
available in our ccommunit
ommunit
y, if y
ou ha
ve the
ommunity
you
hav
educ
ation and skills nec
e ssary tto
o be in deeduca
nece
mand. Individuals willing to work with their
hands are becoming scarce. If this trend continues, one day you will see these types of
technical positions commanding higher and
higher salaries.
If you or your child wants to learn
more about any of these careers, stop by our
Student Services Office any day. Your wallet
will thank you for years to come.
Support Our Troops!
By: Jo
an Jack
son,
Joan
Jackson,
Asst. To MTCC Small Business Center
Phone Con
sations
Convver
ersations
“Hi Mom!”
“Hi son, what’s going on? Are you alright?”
“I’m fine Mom. I just wanted to hear your
voice”
“What? OK. What …………do you want me to
talk about?”
“Anything. Tell me about church- tell me
about your music.”
“Well………..the music is doing well….I think
I have learned four new notes. I think I can manage
to play Amazing Grace without messing up too
much. Are you sure you’re alright?”
“Yes. I’m fine Mom.”
“What are you doing?”
“I’m just sitting here waiting…”
“Waiting for what?”
“Orders…..”
“Are you working at McDonalds now?”
(Soft laughter)
“Oh I guess you’re sitting at a McDonald’s drive getting ready to order a Big
Mac.” ( I know he is chuckling as he smiles that big boyish grin.)
“Mom..(laughter) you’re funny! You should have been a comedian. What other
songs can you play?”
“Nothing fancy. I have learned a lot of silly little songs. Are you sure you’re
alright?”
“Yes, Mom. Silly little songs? Like what Momma?”
“Ohh.. “London Bridge Is Falling Down;” “Go tell Aunt Rudi;” “Twinkle, Twinkle
Little Star.” Speaking of stars, you told your Dad that the stars look huge over
there.”
“Yeah, the stars do look huge at night. Lying on the ground they look as if
you can reach up and grab them. Mom, do you remember the song, ‘Day by
Day?’”
“Son………………. is there something wrong?”
“Do you know that song, Mom?”
“I guess….Is it… ‘day by day, and with each passing moment, ......strength I
find to meet my trials here; ......trusting in .......my Father’s wise bestowment;
........I’ve no cause ......for worry or for fear?’”
(My son is quiet for a moment as the words of the song repeat in my head.)
“Yes, that’s the one. Can you play it, Mom?”
“Huh….huhh…yes….I see what you’re saying....but I can’t …..play it but….I
will try,” I said, but I was thinking, “I get the point. I realize what you’re trying to
tell me now.”
“Good. I want you to play it when I get home. I better get going. I love you,
Mom.”
“I love you son. See you soon.”
The above conversation took place two years ago while my son was stationed in Iraq. He was going out on a dangerous convoy assignment and wanted
to hear my voice. Over the next years three years I became aware of his need to
hear my voice and to remind me that he was trusting in the Lord to keep him safe
and that I should do the same. I’m thankful to God that my son has endured
many dangerous assignments and deployments in the last four years.
Long deployments have placed an enormous amount of stress on my son.
He isn’t the same young man who left home. It has been very stressful on his
wife, his son and our family as well. It’s been rough but we have had wonderful
support from friends and our church family, and amazingly, from people we don’t
know. On many occasions, strangers have stopped us and thanked us for our
son’s hard work. My family and I appreciate your kindness.
There are many brave soldiers who continue to serve their country in Iraq,
Afghanistan and in other foreign lands, please continue to support them and their
families. If you know anyone who have a family member in the military, walk up
to them and thank them. Continue to encourage your family, civic group, club or
church to send a soldier a care package or a simple thank you card. Relative to
the size of our country, we have so few brave men and women who are serving in
our military; let’s continue to show them that we appreciate their sacrifice.
We send a big thank you out to our own Sgt. Chad Costner, son of Carl Costner
(Maintenance Dept.) who is presently deployed in Iraq. His address is below.
Sgt Costner, Chad
HHB 3-320th FA
3 BCT 101 ABN
65th MP CO
APO AE 09322
If you would like to share a way to support our troops or a story about a friend or
family member who is in the military please email me at [email protected]
or call me ay (828) 652-0633.
Human Resources Development (HRD)
13A
Are you unemployed or underemployed? If your answer is “yes,” Human Resources Development (HRD) has a class for you. No registration fee applies if you are
unemployed and looking for work or working and meet special income guidelines. (If you do not fall in either category, the usual occupational extension fee will apply.)
HRD Classes Offered
HRD Introduction to HRD Success By Choice
Develop a healthy self-esteem
Keyboarding
Be prepared for keyboarding used in the workplace
by learning the elementary keyboarding skills.
Explore careers and/or
training option opportunities.
and positive attitude to enhance personal and career
success. Establish goals and
explore career opportunities.
HRD Workplace
Computer Literacy
McDowell Technical Community College
HRD Career Planning
and Assessment
Find out about you, search
for the ideal career, and
get in touch with the
resources to reach your
goal.
HRD Nursing Career
Readiness
Prepare for employment and/
or make the transition into Obtain assistance in the
further computer training an selection of a healthcare
easy one by learning the career, prepare for the
Professionally prepare for
introductory
skills
of educational programs of
the job you want! Utilize
nursing (LPN and RN),
operating a computer.
resume development techand review for the preniques to complete a pronursing exam.
fessional resume; prepare
for your interview; become
HRD WorkKeys Lab
familiar with application
(1-5pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and every
procedures; and do
other Wednesday)
Internet job searches to
assist you in locating and
Prepare to earn a Career Readiness Certificate (CRC)
obtaining employment.
using a self-paced computerized curriculum. You can
determine your skills, advance your skills and pretest
in the areas of Applied Math, Locating Information,
HRD Preand Reading for Information.
HRD Resume/
Interviewing/
Internet Job Search
is a partner in JobLink Career Center, a user-friendly facility providing job seekers access to a variety of employment and training services. Local professionals
from various partner agencies work together to provide the best service for all
customers. JobLink is convenient, efficient and effective. Check us out!
Employment Training
McDowell County JobLink Career Center
Career Planning, Training & Placement Services
SERVICES
-Career Counseling
-Career Exploration/Research
-Career Testing/Assessment
-Career/Job Related Faxing & Copying Services
-Computer Software Tutorials
-Education & Training Information/Access
-English As A Second Language (ESL)
-Internet Job Search
-Interview/Job Search Preparation
-Job Referrals
-Job Listings
-Labor Market Information
-Needs & Services Referral
-GED/Basic Skills
SHORT-TERM JOB READINESS CLASSES
Classes are offered at no cost if you are unemployed, have been notified of a lay off,
or are working and meet special income guidelines.
-“Get a Resume” (15 hours)
-“How to Get a Job” (2-4 hours)
-“Learn to Use a Computer” (30 hours)
-“Manage your Money” (15 hours)
-“Connect with an Employer” (30 hours)
-“Recharge your Attitude” (15 hours)
PARTNERS ON SITE
The following partners have staff at the center on a part-time or full-time basis.
-Employment Security Commission
-McDowell Technical Comm. College
-McDowell Co. Dept. of Social Services
-Vocation Rehabilitation
-McDowell Co. Public Schools
-Workforce Investment Act
Prepare for employment
by developing a positive
attitude, learning to
communicate well, and
realizing the importance
of punctuality and good
attendance. Earn an
Employability Certificate
and make a connection
with local employers.
LOCATION & HOURS
McDowell County JobLink Career Center
81 S. Main St., Suite 2
Marion, NC 28752
Phone: 828-659-6001/Fax: 828-659-8733
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Mon. – Thurs.
8:00 AM – 4:00 PM Friday
The purpose of the Human Resources Development (HRD) program is
to educate and train individuals for success in the workplace.
All classes in the HRD program are held at the JobLink Career Center,
located in downtown Marion at 81 South Main Street, Suite 2, in the
basement of the former Moore’s Building.
Classes are scheduled on a continuous basis throughout the year. Classes
are forming now. For further information or to register for a specific
class, contact Jimmy Hensley at 828/659-6001, ext. 105.
Begin with an HRD class as the first step to “the future you never thought
existed!”
Adult Basic Skills Spring 2008 Classes
JobLink Career Center
Collins & Aikman
Recovery Ventures
St. John’s Parish House
Foothills Industries
MTWTh
F
M
TTh
MTWThF
MTWThF
MTWTh
MTWThF
MTWThF
ABE/GED classes
ABE/GED classes
ABE/GED classes
ABE/GED classes
ABE/GED classes
Family Literacy classes
ESL classes
ESL classes
Comp. Ed classes
8:30am- 8:00 pm
8:30am- 12:30 pm
9:00pm- 1:00 am Tues.
6:30pm- 9:30 pm
9:00am- 12:30 pm
9:00am- 12:30 pm
5:30pm- 9:00 pm
9:00am- 12:30 pm
8:45am-3:15pm
Adult Basic Skills ABE/GED classes help students
improve their skills in reading, writing, and math, which
can lead to the successful completion of the GED Test
and the awarding of the GED Diploma. Instruction is
also available to help those with low reading or low math
skills and those for whom English is their second language
(ESL). At one location, we offer Compensatory Education
(CED) for developmentally delayed adults. All Basic Skills
classes are free and students may join at any time. Adults
who have a high school diploma or a GED may also enroll
for basic skills review if they qualify. For more
information, please call the Basic Skills Office at 652-0657,
the ESL Coordinator’s Office at 659-6001, ext. 101, or
JobLink Help Desk at 659-6001, ext. 0.
GED Orientation Dates
APRENDE INGLES!
Clases gratis de Ingles. MTCC
Basic Skills ofrece clases
de Ingles como Segundo idioma, educación para adultos y otros.
DONDE?
CUANDO?
JobLink Career Center: lunes a jueves 6:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
St. John’s Parish House lunes a viernes 9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
(St. John’s Episcopal Parish House- Gratis guardería de niños!)
Para más información: Ven al centro JobLink lunes a 6:30 p.m.
o llame al: 659-6001, ext. 111 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
GED Orientation and Testing is held
at the JobLink Career Center,
located in the Old Moore’s Building on
Main Street in Marion.
For more information or to schedule an appointment
for ABE/GED Orientation, please call the JobLink Career Center (front desk) at 828-659-6001, ext. #100.
Orientation dates and times will vary.
14
Opportunity’s Knocking! R-U Ready?
By Julie Padgett, College Liasion
Have you ever wondered… What does my future hold? Perhaps you want a
college degree, a great job, or your GED. Let McDowell Technical Community College
help you find answers! Attend the 1st Annual “Pathways to Your Future: Job and Education Expo” on March 5, 2008 from 2-6 pm in the W. Harold Smith Building. Vendors from
across the county and state will be providing FREE opportunities for career exploration,
networking with area businesses, and educational information from two and four-year
colleges. The NC BioTech Bus will also be on-campus during the Expo. Call 659-0417 for
more details.
Repr
esentativ
es On
epresentativ
esentatives
Hand To Get You RRollin
ollin
ollin’’
On The Right Track In No
Time Flat!

Crazy Eights! - McDowell Technical Community College

Transcription

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