Friday, April 11, 2008
MWCC STUDENT SELECTED AS FINALIST IN FIRST WORCESTER COUNTY COLLEGE POETRY COMPETITION
By Janice O'Connor
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Elizabeth Heath, a Liberal Arts and Sciences major, has been selected as a finalist in the first College Poetry Competition, sponsored by the Worcester County Poetry Association. |
MWCC student Elizabeth Heath has been selected as a finalist in the first Worcester County College Poetry Competition. She will be among eight student poets - each nominated by a different college in Worcester County - to present their poetry during a reading on Sunday, April 27 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in the Saxe Room at the Worcester Public Library.
"Every couple of years, poetry goes through a revelation of sorts. At the moment, it seems like slam poetry and performance poetry is really what the world is craving," said Heath, who will read a free verse narrative titled "Subway Maps" in the competition.
Heath is no stranger to the Central Massachusetts poetry scene. She is a member of The Poets' Asylum, which holds open mics every Sunday night at The Q in Worcester, and is also a member of the Shakti Women's Writing Pact, a weekly writing workshop. Heath, a semi-finalist in the Poets' Asylum's poetry slam competition, said she has had the opportunity to learn from a community of prolific and accomplished poets in the region, including Sou MacMillan and Dave Kealii.
"It's a huge community of friends who hang out and do poetry together. It's cool because I'm learning from people who have been in the poetry scene for so long."
Heath was encouraged to enter the competition by Michelle Valois, MWCC associate professor of English. "Elizabeth was in my creative writing class a year ago." Valois said. "She is highly original and very passionate about poetry, and is a terrific reader of her work." Valois called the new poetry competition a wonderful opportunity for college students.
"By inaugurating the College Poetry Competition, the Worcester County Poetry Association wants to help to nurture the next generation of great Worcester poets, and to help to foster the reading, writing, and speaking of poetry in the 21st century," said Susan Elizabeth Sweeney, associate professor of English at Holy Cross College and president of the Worcester County Poetry Association. The event coincides with National Poetry Month, which is celebrated in April.
Sweeney noted that some of the most important American poets of the 20th century grew up in Worcester County, including Stanley Kunitz, Elizabeth Bishop, Charles Olson and Frank O'Hara.
"This is a very exciting time to be a young poet," Sweeney said. "Hip-hop, email, texting, blogging, advertising, and the Internet have changed the way in which our culture uses words, and spoken-word performances and poetry slams have broadened poetry's range and reconnected it to the oral tradition of long ago, when folks would recite aloud poems that preserved their shared history. Meanwhile, traditional forms of a poetry on the page, like the sonnet, not only remain, but are being expanded and reinvented in new ways. At the same time, poetry itself is more needed and more vital than ever before. We need poems to speak the truths of human experience, feeling, and conscience that otherwise may go unspoken in a culture dominated by advertising, sound bites, and political spin in one direction or another."
Other students participating in the competition include Allan-Michael Brown, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; David Corliss, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Laura Crawford, Fitchburg State College; Gregory Minogue, Holy Cross College; Lynsey Sicksch, Assumption College; Sandy Wade, Quinsigamond Community College; and Melanie Wilcox, Worcester State College.
The competition will be judged by four Worcester County poets: Wayne Daniel Berard, an English professor at Nichols College; Lea C. Deschenes, Worcester's representative in the 2005 World Individual Poetry Slam and author of the forthcoming collection The Constant Velocity of Trains; Rodger Martin, editor of The Worcester Review and author of three volumes of poetry, including The Blue Moon Series; and Eve Rifkah, editor of Diner and artistic director of Poetry Oasis, Inc. Prizes will be awarded for poetry manuscript and performance.
MOUNT OBSERVER EDITOR WINS NATIONAL JOURNALISM AWARD
By Janice O'Connor
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Mount Observer Editor Ashley Gough |
Ashley Gough, editor of The Mount Observer, has been awarded a 2008 Payne Journalism Award for Ethics in the collegiate division. The prestigious national award is presented by the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communications.
Gough, an English major at MWCC, won the award for a September, 2007 editorial and article about the removal of student newspapers from stands prior to commencement.
Under her tenure as editor of the Mount Observer, Gough has worked to enhance the quality of the newspaper, including a recent accomplishment this semester to begin publishing in color. In addition to the print publication, the student newspaper plans to go online later this year.
"I feel really honored and blessed to receive this award because I know what it will mean to me for my future," Gough said. The University of Oregon has arranged for Gough to travel to Oregon to participate in an awards ceremony and panel presentation in May.
After graduating from MWCC next year, Gough plans to transfer to the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, to continue studies in English and journalism. Gough, a member of MWCC's Honors Program, is interested in continuing in journalism, and possibly pursuing a career in education. "Right now, I'm just preparing myself for whatever comes my way, continuing with my education and doing the best job I can with the paper."
MWCC WELCOMES INCOMING STUDENTS DURING ANNUAL 'SPRING FLING'
By Janice O'Connor
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Gardner High School seniors, from left, Laurie Richard, Kayla Nolette and Rebecca Beal, working on an etched glass project, were among the hundreds of students attending Mount Wachusett Community College’s annual Admitted Student Reception and Spring Fling. |
MWCC welcomed more than 320 new students and their families during the annual Admitted Student Reception and Spring Fling on Friday, April 11. The day-long event included a welcome address from President Daniel M. Asquino, a presentation on college and career success by a representative from Monster.com, and presentations on advising, financial aid, the classroom experience and other topics. The event also included a barbecue, music by Mass-Conn Fusion, and a variety of craft projects and novelties.
“It’s been a great day,” said John Walsh, Director of Admissions. “This event provides a wonderful opportunity for incoming students to talk with current students and faculty and get a first-hand look at what it’s like to be a student at the Mount.”
Kayla Nolette, a senior at Gardner High School, said she enjoyed the day’s activities. “It was awesome. Both my cousins came here and they had a great experience here and they both excelled in what they wanted to become in life – a firefighter and a nurse.” Nolette, who plans to study Criminal Justice, attended the event with friends Laurie Ricard and Rebecca Beal, who both plan to enroll in the college’s nursing program.
The event was sponsored by the Student Services division. Volunteers from throughout the campus community took part in the event, including faculty, and staff from the Enrollment Center, the offices of Admissions and Student Life, the division of Access and Transition, the Financial Aid office, the Fitness & Wellness Center, the Library, Maintenance, the Academic Support Center, Campus Police, Media Services, Chartwells, Print Shop, Helpdesk and Marketing department.
UNITED WAY AND MWCC CELEBRATE VOLUNTEERISM AT CAMPAIGN FINALE
By Rachel Andler, United Way Youth Venture Coordinator, AmeriCorps*VISTA
Mount Wachusett Community College’s special partnership with the United Way Youth Venture has yielded many inspiring stories and has provided students with amazing challenges and opportunities throughout its six year history. Each year, exceptional students are recognized for their efforts within the program, and elsewhere in the community.
Students in the United Way Youth Venture program were honored on April 3 during the United Way of North Central Massachusett's 28th annual campaign finale. The ceremony at the Four Points by Sheraton in Leominster also recognized another partnership, Community Builders, which is a partnership between the United Way, MWCC and Ashoka.
Mettaya Potter, a Gardner High School senior, received the Community Builder Hammer award at the United Way event. Mettaya has been the lead venture of the “Environmental Crew” at Gardner High School for two years. She has organized an all-city clean up and travelled to local elementary schools to educate young students about the importance of environmentalism and community activism. Mettaya also serves as student ambassador to the United Way Youth Venture Champion at Gardner High School, and has coordinated with more than twenty of her fellow Gardner High students, encouraging them to help rake leaves and debris from the House of Peace and Education property.
Another outstanding Youth Venture group, “Positive Pre-School Pals,” are a Samoset Middle School team of eight. All of the students on this team are members of the Leominster school’s “English Language Learners class.” As a group of students with English as their second language, they have quickly learned the importance of literacy in the younger community. Their venture has been working to partner with a pre-school and will serve as mentors to the students there. The team reads and performs crafts with the students, and has also holds book drives throughout the year to benefit their pre-school pals.
At the United Way event, Community Builders Chair Karson Aubuchon recognized a number of community volunteers and awarded three fellowships, which include mentoring and a financial stipend for community initiatives. Fellowships were awarded to Yaw Addow Jr. of Leominster, to launch the regional Twin City Soccer League; David Gordon of Fitchburg to expand extra-curricular activities for youth through the Fitchburg Police Athletics/Activities League; and Crystal Newkirk of Fitchburg, to create Positive Hip-Hop Club Nights for teens.
Community Builders also recognized Dean Carlson of Leominster for his volutneer work with Central Massachusetts Limb Loss Support Group; Heather Moomay of Winchendon, a volunteer director for House of Peace and Education; and Gardner High School senior Mettaya Potter, for her work in leading the "Environmental Crew" at the high school.
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The 26th Annual Regional Exhibition of High School Art is on display through April 18 in the East Wing Gallery of the Raymond M. LaFontaine Fine Arts Center. The show includes the works of more than 200 students from 16 local high schools. MWCC Art Department faculty will judge the pieces and award cash prizes to individual students at a reception on Thursday, April 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. Music will be provided by the Gardner High School jazz band. All are welcome to attend the reception.
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MWCC's Molly Bish Institute for Child Health and Safety and Heywood Hospital are teaming up to present Teen Space: What You Don't Learn in Textbooks, a free health and safety expo for teens and parents. The interactive program, developed to open dialogue on a range of pertinent issues, will take place Wednesday, April 16 from 4 to 8:30 p.m. at the Gardner campus. Additional partners include District Attorney Joseph Early's office, Hannaford Supermarkets, Communities for Care, the Partnership for Latino Success, the Cleghorn Neighborhood Center, the Rape Crisis Center and many other local organizations in the region. The Teen Space program will include a resource fair and a variety of forums with tracks for teens and parents led by health, nutrition and law enforcement professionals. Topics for teens include "Breaking Boundaries on Violence: Teen Dating Violence and Its Effect on Health," "Eating Healthy, Living Well," and "Body Image and Mind." For parents, the event will offer breakout sessions on "Internet Safety," "Parents Guide to Feeding Well," and a dialogue on communicating effectively with teenagers. For more information, contact Andrea Hart de Gravelle at agravelle@mwcc.mass.edu or (978) 630-9458.
- For the second year the Early Childhood Education Department, the Early Childhood Education Club, The Molly Bish Institute for Health and Safety, and the teachers and children at the Garrison Center for Early Childhood Education will be hosting a Children's Art Show to celebrate The Week of the Young Child. The event will take place in the Garrison Center and in the Molly Bish Institute conference room on Wednesday, April 16 from 10 a.m. to noon and again in the evening from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Alumni from MWCC's Early Childhood Education program will return to campus on Wednesday, April 16 to participate in an Early Childhood Education Career Panel. The program, sponsored by the Advising and Counseling Center, will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in room 127. Alumni will discuss their career path, current positions and experience. For more information, contact the center at (978) 630-9568.
- The Spring Film Series concludes on Wednesday, April 16 with "Super Size Me," an alarmingly personal investigation into the health hazards wreaked by our fast food nation. Filmaker Morgan Sprulock won the best director award at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival for this irreverent look at obesity in America and one of its sources - fast food corporations. The 96-minute film will be shown at 11:30 a.m. in the North Cafeteria and is free and open to the public. For more information about the film, go to http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390521
- The American Red Cross will conduct a Blood Drive on Wednesday, April 16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Commons Area. Stop by the Health Services Office, room 133, to register or call Diane King or Marianne Stoy at (978) 630-9136. Walk-ins are welcome.
- MWCC's What's Next? Speaker Series will conclude on Thursday, April 17 with the free presentation, “Entrepreneurial Spirit: The Pulse of the New Economy,” from noon to 2 p.m. at the Doyle Conservation Center in Leominster. Robert Ansin, chief executive officer of MassInnovation, LLC will discuss his work transforming defunct mills into vibrant, mixed-use residential and lifestyle centers that embody sustainable development practices, as well as what it takes to make an entrepreneurial idea succeed. This year’s speaker series has been sponsored by MWCC’s Center for Democracy and Humanity in partnership with the Trustees of Reservations, the North Central Massachusetts Economic Development Council and the Partnership for Latino Success. Lunch will be provided. Reservations are required and may be made by calling Nancy Hawkins at 978-630-9163 or emailing nhawkins@mwcc.mass.edu
- The Computer Graphic Design Spring Exhibit is on display in the main lobby across from the Enrollment Services office. An open house and awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, April 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. in room 127. The juried exhibit includes 17 categories and approximately 100 pieces created by students in MWCC's Computer Graphic Design program.
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MWCC psychology students will present Depression Awareness Day on Friday, April 18 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Commons area. The free event will feature a panel presentation at 11:30 a.m. Panelists include state Sen. Robert A. Antonioni (D-Leominster), who will speak about his battle with depression and his activism in the field of mental health, school psychologist Lynn Sayarath and other mental health professionals. The program will also include depression screenings, a PowerPoint presentation, brochures and informational poster boards. Agencies and organizations participating in the event are Heywood Hospital, North Central Human Services, MWCC Counseling Team and a representative from the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance.
- The LaChance Library will be open to students, faculty, staff and the public on Saturday, April 19 and Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All services will be available.
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Members of Theatre at the Mount’s youth theatre will present 10 performances of Disney’s Alice in Wonderland Jr in April. The 39 performers, ages 8 to 18, will take the stage for the general public on Saturday, April 19 at 11 a.m. and 2p.m. Special matinees for school groups will be presented on April 15, 16, 17, and 18 at 9:30 a.m. and at 12 noon. Join Alice’s madcap adventures in Wonderland as she chases the White Rabbit, races the Dodo Bird, gets tied up with the Tweedles, raps with a bubble-blowing Caterpillar, and beats the Queen of Hearts at her own game! Classic Disney songs like “I’m Late,” “The Un-birthday Song” and “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” will have the whole family singing along! All tickets are $6 and may be purchase by calling the TAM box office at 978 632-2403 or online at http://theatre.mwcc.edu
- The Alpha Beta Gamma Induction Ceremony will take place on Friday, April 25 at 5:30 p.m. in the North dining room. The program includes a presentation by guest speaker Suzanne Farias, general manager of the Four Points by Sheraton in Leominster, dinner, and an a cereomony inducting students into the business honor society.
- The enrollment center is offering Information Sessions on a number of academic programs. Upcoming sessions will take place on the following dates: Clinical Laboratory Science: April 16 and May 14 from 3 to 4:30 p.m., Heywood Hospital, Dining Room B; Biotechnology/Biomanufacturing: April 15 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Gardner campus, room 341 and May 14 from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Leominster campus; A.S. Nursing: May 13 from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Gardner campus, Wetmore Wing, room 12; Practical Nursing Certificate program: April 17 and May 8 from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Gardner campus, Wetmore Wing, room 12; Complementary Health Care: April 28 and May 19 from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Gardner campus, Wetmore Wing, room 12; Dental Hygiene: May 7 and June 4 from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Gardner Campus, Wetmore Wing, room 12. Prospective students interested in attending an information session are asked to call the enrollment center at (978) 630-9110 (TTY (978) 632-4916), or send an email to admissions@mwcc.mass.edu