MWCC's Weekly e-newsletter

Friday, February 18, 2005

MIDDLESEX DA MARTHA COAKLEY SPEAKS ON TRUANCY PREVENTION AS PART OF WHAT’S NEXT SPEAKER SERIES

By Lea Ann Erickson

	Martha Coakley

"More of a small-town, home-town approach for a kid who needs help” is how Middlesex District Attorney Martha Coakley described the model truancy prevention program START (School Tardiness Attendance Review Team) when she addressed a crowd of over 100 in Leominster Tuesday, Feb. 15. Her appearance—the third event in Mount Wachusett Community College’s What’s Next Speaker Series—was sponsored by the Molly Bish Institute for Child Health and Safety.

Not only does the Middlesex County program, working with 12 local schools, keep kids in class, it’s a cost-effective approach to one of society’s biggest challenges. “We can spend $40,000 a year to house a criminal in Cedar Junction. But in the end, if we looked a little bit earlier…a stitch in time saves nine,” said Coakley. (MCI-Cedar Junction is a state maximum-security prison for male offenders.)

The program, which is voluntary, puts START teams in touch with parents of students with unexcused absences to identify the source of the problem and help families find a solution. Many times the solutions are easily addressed, explained Coakley. Often, she explained, female students are kept home for school to care for a sick younger sibling so mom or dad can report to work. In rare cases, the program would uncover a student who was a victim of abuse and/or neglect. Coakley pointed out that typically these cases would not be discovered this early.

Coakley said the program addressed other societal problems as well. According to the Colorado Foundation for Families and Children, drop-outs have fewer job prospects, lower salaries, are more likely to be involved in substance abuse and are more likely to be involved with criminal activity.

The success of START has been impressive. Students exposed to intervention had a 50 percent decrease in days absent and a 40 percent decrease in days tardy. Participating schools saw an overall decrease of 40 percent in the number of chronically absent students and of 45 percent in the cases of chronically tardy students.

“They (children) are the future of our society,” said John Bish, who along with his wife, Magi, co-chairs the Molly Bish Institute for Child Health and Safety with MWCC President Daniel M. Asquino. John and Magi Bish’s daughter Molly was abducted and murdered while serving as a lifeguard in Warren. “We held fast to our faith. We never lost hope. Our hope now is for all the children,” John Bish said.

Asquino challenged participants to explore the possibility of launching a similar program in the region. “Look long and hard at what you can do to make our own communities better,” he said. “Get involved.”

People interested in serving on a START exploratory effort can contact Lea Ann Erickson at (978) 630-9322.

Coakley will return to MWCC, Thursday, May 19 to serve as its 2005 Commencement speaker.

TRAVELING BLACK INVENTIONS EXHIBIT VISITS MWCC

By Kimberly B. Caisse

	MWCC professor Candace Shivers looks at a mailbox and traffic light, two inventions on display in the Black Inventions Exhibit.

Several hundred MWCC students, faculty and staff learned some little-known facts about American history Friday, Feb. 11. They were introduced to a variety of items invented by African Americans since Colonial times.

The Black Inventions Exhibit, an international mobile museum, featured more than 100 patented inventions as ordinary as the fishing reel, as popular as the SuperSoaker water gun and as extraordinary as the world’s fastest computer, which can perform 3.1 billion calculations per second.

"I try not to look at this as Black history, but American history. People around the world use these things,” said James Ince, the exhibit’s executive director.

Most of the inventions displayed in the exhibit have patents, and cards listing the inventor and patent number are placed near each item. What doesn’t have a patent number has a card explaining the history of the item.

There are no records of African slave inventions, but after emancipation, many African Americans obtained patents for their products, Ince said. There was a 30- to 40-year period after that rush of patents in which African Americans were prohibited from patenting their inventions. To get inventions mass produced, disenfranchised inventors often had their devices patented by their masters or patent lawyers.

Through the record-keeping on African American inventions by Henry Baker, a patent examination officer in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the Black Inventions Exhibit was able to document many early African American inventions, Ince explained. Today, the exhibit keeps similar records, in part by working with private organizations to collect information.

"The thing that really amazes me is throughout school we never came across this information,” Ince said. The purpose of the traveling exhibit is to promote a sense of racial pride and show young African Americans the opportunities they could have if they do well in school.

"I’ve really picked up the banner of Henry Baker and Booker T. Washington, because if we can inspire an African American boy or girl to be an engineer, that would be wonderful,” Ince said.

THE POLUS CENTER, A 2005 UNSUNG HERO, SERVES THE DISABLED AROUND THE WORLD

By Lea Ann Erickson

	From left, Stephen Meyers, Martha Castro, Maryam Hassimi and Michael Lundgren of The Polus Center

Founded in 1979, The Polus Center’s mission is to improve the lives of disabled people around the world by removing the impediments to their independence and providing access to the key resources that will nurture their success.

In 1997, The Polus Center entered into the international arena by coordinating humanitarian efforts in Central America aimed at addressing the long-term needs of people with disabilities, particularly those individuals who lost limbs due to acts of war, landmines and diseases. Several prosthetic outreach programs and clinics have been established, and access and mobility projects have now been implemented in various countries in Central America and Africa.

According to Executive Director Michael Lundgren, what began as a conversation with a Massachusetts child with a prosthetic arm, prompted creation of this effort. Lundgren was on Martha’s Vineyard investigating services on the island when he met the young girl and her mother. They explained that children need to replace prosthetic limbs as they grow. Because U.S. law prohibits recycling them (All prosthetics must be new and made to fit the individual.), she had a closet full of outgrown prosthetics.

Lundgren discovered that this is not the case in other countries—where recycling is not prohibited. Because prosthetics are so expensive—often more than the annual salary of a person living in Nicaragua—they are much in demand. Today, “Walking Unidos” provides more than 100 prosthetics per year.

Lundgren says he’s proud of the unique structure of Polus. “We’re not your typical social service agency. We look more like a community development corporation,” he says. “Our interest is the direct support of people to help them live meaningful lives.” The organizational structure is very flat. “We like to keep our people close. People who make decisions have to know who we’re serving,” Lundgren says.

Campus Events:

	MWCC alumni and staff work the phones during the alumni phone-a-thon for the college's capital campaign. Calls were made for several hours on Wednesday, Feb. 16, Thursday, Feb. 17 and Saturday, Feb. 19.

MWCC will host the 17th annual Girls' High School Basketball Tournament, Saturday, Feb. 19, through Thursday, Feb. 24, at the Fitness & Wellness Center. One scholarship will be awarded to a player on each team. This year, 14 high-school teams will participate: West Boylston, Lunenburg, Notre Dame, Tantasqua, Ayer, Narragansett, Bromfield, Littleton, Shepard Hill, Nashoba, St. Peter-Marian, Gardner, Quabbin and North Middlesex. Daily admission to the tournament is $5 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens. For more information, call (978) 630-9134.

The Committee for Activities and Recreation for Students (CARS) and the Student Life Office are sponsoring the performance of Rhythmic Motivation, featuring Jim Donovan, a founding member of the multi-platinum band Rusted Root, on Wednesday, Feb. 23 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the north cafeteria. This is a must-see performance for drummers and drumming enthusiasts. The first 50 people will have the opportunity to drum along with Rhythmic Motivation. The performance is free to MWCC students, faculty and staff. Space and drums are limited to the first 50 participants. For more information, call the Student Life Office at (978) 630-9252.

Tickets are on sale now for “Jesus Christ Superstar,” which will be performed in the Theatre at the Mount on Friday, Feb. 25, Saturday, Feb. 26, Friday, March 4 and Saturday, March 5 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 27 and Sunday, March 6 at 2 p.m. Parental discretion is advised for children under age 13. Tickets are $18 for evening performances and $15 for matinees, with special discounts available for groups. Tickets are available in person at the TAM Box Office from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. To charge tickets, call (978) 632-2403 or purchase tickets online at http://theatre.mwcc.edu. The Theater at the Mount is wheelchair accessible and is equipped with a hearing assistance system.

Register now for the Fitness & Wellness Center’s annual youth softball clinics for ages 7 and up on Sundays Feb. 27, March 6, March 13, March 20 and April 3. Session I and II will cover fundamentals of hitting, fielding, and pitching in the game of women’s softball. Session III will cover hitting only. Session I and II costs only $60 per player; session III $50. Center members are eligible for a 10 percent discount. For more information, call the center at (978) 630-9212.

Register now for the MWCC Fitness & Wellness Center’s annual golf lessons, which begin the week of Monday, Feb. 28. Directed by PGA Professional Mike Egan, the lessons include individual instruction and video analysis. Participants can bring their own clubs or use the center’s. Beginner lessons will be held Mondays and Thursdays at 7:15 p.m. Intermediate classes will meet Tuesdays at 7:15 and 8:15 p.m. and Thursdays at 8:15 p.m. Advanced lessons will be held on Mondays at 8:15 p.m. The cost is $85 per session; fitness center members are eligible for a 10 percent discount. For more information, call the center at (978) 630-9212.

Registration continues for upcoming lifeguard courses at the Fitness & Wellness Center. Sessions run March 13 to 18, April 4 to 28 and May 2 to 26. The lifeguard course is $200 for members; $230 for nonmembers. The cost includes a lifeguard training manual, pocket mask, lifeguard/first aid certification, CPR for the FPR certification, AED certification, and waterfront module certification. Recertification is $100, and proof of current certification is required at the first session. The Lifeguard Management Course, to be held Sunday, April 17 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., is $54 for members and $60 for nonmembers. For more details, contact the Fitness & Wellness Center at (978) 630-9212.

The MWCC Pacers, the college’s American Cancer Society Relay for Life team, are looking for 30 members for this year’s Relay on Friday, June 10 and Saturday, June 11. The 2004 Relay raised $758,000, the highest amount of the other 156 relays in New England. The Gardner Relay has raised over $5 million dollars since its inception 11 years ago. This year’s goal is to raise $800,000. Other benchmarks reached at the 2004 Relay include having 733 survivors walk the track, a number unheard of at any of the other relays, and being ranked No. 11 nationwide in funds raised (out of 4,200 relays). To join the MWCC Pacers, contact Sue Goldstein, JoAnn Brooks and Jan LeClair to get your relay packet.

Registrations to take Cycle 4 classes at MWCC’s Leominster campus will be accepted through Monday, March 21 for Monday-Wednesday courses and Tuesday, March 22 for Tuesday-Thursday courses. The accelerated Cycle courses each run for three hours throughout the day and evening, twice a week for seven-and-a-half weeks. For a full list of Cycle 4 courses, check out www.mwcc.mass.edu/PDFs/cycle3.pdf on the Web or pick up a copy of the Spring 2005 Course Bulletin at any MWCC campus location. For assistance with registration, call the Leominster campus at (978) 840-3221, the Gardner campus at (978) 630-9110 or visit www.mwcc.mass.edu/prospective/register.html.

Theatre at the Mount will hold auditions for the Ellie Greenwich musical “Leader of the Pack” on Tuesday, March 1 and Wednesday, March 2 at 7 p.m. sharp in room 182 at MWCC. Director Tara McRae, music director Nate Newton and Choreographer Chris Casello are looking for a large, diverse cast of adult men and women, ages 17 and up. Actors should be prepared to perform a short vocal selection (accompanist provided) – 1960s pop music is preferred – and to learn a short dance combination. Appropriate clothing and footwear is strongly encouraged. Cold readings from the script may also be required. The tentative rehearsal schedule is Sundays from 4 to 8 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 7 to 10 p.m. beginning Tuesday, March 8. Performances of “Leader of the Pack” are Friday, May 6, Saturday, May 7, Friday, May 13 and Saturday, May 14 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, May 15 at 2 p.m. For more information, contact Professor Gail Steele at (978) 630-9162 or visit the Theatre at the Mount web site at http://theatre.mwcc.edu.

A free seminar on “Making Better Tax Decisions for Your Small Business” will be presented at Mount Wachusett Community College Thursday, March 3 from 7 to 9:45 p.m. in room 127 at the Gardner campus. The event, co-sponsored by the Small Business Administration, will address such topics as reducing taxes and eliminating or reducing tax problems by learning now and planning ahead. The session will include a question-and-answer session with two members of the Massachusetts Society of CPAs, Karl Schranek, a CPA with Rodman & Rodman in Newton, and Gordon Ulen, a CPA with a practice in Topsfield. This seminar is free, but pre-registration is requested. To register, contact Enrollment Services at (978) 630-9123. For more information, contact Denise Whitney at (978) 630-9124.

Sign up now for the next R.A.D. Basic Self-Defense Course, a 12-hour course for women only, at MWCC on Monday, March 21, Tuesday, March 22, Thursday, March 24 and Friday, March 25 from 6 to 9 p.m. The cost of the course is $25. To register, please contact Melissa Garneau at (978) 630-9150.

The Lifelong Institute for Enrichment (LIFE) at MWCC is sponsoring a Robin Lane presentation of “Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis” on Thursday, March 31 at 2 p.m. at Best Western Royal Trade Plaza Hotel in Fitchburg. Tickets are $20 and go on sale Monday, Feb. 14 at MWCC’s Lifelong Learning office, room 163, or by contacting Lorraine Wickman at (978) 630-9176. In this compelling one-woman show, Lane reveals the real Jacqueline Onassis, the private woman behind the public mask, while keeping alive the mystique, the magic that was Jackie. Camelot lives again in this personal portrayal of a woman who found her way into the hearts of America.

Lea Ann Erickson
Director of Community Relations
Mount Wachusett Community College
Phone: (978) 630-9322
Fax: (978) 630-9561
cell: (508) 517-5202
l_erickson@mwcc.mass.edu

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