Friday, March 30, 2007

 

SPECIAL LUNCHEON ENLIGHTENS VISIONS STUDENTS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF ‘SOFT SKILLS’

By Gaurav Khanna

In today’s job market, employers are becoming more aware of the value of soft skills that go beyond just the degrees and experience that a candidate brings to the table. Employers want to know how someone will represent the company with clients and also how they will fit in socially with the rest of the company. Many companies now set up a dining event as part of their interview process.

Chartwell's Joe Kraskouskas leads Visions program students through their lunch as part of the "Dining Etiquette at the Employment Interview" workshop.

To help prepare students for this process, the Visions program teamed up with Pat Brewerton in Job Placement Services and Chartwells to present a workshop entitled “Dining Etiquette at the Employment Interview” on Friday, March 23. Twenty-one Visions Program students attended the event. While dining, Joe Kraskouskas and Robert Wilder from Chartwells presented the keys to dining etiquette, from receiving an invitation, ordering food, maneuvering through the table setting, how to use the correct fork and spoon, and dressing for success.

Between bites of salad, chicken and apple pie, students posed a number of questions ranging from the correct way to pass a food item, how to excuse oneself from the table and what to do if you bite into something that you just can’t eat. Besides picking up tips on how to behave at a dinner interview or meeting, students also gained some insights into planning such an event if they were asked to assume the role of the host.

Students were very receptive to learning and practicing these new skills in a comfortable setting where they could freely ask questions. As one student said at the end of the lunch, “This experience is very helpful for graduates who will be seeking job interviews in the future.”

The Visions program is an educational opportunity TRIO Student Support Services program that is federally funded through the United States Department of Education. The program is designed to help students from first generation or low income backgrounds and students with disabilities persist in college through graduation and to assist those who wish to transfer to a four-year institution.

‘DEMOCRACY CAFÉ’ TO LOOK AT PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS

Jordan Levy

WTAG radio host and former Worcester Mayor Jordan Levy will moderate the next Democracy Café panel discussion on the presidential hopefuls on Wednesday, April 4 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the north cafeteria at MWCC's Gardner campus.

The panelists include MWCC Political Science Professor William Welch, MWCC student Jack White, Gardner Mayor Gerald St. Hilaire, Worcester State College Director of Student Affairs Sybil Brownlee and Fitchburg State College Political Science Professor Rodney Christy.

This Democracy Café, founded by former State Representative and former MWCC Trustee Ray LaFontaine, will be held in the north dining area and is free and open to the public. Coffee and light refreshments will be served.

Sponsored by the college’s Center for Democracy and Humanity, the Democracy Project will host this and future events leading up to Election Day 2008. The objective is to make politics more accessible to MWCC students and the community.

Registration is requested. Contact Andrea Hart at ahart@mwcc.mass.edu or (978) 630-9458.

 

FIDDLER EILEEN IVERS TO PERFORM AT THEATRE AT THE MOUNT

Tickets are on sale for a special performance by renowned fiddler Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul at Theatre of the Mount. Tickets for this May 5th performance are $35 each, with a $2 online service charge. Tickets may be purchased at the Theatre at the Mount box office and online at http://theatre.mwcc.edu. Proceeds will benefit Theatre at the Mount.

Eileen Ivers

Eileen Ivers has established herself as the pre-eminent exponent of the Irish fiddle in the world today. Her long list of accomplishments include being a nine-time All-Ireland Fiddle Champion and musical star of Riverdance, and performing with London Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony at The Kennedy Center, Boston Pops and The Chieftains.

“She electrifies the crowd with a dazzling show of virtuoso playing…then she focuses her attention outwards to the audience, who shout and cheer and answer her calls in a deafening chorus,” wrote Mary O’Malley of The Irish Times.

The daughter of Irish immigrants, Ivers grew up in the culturally diverse neighborhood of the Bronx, N.Y. Rooted in Irish traditional music since the age of eight, she proceeded to win nine All-Ireland fiddle championships, a tenth on tenor banjo and over 30 championship medals, making her one of the most awarded persons ever to compete in these prestigious competitions.

In 1999, Ivers established a touring production to present the music which now encompasses Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul. This mix of African and Latin percussion and bass, Irish instrumentalists, and American soulful vocals headlines major performing arts centers, guest stars with numerous symphonies, performs at major festivals worldwide and has appeared on national and international television.

This special performance will begin at 8 p.m. Saturday, May 5. Doors will open at 7.

More MWCC News:

• MWCC students and alumni are invited to the 2007 Job Fair Wednesday, April 4 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. sponsored by the college’s Career Placement Office. Attendees are strongly encouraged to bring copies of their resumes and “dress for success.” The companies that will have representatives present include Ameriprise Financial, Appleseed Personnel Services, ARC Community Services, Citadel Broadcasting (WORC-FM, WWFM, WXLO), City Financial, Department of Corrections, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kohl’s Department Store, LUK, Robert Half International - Office Team, Seven Hills, Southern Container, Sovereign Bank, Verizon, YOU, Inc. and many more. For more information, contact Career Development Counselor Patricia Brewerton at (978) 630-9254 or pbrewerton@mwcc.mass.edu.

• Tim Bullock and his wife, Myrna

  The Center for Democracy and Humanity will host a Democracy Café panel discussion on all the presidential hopefuls Wednesday, April 4 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the north cafeteria at the Gardner campus. WTAG talk show host and former Worcester Mayor Jordan Levy will moderate. The panelists include MWCC Political Science Professor William Welch, MWCC student Jack White, Gardner Mayor Gerald St. Hilaire, Worcester State College Director of Student Affairs Sybil Brownlee and Fitchburg State College Political Science Professor Rodney Christy. Complimentary coffee and refreshments will be served. The event is free and open to the public. RSVP to ahart@mwcc.mass.edu or (978) 630-9458. Learn more at http://democracy.mwcc.edu/pages/DemocracyProject.html.
• The MWCC Legal Studies Group is conducting a food drive the week of April 9 through 13 to support the Feinstein Foundation food drive. LSG members will place bins around both the Leominster and Gardner campuses to collect canned food. At the Gardner campus, members will be in the cafeteria hallway between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to collect donations. With a donation of three cans, contributors will receive two free raffle tickets for a chance to win one of four gasoline gift cards. Without a food donation, the raffle tickets are 50 cents each or five for $2. For more information, contact Nathaniel Katisch at (617) 653- 6998 or nathanieljk@gmail.com.
• The Institute for Nonprofit Development at MWCC will kick off its third annual Capacity Building Mini-Grants on Tuesday, April 10 from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Gardner Campus. Past grantees will talk about organizational transformation and adaptation. Only INPD members holding a 501(c)(3) status are eligible for the awards. Up to seven grants—each between $1,000 and $3,000—will be awarded. Details and application guidelines are available at http://nonprofit.mwcc.edu. For more information or to become an Institute member contact Jennifer Wiley-Cordone at (978) 840-3221, ext. 199 or nonprofit@mwcc.mass.edu.
• The Art Club is sponsoring a lecture by AIDS activist Tim Bullock on Tuesday, April 10 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in the north cafeteria and from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Leo & Theresa LaChance Library. He will speak about his working with AIDS sufferers in Africa and his experience on the Interfaith Pilgrimage of the Middle Passage, a year-long journey that retraced the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade from the United States to West Africa to South Africa. For more information, contact Assistant Professor of Art Tom Matsuda at (978) 630-9340 or tmatsuda@mwcc.mass.edu.
• The Molly Bish Institute for Child Health & Safety at MWCC and HealthAlliance Hospital are sponsoring the presentation “Internet Safety 101: What You and Your Children Need to Know” by Fitchburg Police Sgt. Glenn Fossa (’80) on Tuesday, April 10 at 5:30 pm at the HealthAlliance Hospital – Leominster Campus’ Simonds Building. Fossa will cover how to identify the potential hazards and what parents can do to make sure their children are protected. MySpace.com safety will also be discussed. This program is free, but pre-registration is required. To register, call (978) 466-2191.
• The college will host a free Spring Fling for new and current MWCC students on Wednesday, April 11 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is free and open to MWCC students, faculty, and staff. It will feature a BBQ, an a cappella performance by the House Jacks, go racers, big chair photos, glass etching, speed pitch, sign shop and more. The BBQ begins at 11:30 a.m. (while supplies last). A map with locations of activities will be available on the day of the event. The Green Society Spring will be holding its compact fluorescent light “bulb” sale that will feature 13-watt (60-watt equivalent), 23-watt (100-watt equivalent) and LED nightlights. For more information, contact Assistant Dean of Student Life Greg Clement at (978) 630-9252 or gclement@mwcc.mass.edu.
• MWCC’s new Biotechnology program will host information sessions at the Gardner campus Wednesdays 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. Sessions also will be held at the Leominster campus, 100 Erdman Way, on 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.
• 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. except on March 16, when classes will not run because of 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.
• Did you know that eight million Americans have eating disorders? Students in Professor Sheila Murphy’s Abnormal Psychology courses, Corrie Ares, Melissa Brewer, Kristyn Hanifyn, Brittany Brassard, Lisa Niskala, Krystle Ricard, Rebecca Oliva, Brittini Burns and Melissa Asante, are participating in a service-learning project entitled “Eating Disorder Awareness Day.” The event, which is dedicated to helping students and local residents gain knowledge and information about eating disorders, will be held in the commons area of the Gardner campus Friday, April 13 from 10 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Representatives from local service agencies and fitness centers will be available. Eating disorder experts will be speaking during community time, from 11:40 a.m. to 12:25 p.m. Purple ribbons which represent eating disorders will be available, so stop by to get a ribbon and wear it in support of the millions of Americans who suffer from eating disorder. For more information, contact Murphy at smurphy@mwcc.mass.edu.
• In his lecture “Talking Acadian” on Friday, April 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., communication specialist and local, renowned author Dr. John Chetro-Szivos will take us on a journey through the cultural experiences and major historical events leading up to Acadian immigration to the Gardner area. A professor at Fitchburg State College, Chetro-Szivos will cover the following topics: growing up Acadian, employment as a central feature of Acadian culture, strong forces of family, church and work, and constitutive nature of the language people speak. A book signing and sale will follow. Acadian food will be served. To register, contact the MWCC information desk at (978) 632-6600.
• The LIFE program at MWCC is hosting a Victorian Tea Saturday, April 21 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Colonial Hotel. Create a memory with your daughter, granddaughter, mother, aunt or friend. This is a fancy party and guests are urged to “dress up”, even hats and gloves would be welcome. Enjoy scrumptious desserts, and enjoy conversation. Sheila and Sherrill Murphy will weave a tale with their skit set in Edwardian/Victorian times. They will use clothing and accessories from their collectibles business “Robins in the Trundle Bed” to enhance the story. Reserve by calling MWCC with a credit card, or send a check to MWCC: 444 Green Street, Gardner, MA 01440. (The check’s memo line should read "LIFE Tea".) Tickets are $20 for adults; $10 for children 12 and under. For further information, contact Lorraine Wickman at (978) 630-9176 or lwickman@mwcc.mass.edu.
• MWCC is partnering with Fitchburg State College and MASSCAP to host the Montachusett Opportunity Council, Inc.’s 40th anniversary "Poverty at Home/Reasons for Hope" symposium on Thursday, April 26 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30. This all-day symposium at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel, Fitchburg, is intended to explore the causes of poverty in our community and provide inspiration to change the patterns that lead to poverty. The registration form is available at http://democracy.mwcc.edu/pages/PovertySymposium.html. The $35 fee includes a continental breakfast, lunch and reception.
• The annual Alpha Beta Gamma Induction Ceremony will be held Friday, April 27 starting at 6 p.m. in the south dining room. State Representative Lewis Evangelidis, R-Holden, will be the keynote speaker. For more information, contact ABG advisor Linda Bolduc at (978) 630-9385.
• Tickets are on sale for a special performance by renowned fiddler Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul at Theatre of the Mount. Tickets for this May 5th performance are $35 each, with a $2 online service charge. Tickets may be purchased at the Theatre at the Mount box office and online at http://theatre.mwcc.edu. Proceeds will benefit Theatre at the Mount.