Friday, February 16, 2007

 

MWCC ANNOUNCES COMMUNITY SCHOLARS OPPORTUNITY

By Kimberly B. Caisse

The new MWCC Community Scholars program, the realization of President Daniel M. Asquino’s vision of students using their skills and knowledge to build social capital in the region, will offer 12 of this year’s high-school graduates from around North Central Massachusetts the chance to attend MWCC for free and earn a paycheck working for local nonprofit organizations.

“This program is another way our students blend their classroom learning with real-world experience and help out in our communities at the same time,” Asquino said. “I’m proud our Decade of Civic Engagement has led us to offer this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to young adults with creative energy, concern for others and initiative.”

“It is good to know that The Mount is doing important work to provide sharp minds honed with the eagerness and willingness to become courageous adults who give back to their communities. I firmly believe that the best hope for the world is if each person accepts the challenge to make his or her own circle of participation a better place than he or she found it,” said Jay Davis Drake, chair of the colege’s Board of Trustees.

“As a father and community member I see this as a win-win for students and our hard-working nonprofits,” said Fred Healey, president of Mount Wachusett Community College Foundation, Inc. “I am delighted that the foundation is taking a look at this exciting opportunity.”

To be eligible, applicants must be June 2007 graduates of a high school in North Central Massachusetts, have earned a grade point average of 2.5 or higher upon graduation, and have an enthusiastic interest in community service and leadership.

The selected 12 Community Scholars will learn and earn the following:
• An associate’s degree from MWCC at no costs, taking up to 12 credits per semester (tuition, fees and books—valued at over $10,000)
• Two years of guaranteed employment at a partnering nonprofit organization in North Central Massachusetts, earning $10 per hour for up to 1,000 hours (estimated to be approximately 10 hours a week during college semesters and 30 hours per week during summer months)
• A $1,000 education award toward a bachelor’s degree at any four-year college or university
• Leadership training and development through a “summer bridge” program

High-school seniors and parents or guardians interested in learning more about the MWCC Community Scholars program are encouraged to attend an information session. Two sessions will be held Monday, Feb. 26 and Wednesday, Feb. 28 from 6 to 7 p.m. at MWCC’s Gardner campus, 444 Green St.

For an advanced brochure and applications, send name and mailing address to Amy Casavina Hall, executive director of the Center for Democracy and Humanity at MWCC, via communityscholars@mwcc.mass.edu.

Community Scholars is a program of the Center for Democracy and Humanity sponsored by MWCC Foundation.

‘EDUCATIONAL VALUES OF OUR TIME’ THE FOCUS OF WHAT’S NEXT SPEAKER SERIES LECTURE

By Kimberly B. Caisse

David Hansen

David Hansen, professor and director of the program in Philosophy and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, urged the 75 people at MWCC’s What’s Next Speaker Series Monday, Feb. 12 to foster the moral view that education is about the growth and development of human beings.

It is important to do this regularly “as long as we don’t bracket it in a morning discussion,” he said.

The editor of “Ethical Visions of Education: Philosophies in Practice,” due to be released this spring by Boston Research Center for the 21st Century, Hansen said the book creates a model to learn from some key education scholars. He “sketched” for the audience “some of what I’ve learned from these figures.”

The goal of the book is to emphasize that “education isn’t just a matter of knowledge, but a quest for meaning,” he said. The figures analyzed in it— John Dewey, Paulo Freire, W.E.B. Du Bois, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi,
Jane Addams, Tao Xingzhi, Maria Montessori, Rabindranath Tagore,
Rudolf Steiner, Albert Schweitzer—“give us perspective” in an era of standardized tests and regulated teaching.

As editor, Hansen said he tried “to show that this portrait” of humans as “incredible knowers…players, poets, creators” is “embraceable, and is being undertaken all over the place.”
“I feel a profound sense of urgency…America needs cosmopolitan education,” he said.

Hansen’s appearance was sponsored by the college’s Center for Democracy and Humanity, the Twin Cities Latino Coalition and the Montachusett Opportunity Council.

The What’s Next Speaker Series’ focus on poverty continues with a lecture by Paul Dudley Hart, director at-large of Mercy Corps, entitled “Addressing Poverty from a Global Perspective” on Tuesday, March 13 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Doyle Conservation Center, 464 Abbott Ave., Leominster. Mercy Corps works to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities.

Complimentary lunch will be provided. Registration is required. To register, contact Eveliz Rivera (978) 630-9324 or whatsnext@mwcc.mass.edu by Friday, March 2.

More MWCC News:

• Renowned evolutionary biologist "Charles Darwin" shakes hands with MWCC President Daniel M. Asquino. The Biology Department celebrated Darwin's 198th birthday Monday, Feb. 12 in the Leo & Theresa LaChance Library. Ffree birthday cake was served.

  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 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 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 is bringing a Fulbright scholar and Islamic culture expert to students, faculty and our communities between Tuesday, February 20 and Friday, March 9. Dr. Mohamed Azam Mohamed Adil’s visit is part of the Fulbright Visiting Specialists Program: Direct Access to the Muslim World. During his visit here, Dr. Adil will speak about the fundamentals of Islam, Islam and gender issues, Muslims’ and non-Muslims’ rights, law and religion, Islam in Malaysia and the Malaysian Prime Minister’s Islam Hadhari Project. He is bringing his message to MWCC students, faculty and staff as well as local schools and community organizations. For more information, visit http://www.mwcc.edu/info/fulbright.html or contact MWCC Public Relations Specialist Kimberly B. Caisse at (978) 630-9547.
• 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.

• Dr. Mohamed Azam Mohamed Adil

  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.
• Dr. Mohamed Azam Mohamed Adil, of Malaysia, who will visit MWCC as part of the Fulbright Visiting Specialists Program: Direct Access to the Muslim World, will speak at the First Church Unitarian Universalist in Leominster on Sunday, Feb. 25 at 2 p.m. In his lecture, entitled “Fundamentals of Islam and Religious Freedom,” he will share his expertise in Islamic law and religion with members of the church’s congregation and the general public. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact MWCC Public Relations Specialist Kimberly B. Caisse at (978) 630-9547 or kcaisse@mwcc.mass.edu or the Rev. Susan Suchocki Brown at (978) 537-0310. Details of Dr. Adil’s three-week visit are also available at http://www.mwcc.edu/info/fulbright.html.
• MWCC will host the "Black Cinema 101 Tour” in observance of Black History Month on Wednesday, Feb. 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the commons area of the Gardner campus. The Black Cinema Gallery is an inspirational tribute to Black actors, actresses and authors who inspired the world through their outstanding performances and works, taking Hollywood to a different plateau. The display is sponsored by the Student Life Office.
• Free college. Earn a paycheck. Apply to be a Community Scholar at MWCC. Community Scholars receive free tuition, fees and books, $10,000 in annual wages by working at a local nonprofit organization, leadership development opportunities and a $1,000 education award toward a four-year degree. For a brochure and application, send your name and mailing address to communityscholars@mwcc.mass.edu. The application deadline is Monday, March 12.
• Learn more about Community Scholars at two upcoming information sessions: Monday, February 26 and Wednesday, February 28 from 6 to 7 p.m. Both sessions will be at the Gardner campus, 444 Green St. For an advanced brochure, send your name and mailing address to communityscholars@mwcc.mass.edu.

• Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I of England

  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. Gardner Mayor Gerald St. Hilaire MWCC President Daniel M. Asquino will also be present to greet the walkers as they 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.
• Dr. Mohamed Azam Mohamed Adil, of Malaysia, who will visit MWCC as part of the Fulbright Visiting Specialists Program: Direct Access to the Muslim World, will give an “Overview of Islam” and participate in the discussion of the book “Reading Lolita in Tehran” by Azar Nafisi on Wednesday, Feb. 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Leo & Theresa LaChance Library. The event, sponsored by the library and Office of Academic Affairs, is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be served. For more information, contact the library at (978) 630-9125. Details of Dr. Adil’s three-week visit are also available at http://www.mwcc.edu/info/fulbright.html.
• MWCC’s Office of Academic Affairs and Leo & Theresa LaChance Library are sponsoring a panel discussion entitled “Different Faces of Islam” on Friday, March 2 at 11:30 a.m. in the theatre. The panel will feature Fulbright Visiting Specialist Dr. Mohamed Azam Mohamed Adil of Malaysia and Muslim scholars from other countries. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact MWCC Public Relations Specialist Kimberly B. Caisse at (978) 630-9547 or kcaisse@mwcc.mass.edu. Details of Dr. Adil’s three-week visit are also available at http://www.mwcc.edu/info/fulbright.html.

• The "Greensboro Four" (Jibreel Khazan is second from the right.)

  MWCC’s Leo & Theresa LaChance Library and Office of Academic Affairs are sponsoring a book discussion and signing by Kris Holloway, author of “Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years with a Midwife in Mali,” on Tuesday, March 6 at 11:20 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. in the commons area of the Gardner campus. Books will be available purchase, with proceeds supporting Clinique Monique in Kauri, Mali. The event is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Linda Oldach at (978) 630-9126 or loldach@mwcc.mass.edu.
• MWCC’s new Biotechnology program will host information sessions Wednesdays March 7, April 11 and May 16 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 6 to 7 p.m. at the main campus, 444 Green St., Gardner. Sessions will be held at the Leominster campus, 100 Erdman Way, on Monday, March 19; Monday, April 23; and Wednesday, May 23 from 6 to 7 p.m. With the decision by the drug manufacturer Bristol-Myers Squibb to locate a large biotechnology company at Devens, the college anticipates starting the biotech program in fall 2007 at the Devens and Gardner campuses. 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.
• 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.
• MWCC’s Office of Academic Affairs will host an informal discussion with Jibreel Khazan, formerly Ezell Blair Jr., one of the “Greensboro Four” who took part in the Woolworth sit-ins of the Civil Rights Movement, on Friday, March 9 at 10:30 a.m. in the theatre. The decision of four African American students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College to stage a sit-in at the Greensboro Woolworth lunch counter on Feb. 1, 1960, led to civil rights sit-ins in 54 other cities in nine states. By the end of July 1960, Woolworths decided to integrate its lunch counter. For more information, contact MWCC Public Relations Specialist Kimberly B. Caisse at (978) 630-9547 or kcaisse@mwcc.mass.edu.

• As part of its Works in Clay exhibition series, the Art Department presents the work of Terry Rumble, which will be on display through Friday, March 16 in the East Wing Gallery. The gallery is open to the public 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 Joyce Miller at (978) 630-9221.

  MWCC’s English Department is sponsoring a lecture by Dr. Arthur F. Kinney, Thomas W. Copeland Professor of Literary History and director of the Center for Renaissance Studies at UMass-Amherst, on Friday, March 9 from 11:40 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the north cafeteria of the Gardner campus. Kinney is the author or editor of more than 30 books and his work has served scholars and professors for more than three decades. Last year, he was presented with the Paul Oskar Kristeller Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest international award for a Renaissance Scholar. Kinney’s most recent book is “Shakespeare and Cognition – Aristotle’s Legacy and Shakespearean Drama.” For more information, contact MWCC Public Relations Specialist Kimberly B. Caisse at (978) 630-9547 or kcaisse@mwcc.mass.edu.
• MWCC’s Leo & Theresa LaChance Library will host the "Elizabeth I: Ruler and Legend" traveling exhibit through March 30. The library is one of only 40 public and academic libraries in the nation to host this exhibit. 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.
• The What’s Next Speaker Series’ focus on poverty continues with a lecture by Paul Dudley Hart, director at-large of Mercy Corps, entitled “Addressing Poverty from a Global Perspective” on Tuesday, March 13 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Doyle Conservation Center, 464 Abbott Ave., Leominster. Mercy Corps works to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities. Complimentary lunch will be provided. Registration is required. To register, contact Eveliz Rivera (978) 630-9324 or whatsnext@mwcc.mass.edu by Friday, March 2. The series is sponsored by the college’s Center for Democracy and Humanity, the Twin Cities Latino Coalition and the Montachusett Opportunity Council.