Friday, January 26, 2007

 

MWCC STUDENTS’ SERVICE-LEARNING EXPERIENCES CELEBRATED

By Kimberly B. Caisse

The college recognized the nearly 300 students who completed service-learning projects during the fall semester with a complimentary lunch in the main campus’ north dining area Monday, Jan. 22.

Students receive their certificates of appreciation at the complimentary lunch for students who completed service-learning projects during the fall 2006 semester.

“I believe so strongly in service-learning and connecting the community with the classroom,” said MWCC President Daniel M. Asquino to the more than 50 students who gathered for pizza. “What we learn in the classroom is great, but applying it in the real world is what it’s all about. I think that if you begin to do that application while you’re at Mount Wachusett Community College, you’re going to be one step ahead of everyone else.”

“I’m constantly amazed at the dedication you have to your studies and to the community, and you should be really proud of yourselves,” said Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs Melissa Fama. “We hope that you will continue to participate in service-learning and participate in volunteerism after you graduate from Mount Wachusett Community College.”

The following are a few examples of the 2006 fall semester projects:

• Under the guidance of Biology Professor Bill Lefrancois and Computer Information Systems Associate Professor Tina Wilson, students worked to develop a health assessment measuring tool to survey the public as their service-learning project. Anatomy and Physiology students outlined what they wanted in the tool; CIS students created it.

Students surveyed and performed health checks randomly at the Bob Wilson Memorial 5K Run/Walk in Fitchburg and MWCC’s Gardner campus. When all the assessments and surveys were complete, the CIS students compiled the results, which were analyzed by both classes. The CIS students also designed a handout that featured content supplied by the Anatomy and Physiology students.

• Five nursing students, in partnership with HealthAlliance Hospital, coordinated and publicized a car-seat safety inspection event that gave almost a dozen families training sessions with a certified car-seat safety inspection officer. The event, a service-learning project for the Molly Bish Institute for Child Health and Safety, took place at the HealthAlliance Hospital Burbank campus in Fitchburg.

Westminster Police Officers Ralph LeBlanc and Jason Tamulen carried out inspections, giving each family undivided attention and guidance to ensure proper installation of their car seat.

The Nursing Club donated one car seat and the students themselves purchased and donated an additional car seat in the event that a family showed up with a seat that didn’t pass inspection.

• Six student interns working with Adjunct Professor Yvonne Stevens organized a Domestic Violence Summit at the Leominster campus.

The students worked closely with Nicholas Howe, education coordinator at Battered Women's Resources in Leominster, to develop a series of workshops: an overview of domestic violence; the effects of domestic violence on children; an interview with a survivor; healthy relationship boundaries; and a mock trial and discussion by BWRI and the District Attorney's office.

Students and counselors attended.

• Alexis Chicoine turned her English research paper on youth activities in Gardner into a grassroots movement to build a skatepark in the city. Rather than simply write about a lack of activities for kids, Chicoine engaged local teens and city officials to discuss the concept of a skatepark.

According to Gardner Mayor Gerald St. Hilaire, the work on the skatepark idea was a reason the city’s Youth Commission has been revived. The mayor wants this commission to offer a variety of youth activities. Chicoine is one of the members.

IRS-TRAINED MWCC STUDENTS TO PROVIDE TAX PREP SERVICE

By Kimberly B. Caisse

Starting in early February, about 30 MWCC students will be helping low- and moderate-income taxpayers prepare and file their federal tax returns for free as part of the federal Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. The service will be provided at the Gardner and Leominster campuses.

The business students, who have passed the IRS’ Link and Learn Taxes certification exam, are among the many trained community volunteers across the nation who not only help taxpayers with their federal forms, but also to seek special credits, such as Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and Credit for the Elderly. The VITA Program offers free tax help to low- to moderate-income (generally, $39,000 and below) individuals with limited English proficiency and disabilities as well as senior citizens.

This is a service-learning project for the students and was coordinated by Division of Lifelong Learning and Workforce Development and the Business Department. “This is a wonderful opportunity that will give our students professional experience while they are serving their community,” said President Asquino. “For some, this applied learning may eventually lead to a job in this field.”

Non-student volunteers who take the IRS’ Link and Learn Taxes course and pass the certification exam may participate as well. Link and Learn can be accessed through www.irs.gov by typing Link & Learn Taxes in the keyword/search box in the upper right-hand corner of the page or by copying the following link: http://www.irs.gov/app/vita/index.jsp. Contact Assistant Professor of Business John Reilly at (978) 630-9296 or Vice President of Lifelong Learning and Workforce Development Jackie Feldman at (978)630-9309 for more information.

At the Leominster campus, the service will be offered on Fridays beginning Feb. 2 through April 13 from 1 to 8 p.m. (The Leominster campus will be closed on Friday, March 16 for the Evacuation Day state holiday.) At the Gardner campus, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance site will be in Room 250 on Thursdays beginning Feb. 8 through April 12 from 1 to 8 p.m. MWCC’s financial aid personnel will be on hand at some sessions to assist taxpayers interested in attending college with filling out financial aid forms.

To schedule an appointment, taxpayers may contact Denise Whitney at (978) 630-9124 or dwhitney@mwcc.mass.edu.

More MWCC News:

• Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I of England

  MWCC’s Leo & Theresa LaChance Library will host an afternoon tea to celebrate the arrival of the "Elizabeth I: Ruler and Legend" traveling exhibit on Wednesday, Jan. 31 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. The library is one of only 40 public and academic libraries in the nation to host this exhibit. It will be on display through March 30. This new exhibit commemorates the 400th anniversary of the death of Queen Elizabeth I of England and encourages audiences not only to reacquaint themselves with the Queen, but also to become more familiar with the historical and cultural forces that shaped her personality and her time, and to examine the mixture of history and legend that continues to surround her today. The American Library Association Public Programs Office, in partnership with The Newberry Library of Chicago and the National Endowment for the Humanities, is sponsoring the traveling exhibit. All showings of the exhibition and related programs will be free and open to the public. For more information, contact Reference and Instruction Librarian Ellen Pratt at (978) 630-9125.
• IRS-trained volunteers, including 30 MWCC students, will be helping low- and moderate-income taxpayers prepare and file their federal tax returns for free as part of the federal Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. At the Leominster campus, the service will be offered on Fridays beginning Feb. 2 through April 13 from 1 to 8 p.m. (The Leominster campus will be closed on Friday, March 16 for the Evacuation Day state holiday.) At the Gardner campus, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance site will be in Room 250 on Thursdays beginning Feb. 8 through April 12 from 1 to 8 p.m. MWCC’s financial aid officers will be on hand at some sessions to assist taxpayers interested in attending college with filling out financial aid forms. To schedule an appointment, taxpayers may contact Denise Whitney at (978) 630-9124 or dwhitney@mwcc.mass.edu.
• MWCC faculty and staff who take the IRS’ Link and Learn Taxes course and pass the certification exam may participate in the VITA program as well. Link and Learn can be accessed through www.irs.gov by typing "Link & Learn Taxes" in the keyword/search box in the upper right-hand corner of the page or by clicking the following link: http://www.irs.gov/app/vita/index.jsp. Contact Assistant Professor of Business John Reilly at (978) 630-9296 or Vice President of Lifelong Learning and Workforce Development Jackie Feldman at (978)630-9309 for more information.
• MWCC’s Student Life Office, CATS, ALANA Club, PRIDE Club and the International Club are sponsoring a Mardi Gras Carnival on Thursday, Feb. 8 from 6:30 to 11 p.m. in the Gardner campus’ south cafeteria. Students, faculty, staff and guests will enjoy karaoke from 6:30 to 8:30 and dancing from 8:30 to 11. Cash prizes for the top three costumes will be awarded. Cash donations will be collected for the AshaKiran Jubilee Hope Center, an HIV/AIDS care facility in India. For more information, contact Student Life Director Greg Clement at (978) 630-9252 or gclement@mwcc.mass.edu.
• Theatre at the Mount will hold auditions for the children’s musical “Suessical Jr.” by appointment only on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. for ages 8 to 12 and 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. for ages 13 to 18. To schedule an appointment, call the Theatre at the Mount box office at (978) 632-2403, Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., or e-mail your appointment request to box-office@mwcc.mass.edu. Auditions will be held in room 182. Auditions will consist of singing and dancing auditions. Vocal selection and dance combination will both be taught at the audition. Teens will also be asked to do a reading from Dr. Seuss – copies of readings are available at the box office in advance of the audition. The tentative rehearsal schedule is Sunday afternoons, Tuesday and Thursday evenings beginning Sunday, Feb. 25. Performances of “Seussical Jr.” are Tuesday, April 24 through Friday, April 27 at 9:30 a.m. and noon; and Saturday, April 28 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. For more information, contact Professor Gail Steele at (978) 630-9162 or visit the Theatre at the Mount website at http://theatre.mwcc.edu.

• David Hansen

  David Hansen, professor and director of the program in Philosophy and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, will discuss the new book, “Ethical Visions of Education: Philosophies in Practice,” on Monday, Feb. 12 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Gardner campus as part of the college’s 2006-2007 What’s Next Speaker Series. Due to limited space, registration for this What’s Next Speaker Series engagement is required no later than Friday, Feb. 2. To register, contact Eveliz Rivera at (978) 630-9324 whatsnext@mwcc.mass.edu. A complimentary lunch will be provided, courtesy of the Center for Democracy and Humanity at MWCC.
• MWCC’s new Biotechnology manufacturing program will host information sessions Tuesdays Feb. 13, March 6, April 10 and May 15 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 6 to 7 p.m. at the main campus, 444 Green St., Gardner. With the decision by the drug manufacturer Bristol-Myers Squibb to locate a large biotechnology company at Devens, the college anticipates a 64-credit degree program will begin in fall 2007 and a 28-credit certificate program in fall 2008 at the Devens campus. The Massachusetts Biotechnology Council predicts more than 100,000 biotechnology jobs will be added statewide by the end of the decade. Registration is required. To register and for more information, contact MWCC’s Dean of Science Charles Weitze at cweitze@mwcc.mass.edu or (978) 630-9207.
• The Art Department is hosting the exhibit “Connected Partners: Sharing a Life and an Aesthetic Vision” featuring works by Dug Morton (’86) and Dawn Haley Morton in the East Wing Gallery through Saturday, March 10. The paintings on display were done by Dug; the photographs taken by Dawn. A reception for the artists will be held Friday, Feb. 16 from 6 to 9 p.m. The East Wing Gallery, located in the Raymond M. LaFontaine Fine Arts Center at the Gardner campus, is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, contact Professor John Pacheco (978) 630-9184 or jpacheco@mwcc.mass.edu.
• Theatre at the Mount will present “Smokey Joe’s Café” for five performances beginning Friday, Feb. 23 at 8 p.m. “Smokey Joe's Café” is an explosion of immortal hits including “Stand By Me,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “There Goes My Baby” and many more. Other performances will be held on Saturday, Feb. 24, Friday, March 2 and Saturday, March 3 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 4 at 2 p.m. Tickets for “Smokey Joe’s Café” are on sale at the Theatre at the Mount box office Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., or call (978) 632-2403. Tickets can also be purchased online at http://theatre.mwcc.edu. Tickets are $20 for evening performances and $15 for matinees, with discounts available for children, Mount students and groups. Subscriptions for Theatre at the Mount’s 2007 season, at total of five shows, are also available for just $65.
• MWCC will host a Renaissance performance by actor Marilyn Murphy Meardon on Wednesday, Feb. 28th from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the main campus. The 45-minute, solo performance, “Queen Elizabeth I: In her Own Words,” was researched and composed by Meardon, who used the Queen's own letters, poetry, prayers and speeches to create a performance that brings the monarch's words to life. Meardon’s performance will complement the “Elizabeth I: Ruler and Legend” traveling exhibition on display in the Leo & Theresa LaChance Library through March 30, 2007. For more information, contact the library at (978) 630-9125.
• MWCC’s Art Club will host the Walk for a New Spring, an annual interfaith walk for peace taken by Buddhist monks and nuns and walkers, for lunch at the college’s north dining area on Wednesday, Feb. 28 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The group will arrive at MWCC from Noonday Farm in Winchendon, a Catholic worker-owned farm that grows vegetables for soup kitchens in Boston. From the college, they will meet Fitchburg Mayor Dan Mylott, visit Fitchburg State College and meet Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella. For more information, contact Assistant Professor Tom Matsuda at (978) 630-9340 or tmatsuda@mwcc.mass.edu.
• MWCC will hold a four-session Explorer course Wednesdays March 7, March 21, April 4, and April 18 from 6 to 9 p.m. at its Gardner campus. The Explorer program is intended for those who are considering farming as a business. This course offering is sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources Agricultural Business Training Program, in cooperation with the Explorer creator, the New England Small Farm Institute in Belchertown, with additional support from MWCC. For a registration form, please contact Rick Chandler, MDAR, 25 West Experiment Station, UMass, Amherst MA 01003 or rchandler@umext.umass.edu.
• Theatre at the Mount is accepting nominations for the inaugural High School Musical Theatre Awards, the TAMYs. These awards recognize the exceptional accomplishments in the production and performance of musical theatre in area high schools. Area high schools are invited to participate in the competition by entering their annual musical production for consideration in a variety of categories, including: best overall production, best actor, best actress, best choreography, etc. Members of the Theatre at the Mount staff will attend and evaluate each production, making nominations in each category. Winners will be honored at a “red-carpet” awards ceremony and dinner modeled after Broadway’s Tony Awards. Local schools interested in participating in the TAMY Award program should contact Professor Gail Steele at (978) 630-9162 or gsteele@mwcc.mass.edu.