Friday, Feb. 22, 2008

 

MWCC SELECTED AS FIRST RECEIPIENT OF WACHUSETT CHAMBER'S NEW ENVIRONMENTAL AWARD

By Janice O'Connor

Mount Wachusett Community College has been selected as the first recipient of the Wachusett Chamber of Commerce’s newly created Environmental Impact Award.

The Chamber established the award as a way to recognize an individual, business or non-profit organization that has demonstrated a commitment to environmental issues, made changes to improve the company’s impact on the environment and/or made an outstanding contribution on behalf of the Wachusett region’s environment.

"We are delighted to be recognized by the Wachusett Chamber for this new award," said MWCC President Daniel M. Asquino. "We appreciate that community and business leaders recognize the great strides we have made in renewable energy and view us as a leader in this regard."

"We were thrilled to have a business like the Mount as the recipient of this award," said Maegen McCaffrey, Wachusett Chamber Executive Director. As the award's first recipient, the college serves as a model for other businesses to emulate, she added.

“This year’s new Environmental Impact Award had six very worthy nominees”, McCaffrey said. “As the Chamber continues to evolve, we want to continue to recognize our members for a variety of reasons and we felt it was important to include those members who have had a positive impact on the region’s environment. I’m thrilled with the results and am excited and honored to be able to celebrate so many of our extraordinary and wonderful members."

In the early 2000s, MWCC was at the forefront of the campus climate movement when it converted its all-electric main campus in Gardner to a biomass heating system to save money and help the environment by significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The conversion has cut the college’s carbon footprint by 22.5 percent, slashed electricity usage by 38 percent and water usage by 52 percent, and achieved a cost savings of $2.4 million to date. It also has paved the way for new renewable energy initiatives on campus, including solar and wind power.

The recent installation of a bio-powered heating and power system is the latest addition to a series of renewable energy technologies implemented at the college. In addition, the college will install a new photovoltaic solar array on the main campus this spring that will generate in excess of 100KW. To increase the efficiency of the solar panels, the college will soon install a white, reflective roof over the entire building. The installation of a large scale wind turbine is anticipated to follow later in the year.

MWCC is featured in Higher Education in a Warming World: The Business Case for Climate Leadership on Campus, a newly released publication of the National Wildlife Federation showcasing schools that are leading the way toward a sustainable future. (www.nwf.org/CampusEcology/BusinessCase). Recent articles featuring MWCC’s accomplishments include “Colleges Strain to Reach Climate-Friendly Future,” in the Dec. 14, 2007 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education.

MWCC President Daniel M. Asquino is a charter signatory of the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment and is a member of its Leadership Circle and Executive Vice President Edward R. Terceiro Jr. is a member of the American Council on Renewable Energy’s Higher Education Committee and is a frequent speaker on renewable energy technology.

The Wachusett Chamber will present the awards at its annual meeting and awards ceremony on Wednesday, March 26 at The Manor Restaurant in West Boylston. The Chamber also presents awards for Small Business of the Year, Business of the Year, Outstanding Professional Award, Community Focus Award and the Economic Development Award.

MWCC PARTNERS WITH CLARK YMCA TO PROVIDE r.a.d..KIDS SAFETY TRAINING TO AREA CHILDREN

By Janice O'Connor

MWCC police officer Chad Roger, dressed in a r.a.d.KIDS aggressor suit, teaches a 9-year-old girl how to fight off an abductor.

The sound of a child screaming "No!" at the top of his or her lungs while staring down a plate of cold peas certainly can be unnerving to a parent at the dinner table. However, the outburst was music to the ears of many area parents as they watched their children learn how to fight off a potential abductor during a r.a.d.KIDS training at the Wendell P. Clark Memorial YMCA in Winchendon this week.

The Y and MWCC's Molly Bish Institute for Child Health and Safety partnered to bring the free safety program to area families. The week-long program, conducted in separate sessions for ages 5 to 7 and 8 to 12, was led by MWCC campus police officers Chad Roger and Melissa Croteau, both certified r.a.d.KIDS instructors.

"For the first time last year, we were able to work with our community partners to provide the trainings out in the community," said Andrea Hart de Gravelle, coordinator of civic engagement for the college's Center for Democracy and Humanity. "It is proving to be tremendously popular and greatly appreciated." Since 2004, 170 children have completed the Molly Bish Institute's r.a.d.KIDS training at programs held on campus and in the community.

r.a.d.KIDS is the national leader in children's safety, and is dedicated to providing children with practical and realistic options, de Gravelle said. The program is brought to children and parents by the training and development of nationally certified instructors drawn from their own communities. By empowering a community with certified local instructors, the r.a.d.KIDS Personal Empowerment Safety Education package is not just a program, but a true gift to the community, she said.

The curriculum includes home, school and vehicle safety, out and about safety, realistic defense against abduction, improper touch, stranger tricks and self-realizaton of personal power. The program provides children with the options they need to recognize, avoid and if necessary, respond to potential danger in their world today. Studies conducted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children have shown that the first few seconds of a potentially violent encouter are critical. When a child is approached or grabbed, the response needs to be immediate, instinctual and absolute, de Gravelle said.

It was fabulous," said parent Jennifer Wedge, who enrolled her two children in the program. "Their safety is something that we think about all the time. This was a really reassuring thing for us to do, and they loved it. Every day, we have been going home and talking about what they learned." Parent Tracy Gambill said she and other parents appreciate the free, practical training the r.a.d.KIDS program provides. "I think it's great. And it's wonderful that the program allows them to bring their certificate to training programs in the future and practice along with the class."

The 20 children attending the program this week were equally enthusiastic.

"I really, really liked it," said 6-year-old Logan. "I liked learning the moves."

A few spaces remain open for the next r.a.d.KIDS session, taking place April 21-25 at MWCC's Gardner campus. For more information or to receive an application, contact de Gravelle at (978) 630-9548.

More MWCC News:

• Nearly 300 people attended the Mardi Gras Carnaval Thursday night, sponsored by the office of Student Life and Campus Activities Team for Students (CATS). The event featured karaoke, video dance and cash prizes for best costumes.

  The Advising and Counseling Center will sponsor Degree Audit Week Feb. 25 - 29 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in room 134 to help students track their progress. Students can learn the number of courses they need to graduate, confirm whether they are taking the right courses toward their major, find out their GPA and more. The center is raffling off a Mount Wachusett sweatshirt. For more information, call 978-630-9568.

• In recognition of Spay Day USA, a community service initiative of the Humane Society of the United States, animal welfare volunteers will be on campus on Tuesday, Feb. 26 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to raise awareness about pet health. Events coordinated by campus volunteers Heidi McCann, Gayle Jaillet and Raeann LeBlanc include presentations, an information table and a raffle of two baskets filled with dog and cat goodies. Jan Beckwith, president of the Second Chance Fund for Animal Welfare, will speak about the importance of spaying and neutering pets as an essential component of good pet health care. LeBlanc, a volunteer with Ahimsa Haven Animal Rescue, will present a talk about the national No-Kill Movement, which promotes adoption guarantees for animals in shelters that are tame, healthy, manageable and able to be rehabilitated. Ahimsa Haven President Marjorie Twirga and Vice President Nancy Regan also will participate. The book "Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No-Kill Revolution in America” by Nathan Winograd will be available for sale.

• The Sankofa Slavery Museum “The Price of Freedom Tour,” a motivational, empowering and thought-provoking multi-media exhibit documenting the brutality and inhumanity of the slave trade and slavery, comes to MWCC on Wednesday, Feb. 27. The traveling exhibit, the latest presentation by the New York-based Black Inventions Exhibit, will be on display in the Commons area from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The private collection of historic and rare artifacts includes leg irons and shackles, documents of enslavement, first-edition 18th and 19th century pro-slavery and anti-slavery books and pamphlets, and other documents. The collection, originally founded in western Massachusetts, has been presented nationally at numerous museums and educational institutions around the country, including the Discovery Museum in Connecticut, the Mariner's Museum in Virginia, and the Schomburg Center in New York City. The exhibit has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and on cable and news shows around the country. The public education program is being sponsored by the office of Student Life in recognition of Black History Month.

• James Mangok Wol will return to MWCC on Thursday, Feb. 28 to share his incredible story of surviving genocide as one of the Lost Boys of Sudan. Wol will speak from 11:20 to 12:50 in room W11. He also will speak on the topic of being an immigrant in the U.S. during a separate presentation from 9:40 a.m. to 11:10 a.m. in room W12. Wol, who now lives and works in New Hampshire, was just 5 years old when he was separated from his family during an attack on his village. He fled, joining 4,000 other boys and a few girls who traveled by foot to refugee campus in Ethiopia and Kenya over a period of several years. Only the fortunate survived the threats they encountered, including predatory animals, thirst, starvation, disease and helicopter bombings. In addition to his work at Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center in New Hampshire, Wol is a volunteer with the California-based non-profit organization 4 the World, which contributes to sustainable, participatory and equitable development among the poorest groups. To reserve a seat at either program, contact Liane Jablonski at ljablonski@mwcc.mass.edu

• The Spring Film Series continues on Wednesday, March 5 with "Murder on a Sunday Morning," an Academy Award-winning documentary that exposes the racial bias and abuse of power in the U.S. justice system that resulted in the arrest of Brenton Butler, a 15-year-old African American high school student who suddendy found himself accused of murder. The film will be shown at 11:30 a.m. in the North Cafeteria and is free and open to the public. More information about the film can be found at www.hbo.com/docs/programs/murder_sunday/ The series will continue on April 16 with "Supersize Me."

• Thomas White, coordinator of educational outreach for the Cohen Center for Holocaust Studies at Keene State, will present a talk on the Genocide in Darfur on Thursday, March 6 from 11:30 to 12:50 in room W11. The presentation will highlight the situation in Darfur, currently the world's worst humanitarian crisis. White's talk will present background history and the geographic and politically-sponsored catalysts that have led to genocide. Founded in 1983, the Cohen Center for Holocaust Studies is one of the oldest Holocaust resource centers in the U.S., and was charged by its founder "To Remember…and to Teach." To reserve a seat, contact Liane Jablonski at ljablonski@mwcc.mass.edu

• Friday, March 7 is MWCC night at the Worcester Sharks at 7 p.m. at the DCU Center in Worcester. The Alumni Association is sponsoring a Chuck-a-Puck contest with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the Alumni Scholarship Fund. Special pricing and seating for students, alumni, faculty, staff, family and friends will be available at $9, nearly half off the regular ticket price.To order tickets, contact Carol Cullins, Director of Alumni Relations, at (978) 630-9594 or ccullins@mwcc.mass.edu

• Free 2007 income tax preparation services will be offered to eligible area residents at MWCC's Gardner and Leominster campuses. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program is being offered on Thursdays through April 10 at the Gardner campus and on Fridays through April 11 at the Leominster campus. Appointments can be made by contacting Denise Whitney at (978) 630-9124 or dwhitney@mwcc.mass.edu. The VITA program, an initiative of the IRS, is a service-learning project for MWCC business students coordinated by the Division of Lifelong Learning and Workforce Development and the Business Department.

• Theatre at the Mount opens its 2008 season with a production of Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, with performances on February 22, 23, 29, March 1 at 8 p.m., and on March 2 at 2 p.m. This rock ’n’ roll musical extravaganza has received worldwide praise and numerous prestigious awards and nominations, including two Laurence Olivier Awards (one for Best Musical), a Tony Award, and two Outer Circle Awards. Buddy is the story of rock and roll legend Buddy Holly and his meteoric climb to the top of the charts to become the biggest selling recording artist worldwide before his tragic death in a plane crash at the age of 22. The production features more than 20 Buddy Holly hit songs, including Peggy Sue, That’ll Be The Day, Oh Boy, Rave On, Heartbeat, and Raining in My Heart, all performed live on stage. Tickets are $20 for evening performances and $15 for matinees and may be purchased at the TAM box office at 978 632-2403. Tickets may also be purchased online at http://theatre.mwcc.edu

• Volunteer musicians and singers are needed to perform in educational recording sessions during an advanced audio production course at MWCC. Students enrolled in the college’s Broadcasting and Telecommunications degree program will record the performers on Wednesday evenings between 5 to 8 p.m. throughout the spring semester as part of the academic program. Choirs, quartets, soloists and other singing groups are needed, as well as woodwind, brass, percussion and string musicians, a brass quartet and a big band jazz band. Rock bands are not being recorded as part of this course. The volunteer performers will get an opportunity to learn more about the recording process as it pertains to their specialty. Some performances may be aired on cable access stations. For more information, or to reserve a recording space, contact adjunct instructor John Little at jlittle@mwcc.mass.edu.

• 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: Feb. 13 and March 12 from 3 to 4:30 p.m., Heywood Hospital, Dining Room B; Biotechnology/Biomanufacturing: March 25 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Leominster Campus, 100 Erdman Way; A.S. Nursing: March 11 from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Gardner campus, Wetmore Wing, room 12; Practical Nursing Certificate program: March 20 from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Gardner campus, Wetmore Wing, room 12; Complementary Health Care: Feb. 25 and March 24 from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Gardner campus, Wetmore Wing, room 12; Dental Hygiene: March 5 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