Meet me in paradise

Happy Hour

2011-01-03T16:38:00.002-07:00

Back from Winter Break and the rush is on to register for Spring. Here's a little tip for avoiding the craziness: visit us between 4 and 7 p.m. You'll find our Student Services department a lot mellower and empty chairs in the waiting area more plentiful--not that you'll be waiting long. We all know the old saying about the early bird getting the worm, but it doesn't apply in this case. It's our own version of "happy hour" -- alcohol-free, of course, and sorry no finger foods. (Be forewarned, we close at 5 on Fridays.)

Spreading cheer

2010-12-13T11:39:00.004-07:00

This year's MCC Shines on the Havasu campus was relaxing and eclectic with about 250 guests enjoying a program of ballet, Hawaiian dancing, the Colomunde Chorus and English faculty Dan Pund on his trombone. The board of our local MCC Foundation Chapter threw the switch on the loveliest lighting display we've had in years. It was all home-grown this year and showed what a rich community we have.

The strategic use of a railing as a makeshift tripod helped me get the shot below. This shows why we call it "Shines."

Pretty stuff, good cause

2010-12-02T16:17:00.005-07:00

Give the gift of art this holiday, and support the MCC, Lake Havasu Campus Student Art League. They're having their annual sale Saturday (Dec. 4) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Mohave County Library at 1770 N. McCulloch Blvd. These photos give you a small taste of the gorgeous hand-made items that will be for sale. You're not going to find anything nicer than this in town -- but I'm prejudiced!

Where right brain meets left brain

2010-11-19T14:28:00.007-07:00

One of the cool things about the Havasu campus is our San Juan annex. While the architectural aspects of our campus' oldest facility may not have obvious charms, it's one of the funnest places to learn at MCC. San Juan is home to our heating, ventilation and air-conditioning lab. Next door are our ceramics and sculpture studios, including two kilns and a forge. The two sides of San Juan actually have a lot in common. They both offer hands-on learning while attracting students who really love what they do. And it's fun to see what happens when the two sides meet, as they did last night when HVAC students dropped in on a ceramics class and got excited by what was happening there. "We should be taking this class," one student said.

Give stuff! Get stuff!

2010-11-10T14:58:00.003-07:00

The halls of the 200 building seem unnaturally quiet this afternoon, and I wonder if that's because a lot of folks are off preparing for Saturday's big parking lot/rummage sale here at the Havasu campus. This is a campus-team opportunity to do good for the campus while giving everyone an excuse to unload their unwanted stuff. (High-quality, gently used unwanted stuff, of course.) The sale is being sponsored by the local chapter of the MCC Foundation, and proceeds will go for special projects here on campus that conventional educational funding doesn't cover. One of those is our wildly popular College for Kids program. Money we raise Saturday could help local kids from families of modest means attend the two-week college camp. If you have some stuff to give, drop it off by noon Friday. (It's tax-deductible.) If you want more stuff--and who doesn't?--join us Saturday, behind the 600 building, between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Our own Good Witch of the West

2010-11-02T16:30:00.007-07:00

Who would stand for hours on a hard sidewalk wearing a witch's costume and a long, green wig cooking hundreds of servings of popcorn for a seemingly endless line of guests? And do it cheerfully? The answer is the Havasu campus' own Katie, the Good Witch of the West. This selfless student volunteer deserves a medal for refusing to leave her post at this year's Pumpkin Festival, Oct. 29. In fact, she stayed at the popcorn machine long after the event's published end time continuing to cook up the apparently irresistible treat until everyone in line had received their portions. What a trooper. Thanks, Katie.

Add the sunset: By the way, this year's Pumpkin Festival concluded during one of the most gorgeous sunsets I've ever seen in this land of spectacular western skies. Below is what it really looked like -- no fooling.

The personal touch

2010-10-06T15:28:00.008-07:00

We have a lot of hands-on programs here at MCC, but Physical Therapist Assistant may be the ultimate. During a visit to a PTA class this week, I witnessed a lot of physical contact--all of the healing sort, of course. The PTA profession naturally requires touching, holding and lifting, and folks who are shy about doing that probably need to look elsewhere for their future vocation. For those that have what it takes, PTA is a great career that offers good pay and outstanding job prospects, especially with our aging population. To hear PTA resident faculty Carrie Perkins talk about it, PTA is more than a career, it's a way of life and a true professional home.

Above: It may look like PTA student Carolyn is trying to turn her classmate into a pretzel, but she's really testing his range of motion.

Brave enough

2010-09-16T17:25:00.010-07:00

We're getting ready for this year's London Bridge Days Parade, Oct. 16 on Lake Havasu City's "Main Street." This year's theme is "Havasu Heroes" and I've been in search of a few heroic MCC grads whose faces will grace the college float. Today the search lead me to Fire Station No. 2 where the city's fire department was conducting a training academy for recent recruits. Three of the officers putting the recruits through their paces (in full gear and 100-plus-degree heat) were not only graduates of MCC, they're now faculty. These guys are tough, as the students in our fire science program have, no doubt, already figured out. Hey, community college isn't for sissies!

At left: LHCFD Capt. Aaron Bracamonte, MCC graduate and faculty, doesn't even break a sweat as he takes a break from instructing fire department recruits in 100-plus degree heat.

Still time for art

2010-09-13T15:36:00.005-07:00

You still have about a week to see the art show currently on display in The Gallery in room 204. It features provocative and innovative multi-media sculpture and "unique prints" by student Randall Shehi, who has become a fixture in our art studios at the San Juan Annex. Shehi really does have his own vision, and you're not likely to see artwork of this style or caliber elsewhere in Lake Havasu City or even this part of the state. The Gallery is open Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

At right: This sculpture by Randall Shehi features a delicate wing-like structure of hand-built clay set on a stand fashioned from a reclaimed trowel.

Welcome back already!

2010-09-09T16:30:00.002-07:00

Yes, I've taken a bit of an hiatus from blogging, but I'm back now. The rush of new students in the weeks before the fall semester, combined with the wilting heat of August in Lake Havasu City left me a bit uninspired. But the temps have dropped below 100 (at least for now), and I'm feeling refreshed. It's great to see students back on campus, hauling around textbooks, putting their heads together in newly formed study groups and donning program-specific scrubs and t-shirts. Have a great semester!

Making myself useful

2010-08-05T16:37:00.003-07:00

I spent the afternoon helping out where I could in Student Services with its crush of people wanting to register, pick classes, take the Compass Test, turn in financial aid documentation, and everything else you can think of. At times it seemed like the blind leading the blind. One very nice HVAC student was extremely patient with me while we tried to figure out his fall schedule. Not as easy as it sounds! My feet are tired, but it was fun rolling up my sleeves and pitching in. After all, this is what it's all about -- serving students.

Why is this woman smiling?

2010-07-29T16:44:00.005-07:00

When I first came to work at MCC, I encountered a strange and delightful creature I'd never been exposed to before: the math professor. These people turned any gathering into a wild and crazy math-fest. Oddest of all, they obviously loved math; they ate, drank and slept it. Two of these rare animals--faculty member Laurel Clifford and Academic Chair Eric Aurand, a math Ph.D.--shared some of this crazy-crazy-math-love with about three dozen school teachers recently when they facilitated a professional development training workshop. Many of the teachers were as math-o-phobic as I am, having never taken a college-level math course. I have no doubt they came out of the week-long workshop not only knowing more about math but also appreciating something of its beauty. You can read more about the training on the Mohave Wire.

Thanks for your patience

2010-07-26T12:03:00.003-07:00

It's four weeks until the start of the fall semester and the rush is on. I dropped by our Student Services area earlier this morning and it was jam-packed. If there was an available chair, it was an endangered species. The sight of lots of people registering for classes is a beautiful one to us, but it may not be that welcomed by our customers (a.k.a new and returing students). I'm happy to report everyone seemed mellow and we appreciate their patience. Thanks, everybody.

Officially summer

2010-07-08T16:24:00.003-07:00

In case folks haven't noticed, it's hot. Really hot at last. And the humidity is starting to creep up, signalling the approach of the dreaded monsoon season. (When it's 113 degrees, even 20-percent humidity is uncomfortable and 35-percent humidity is downright unbearable.) Sounds like a good time to get out of town, which is what a lot of people around here are doing, including me. I'm headed out on a 10-day vacation in the mountains in the extreme southwest corner of the state. It's supposed to be in the mid-80s down there, so I'd better take a sweater.

Go ahead, have some fun

2010-07-01T13:42:00.007-07:00

After the heavy information contained in my last post, I feel like lightening the mood and having some fun, especially heading into the long Fourth of July weekend. For many people Lake Havasu is synonymous with fun, and it's quite a sight to see the way people let their hair down, shall we say, on a summer holiday weekend. The lake is a great recruiting tool for me -- thus the title of this blog -- as long as students remember the time will come to get out of the water, pop a couple aspirin, smear aloe on the sunburn and hit the books. But for now Happy Birthday, America and Happy Party, Havasu. See you July 6, when on-campus registration for fall classes begins.

Register later!

2010-06-28T15:24:00.006-07:00

One of our favorite tag lines around here is "Register Now!" But for new students it's important to bear in mind that there are a few very important things that need to happen before registering. In fact, the actual act of registering is your last step to becoming a full-fledged MCC student. Here's what should happen first:

Apply for financial aid at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ and wait for your award letter.
If you've gone to another college, have your official transcripts sent to MCC's Registrar's Office.
Fill out the online admissions application on our Web site and come in to complete your paperwork and receive your new MCC student ID number. Give the application two business days to be processed.
With MCC ID in hand, take the Compass placement assessment.
See an academic advisor to map out your course plan and sign up for new student orientation.
When you get your financial aid award letter, see a financial aid advisor and complete your other paperwork.
Attend new student orientation and while you're there -- TA! DA! -- register for your classes.

It seems like a lot, so if you get lost in the process, give me a call at 928-505-3393, or drop by Answer Tuesday, any Tuesday this summer, from 4-6 p.m. in the 200 building lobby.

Bye 'til next year

2010-06-24T13:46:00.007-07:00

It only seems like yesterday our campus was occupied by more than 160 youthful souls for College for Kids. It's been fun getting to know the kids and being greeted with a big smile when I called them by name. It's also been fun seeing them learn and progress -- in the case of Primary Music literally from one note to many. The big kids used their time here to investigate a crime scene, learn American Sign Language, design fashions and perfect their self-defense skills, among many other things. Today parents, grandparents and siblings were invited to join in, including dancing around the May pole in Primary Dance, seen here.

Answer No. 1

2010-06-22T14:49:00.005-07:00

Today--from 4-6 p.m. in the 200 building lobby--is our first "Answer Tuesday," an informal sort of open house where people who are thinking about coming to MCC can drop in and get the answers to some of their questions. We'll also be giving participants the chance to use Sigi-3, a career self-assessment tool that's fun to use and gives people insights into what they should do when they grow up. We'll keep up with Answer Tuesdays until the start of Fall semester, Aug. 23. If it's a success, we may continue them indefinitely. I don't know how many people to expect tonight. I might be pretty lonely until I can get the word out. But for anyone who's had a nagging feeling about attending MCC and didn't know where to start, this is the ideal opportunity to find out.

All I really need to know I learned in College for Kids

2010-06-16T14:44:00.010-07:00

For two weeks a year our usually staid institution of higher learning is invaded by the rambunctious spirit of youth with the arrival of College for Kids. This is my first College for Kids, and after just a couple hours a day helping out with the 5-8-year-olds, I'm exhausted. I'd forgotten how much energy kids this age can generate, and how much energy grown-ups must expend to keep up with them. One thing I've noticed is, when you're that age it's not hard to have fun. Learning to curtsy is fun, lying on the floor kicking your feet in the air is fun and -- as seen at right -- riding a stick horse is really, really fun. You can read all about College for Kids on our news site.

Pretty enough to eat (in)

2010-06-14T16:47:00.008-07:00

Now that the renovation of our campus dining area is complete, you can call us Mohave Community College or you can call us Mohave Community Bistro. The mismatched tables and chairs shoe-horned into a space that never made much since have been replaced by color-coordinated tile floors and counters, bistro tables and stools, all of which pleasingly complement the beautiful desert mural on the dining area wall. Those notorious old couches at the far end of the lounge area have been suitably disposed of and replaced by some snazzy leather love seats. I've already heard oohs and ahhs from staff and I expect to hear a lot more from students when they return in greater numbers this fall.

You gotta visualize

2010-06-09T16:42:00.004-07:00

This morning I gave a tour of the campus to a young man, his mom and his grandparents. Because of all the renovation and construction going on, I found myself having to say, "You've just got to visualize it," a lot. The tour brought home just how transformed this campus will be come August 23 when the fall semester starts. The bulk of the improvements will directly benefit students and their campus quality of life. Many of us agree it's about time. The goal is to make the campus -- and all the MCC campuses -- not just a place to take classes but a place to spend time, study, connect with other students, share ideas and feel a part of things. I'll bring you the news of our renovations, complete with pictures, as they come together. In fact, I hope to have my first installment tomorrow.

Vote for Joe

2010-06-07T16:24:00.006-07:00

You may have read about MCC student Joe Lengson on Mohave Wire or on my colleague Diane Olson's blog, but in case you still haven't gotten the message:
GO TO www.mtv.com/asm/dewmocracy/mtvu/ AND VOTE FOR JOE NOW!!!
Joe is one of three national finalists for the "Ultimate Dewmocracy Deans List" with a chance to host his own music show on MTV. While this didn't mean a lot to me when I first read about it, after watching Joe's audition video, I'm convinced he needs to win this thing. No offense to his worthy opponents, but Joe--an MCC Distance Education student and Bullhead City resident--is definitely the coolest of the three contestants. Plus, he's an English major! You can't get any better than that. So get going and vote for Joe. The deadline is June 11.

Summer buzz

2010-05-27T08:04:00.004-07:00

This is a time of year when everyone gets a breather. Students get a break from classes and studying, faculty get a chance to pursue their other interests, and staff get the luxury of a slower pace for a few weeks. Everybody's kicking back, except--that is--our facilities staff. When the place empties out and quiets down, they get busy: cleaning carpets, patching and painting walls, and implementing a long list of remodeling and repair projects. At least one of those is really going to be noticed when students return for the summer session. I'll keep you posted.

Long-awaited debut

2010-05-25T13:57:00.006-07:00

Kids probably won't be lining up at the multi-plex for this one, but here at last is the video I promised about six ... make that eight months ago. (See "The most fun you can have while sterile" from Oct. 1, 2009.) It offers a glimpse at what first-year students can expect to experience in the Surgical Technology lab, and I think anyone watching this, even the squeamish, will agree this program looks like a lot of fun. By the way, a recent listing of job openings in Lake Havasu City include three for surgical technologists.

Saving energy can be tiring

2010-05-20T15:10:00.004-07:00

As the first week of what we like to call our "energy-saving summer schedule" nears its close, I can't help but note how exhausting saving energy is. I'm not complaining about the glorious three-day weekends, but working four 10-hour days in a row every week takes some getting used to. I was talking to a prospective student this morning at a time when I normally would have been pouring a second cup of tea and staring bleary-eyed at the newspaper. (His enthusiasm for coming to school, however, helped wake me up. I don't meet that many prospects who are as amped about studying engineering as he was.)

Awesome sign

2010-05-18T15:58:00.007-07:00

Driving onto campus this morning, I saw a cherry picker extended over the front of the 200 building and assumed it had something to do with an air conditioner unit. In this climate, AC repair and replacement is pretty much ongoing. I was completely surprised later in the day when I spotted the beautiful new sign (at left) that now graces the recently remodeled facade of the building. It lights up at night, too -- or so I'm told. Pretty, huh?

Seeing red

2010-05-18T15:45:00.005-07:00

If you love the color red or you love someone who graduated at MCC's Commencement ceremonies last Friday, you might want to look at our 2010 Commencement photo album on Facebook. Not only will you see a lot of red graduation robes and mortarboards, you will see a lot of white teeth from people smiling. It was a happy day all the way around, for everyone from GED completers finally getting to don cap and gown to newly minted RNs celebrating years of hard work and sacrifice. This day is what it's all about.

Happy to be happy

2010-05-13T16:46:00.009-07:00

It's fun to see happy people and it's especially fun for me to see people who are happy about getting an education. There were a lot of happy faces last night at the pinning of MCC's Nursing students from the three southern campuses. The graduates were happy; their families were happy; the faculty was happy. After it was over, I was happy to get off my feet after a couple of hours of creeping and crawling around the Relics and Rods Hall shooting photographs. There were a lot of good shots to be had, like when graduate Casey Waits, at left, received his pin from his mom. Casey later obliged me by interrupting eating cake with his loved ones to give me a smile and a thumbs up. I wouldn't mind seeing that face looking down at me in a hospital some day.

Our hopes are pinned on them

2010-05-12T13:39:00.005-07:00

The next few days are our harvest time. It's the sometimes frantic culmination of a long growing season--the academic year. The pomp and circumstance begins with a full dance card of pinning ceremonies for our various allied health graduates. Newly minted nurses, surgical technologists, physical therapist assistants, dental assistants and dental hygienists all earn their own hardware above and beyond the traditional cap-and-gown affair Friday at 3 p.m. at the Mohave Crossing Event Center in Fort Mohave. Of course, Commencement is the real prize students eyes have been on since they started their particular educational journeys. Graduates who've earned associate's degrees, certificates and even GEDs will tread the boards and shift their tassels from right to left. Be there or be square.

Big things come in small packages

2010-05-11T16:02:00.009-07:00

It caused a few moments of comedy Saturday when three of our more "vertically challenged" here at MCC accepted the call to confer stoles, honor cords and tassels on members of our Alpha Chi Chi chapter of Phi Theta Kappa who will be graduating May 14. Diminutive and relentlessly upbeat English faculty Dan Pund declared himself "blessed" to be the tallest among a lineup of honoraries that included Campus Dean Nick Sanchez and PTK advisor Barb Freitas. As such he was tasked with replacing the standard red tassels on the mortar boards of the conferees with PTK-gold tassels. In all seriousness, it was a moving ceremony attended by a impressively diverse group of PTKers and their beaming family and friends. I'll wish them luck, even though they don't need it; with as much as they've accomplished so far, there's no doubt great things lie ahead for them.

Spring cleaning

2010-05-06T17:09:00.007-07:00

What kind of stuff clutters the office of a college recruiter? Popcorn boxes (from a recent open house); balloons; college pens, pencils, lip balm, tote bags, etc.; promotional items from other colleges picked up at college fairs; piles of posters, fliers and pamphlets (what we call collateral); and a stack of paper admissions application forms that are destined for the recycling bin because our new online admissions application is up and running (www.mohave.edu/pages/420.asp). It's been embarrassing in here for a while, and I finally got a free moment this morning to clean up so that when a couple of prospective students dropped by this afternoon they could actually sit down. I'm told things will slow down in a couple of weeks, after commencement, when the college goes to a four-day work week. We'll see. I've never known it to be slow around here yet.

Continuous education

2010-05-05T09:18:00.007-07:00

This summer semester promises to be bigger than past years with the addition of the year-around Pell grant. President Obama's push to increase the number of college graduates in the country has resulted not only in an increase in the amount students can get through Pell but also an extension of funding into summer. That's great news for the non-traditional students I work with who are in a hurry to get their education and move on to a new career as quickly as possible. It's also a benefit for those younger adults who delayed college to work and have families and now want to "start using (their) brains again," as one 22-year-old returning student told me recently. No need to wait until Fall to get that gray matter going. If you already have a Pell grant, come into Student Services to ask about a summer grant. If you're new to the Pell, the last day to submit your financial aid paperwork in time for summer is May 14. Go to www.fafsa.ed.gov to get started, and see me or a financial aid advisor if you have questions.

Onward and online

2010-04-30T16:47:00.004-07:00

I spent much of the day at our Bullhead City campus learning about MCC's new online admissions application and how I can use our techonology to keep in touch with prospective students. The online application is part of the college's green initiative to go paperless. But to the average new student, it's really about convenience and doing what already comes naturally to today's "digital natives." No more downloading and printing a paper form that has to be filled out longhand and delivered to the campus in person or by snail mail. Some of the truly techno-saavy have found the form on their own and used it, even though it hasn't been officially released yet. Welcome to now!

Work study students are cool

2010-04-27T16:45:00.005-07:00

I went over to the Hodel Library today to interview a couple of work study students for a story I'm writing and came away really impressed. It wasn't just the fact that one of them is only 17 and the other is 18, or that they were both working on their associate's degrees in science to become veterinarians or that they were both really smart. It was all those things. It kind of blew me away watching these students help a patron, another student who was slightly older--shall we say--figure out how to format a graph to best display some complex data she had collected for a paper. The student workers were quick to help and knew exactly what to do. I wonder if I could have been anywhere close to that cool when I was a work study student.

Ready for our close-up

2010-04-23T14:26:00.007-07:00

Our front office is back in business this week after a two-month renovation project brought on by some structural issues at the front of the 200 building. Not only is the rehabbed space more energy efficient with the disappearance of all that uninsulated glass (shown covered by verticle blinds in the photo on the right), the updated color scheme finally drags us out of the disco era. (Though there's some debate about whether the new paint is taupe or mauve.) It's also a better use of our scarce square footage. The large, previously fallow space behind the front desk is now occupied by our copy center and soon the faculty and staff mail room will be tucked into its own room to one side. Sometimes newer really is better.

Feeling the love

2010-04-21T17:05:00.004-07:00

If pizza and cookies make people feel appreciated (and they usually do), our students were feeling pretty good about themselves today as Student Government treated the campus to a high-cholesterol feast during both lunch and dinner hours in the Library Courtyard. Though cool weather, by our standards, was predicted, mother nature cooperated just enough to make Student Appreciation Day a pleasant repast. Twenty-six pizzas were disseminated at midday with another dozen disappearing pretty quickly just a few minutes ago. (For those of you in northern climates, what you see behind student Malachy Ryan is sunshine and blue skies. Note, also, that he is comfortably dressed in a t-shirt and shorts. Just another not insignificant perk of life on MCC's Havasu campus.)

Please come again

2010-04-19T15:29:00.010-07:00

Thanks to everyone who dropped by the campus Friday afternoon to "discover" MCC during our first MCC Discovery night. We got a chance to show off our people and have a lot of substantial conversations with people who want to chart a course for themselves in life. A few visitors, mostly the young ones, were lucky enough to find their way to the Gallery where our Student Art Show is on exhibit and where the students themselves were demonstrating their artfulness. Art is a part of our campus life that brings a lot of value, even though it's often overlooked. Thanks, also, to everyone who stayed late on a Friday night to help out with "Discovery." Everyone had a great attitude, and I think we showed potential students what we already know: that MCC is a friendly and inclusive place where you can also get a terrific education.

Here to stay

2010-04-12T16:41:00.004-07:00

While I was sitting here staring at a blank "New Post" box trying to figure out what I was going to blog about today, one of my success stories stuck his head in to say he's on his way. Jeff literally stuck his head in because his great height requires him to duck when entering a standard doorway. He stopped by to let me know he'd scored well enough on his Compass assessment to begin college classes toward his associate's degree in Chemical Dependency Studies. As a disable Vietnam vet, he was looking for a way to move on to a new career with the help of his veteran's benefits. I call Jeff "my success story," but of course the real success is his. He took that first step, contacting us, and has faced each successive little hurdle with calm determination. It looks like this one's going to make a big impression around here, in more ways than one.

OK, this is getting big

2010-04-07T16:10:00.003-07:00

It's not exactly the discovery of America, but "MCC Discovery" night, our last big bash of the year, is shaping up to be--dare I say it?--colossal. Guests will be able to take a free, fun, computer-based career assessment and learn about (a.k.a. discover) some of the high-demand career paths they can train for at MCC. There will be demonstrations and tours of our labs, and I just found out our art club will be doing their thing in The Gallery, where a juried show of their artwork will be on display. Believe it or not, art is a potentially lucrative career path, too. How can that be? Come to MCC Discovery night to find out.

Brain trust

2010-04-05T17:14:00.005-07:00

Whoever said community colleges aren't about academics obviously never attended an induction ceremony of Phi Theta Kappa, the honor society for two-year colleges. Our campus' chapter, Alpha Chi Chi, welcomed its latest crop of eggheads Friday and, as campus documentarian, I was on hand to take photos. I have to admit, it was pretty inspiring seeing our top students lined up in one place. Newly pinned chapter president, Shawn Gall, will be a good role model. He's a straight-A student and by all appearances a straight arrow, too. It's cool to be smart!

Fun, a fair

2010-04-02T17:03:00.002-07:00

I'll be taking my show on the road again tomorrow as I set up shop at a "Family Fun Fair," organized by the Auxiliary of the VFW to raise funds to buy a shade cover for the toddlers' play area at Rotary Park. Though I'll have all our most kid-friendly MCC give-away items (temporary tattoos, crayons, coloring books and really pretty bright red pencils), my ulterior motive will be to pitch education to their parents. Look for me in the big white tent.

Hungry, and not just for knowledge

2010-04-01T12:12:00.006-07:00

I don't know what JC has whipped up for lunch today, but it has prompted a common refrain from people walking by outside my office: "Smells good!" Ever since JC's Chuckwagon opened in the fall, tantalizing smells wafting down the hallway have made it difficult for those of us who are trying to keep our appetites from running wild. Sometimes it's bacon, sometimes waffles. Today it's sauteing onions. As well as reminding us about our stomachs, the smells coming from JC's kitchen remind us how lucky this campus is to have fresh food service. In fact, I've got to go now. My stomach is growling!

Heating up

2010-03-30T16:35:00.005-07:00

It's been winter for a while now (winter Havasu-style, which most people in the country wouldn't recognize as winter), so I haven't had occassion to comment on one of our city's outstanding characteristics: H-E-A-T. And when I say heat, I mean toasty summers with daytime temps well over 110 for weeks on end and lows in the 90s (burrrr!). After what has seemed like a cool spring, today (it's currenlty 88) we are finally getting an inkling of what lies not far ahead. This heat wave won't last long -- the temperature is due to drop 30 degrees by Thursday -- but it's been nice to get a glimpse of summer.

Do the math

2010-03-29T16:58:00.007-07:00

We talk a fair amount about our partnership with Northern Arizona University that allows students to earn a bachelor's degree in elementary education without leaving Havasu. (In case you haven't heard, that's 2 years at MCC and 2 years of classes at NAU's extended campus.)
What you may not know is now you can earn a solid Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree with an emphasis in either humanities or public management by taking 90 credits at MCC and just 30 online with NAU. It's called the 90/30 option, and it can save you a lot in educational costs, even over the 2X2 option described above. Even better, NAU is talking about adding more 90/30 degree options. If you think you want to go for it, talk to the advisor at your NAU extended campus first. (Here on MCC's Havasu campus, that's friendly Tom Franklin).

Gardening

2010-03-25T16:51:00.006-07:00

Most popular give-aways at our visit today to a college fair for juniors at Lake Havasu High School:
1) MCC lip balm (high school guys, in particular, must have a real chapped-lip problem)
2) MCC pens
3) temporary tattoos depicting the MCC Big Horn
4) MCC Catalog & Student Handbook on CD (Hopefully they won't be too disappointed when they realize there's no music on it.)
Hard to say if the fair had any impact on the students' future educational choices, but all those bright red trinkets at least planted a seed. And our lip balm really is awesome.

Lessons learned from the job fair

2010-03-24T16:39:00.005-07:00

A couple of things I've gleaned from talking to folks at the Havasu Lanes job fair these last six weeks:
1) When deciding on your career path, ask yourself, "Do I want to be doing this when I'm 55?" (You may not believe you'll live that long, but statistics show you probably will, and you'll probably have many productive years ahead of you.)
2) If there's another dramatic change in our economy and your line of work suddenly becomes obsolete, it's good to have options. Education gives you options. In fact, it's pretty much impossible to have "too much education," isn't it?

In the game

2010-03-23T16:35:00.006-07:00

I often hear colleagues lament that Mohave Community College is "the best kept secret in town." From my contacts in the community, I don't think it's such a big secret. I see how MCC touches thousands of lives: the people who go here, or who have a child, parent, relative or friend who goes here, or who aspire to go here. Nevertheless, it's now a major goal of the college to become even more central to community life as a mecca not only of education but of artistic, cultural and civic involvement. We're already making strides in that direction by hosting a "Community Listening Session" sponsored by the Arizona Commission on the Arts, this Friday, March 26, from 5:30-7 p.m., in our 600 building. The commission wants to hear from all of us about what our future vision for the arts in this region is, and MCC is a natural place to have that conversation.

Into the stretch

2010-03-22T16:22:00.007-07:00

Now that Spring Break is behind us, it seems like no time at all before the end of the semester, and commencement, will be here. How did this year go by so fast? Which isn't to say there isn't still a lot of work to be done. In fact, for those of us who devote ourselves to helping new students get started at MCC, there's never a slow time. For many prospective students, the decisions associated with college are not quick or easy -- long-term rewards usually require long-range planning. A couple of weeks ago I talked with a group of students who are hoping to enter our nursing program in Fall 2011. It sounds like a long way off, and I admire their patience and their perserverance.

Art for art's sake

2010-03-12T09:30:00.006-07:00

I forgot to mention there's a terrific exhibit in The Gallery (room 204) right now featuring works by art faculty and former faculty. The show includes beautiful landscape paintings by our resident faculty Alan Hall as well as provocative charcoal drawings by associate faculty Kevin Bangsund. The centerpiece of the exhibit is a collection of stunning and innovative ceramic pieces by former faculty member Harry Kaino II, who taught on the Havasu campus from 1976-1989. At right is one of his signature pieces that combines elegant wheel-thrown elements with almost organic hand-built components. Check the show out while it's here, through April 9.

Like a kid in a candy store

2010-03-10T16:20:00.005-07:00

During the two-and-a-half hours I spent today at the weekly job fair hosted by Havasu Lanes Bowling Center, I had good, in-depth conversations with eight people. That may not seem like a lot on the speed-dating circuit, but for me, it's pretty good. The top career interest today? Counseling. I also talked to prospects with interests in truck driving, surgical technology, phlebotomy, computer science and casino gaming. They ranged from early-20s-just-starting-out to mid-50s-starting-over. But at this stage it's exciting (sometimes scary-exciting) for everyone, including me, because there are so many possibilities.

The benefits of higher education

2010-03-09T16:41:00.006-07:00

One of the perks of going to college: Donuts! Bigger institutions of higher learning may have a Starbucks in their student center. But how many can boast a free feast of colorfully frosted deep-fried dough rings--plus coffee, juice and milk--all served up by a friendly member of the campus' own Student Government. As seen here, ravenous students from a morning psych class weren't exactly shy about partaking of the donut bounty. Neither was I, by the way.

Baseball paradise, too

2010-03-08T17:05:00.002-07:00

One of the great things about living in Arizona, in addition to the nearly endless sunshine and bone-roasting warmth, is the proximity to Spring Training baseball. I spent a just-about-perfect morning this weekend watching the Seattle Mariners working out at the Peoria Sports Complex followed by an equally blissful afternoon watching them play a game against their complex partners, the San Diego Padres. Of course, Sunday's action was rained out. So much for that endless sunshine.

Yes, to be outdone

2010-03-04T16:35:00.003-07:00

Check out this blog from "Kimberly" who apparently enjoyed her time recently on MCC's campus "in beautiful Lake Havasu City." I couldn't have expressed it better myself -- literally. After a long period of idleness with this blog, the discovery of Kimberly's sprightly dispatch gave me a Wally Pipp moment. (You'all remember who he was, right?)
Here's the link: http://yovia.com/blogs/kimberly/tag/mohave-community-college/

This is when the fun starts

2010-01-28T16:44:00.006-07:00

The first week of the spring semester is coming to a close and things are already feeling back to normal around here.
I came back from a lunchtime walk yesterday to find a clutch of Surgical Technology students, decked out in their characteristic bright red scrubs, sitting around a table in the lobby quizzing each other on test questions. Now entering their second semester of the rigorous program, all the nervous jitters of the fall have been replaced by an aura of confidence as well as an impressive body of knowledge, evident as class members snapped off the answers, sometimes before the question was even finished.
For me, too, the idle days of Winter Break are hardly a memory as plans for campus events and recruiting efforts bloom in fast motion. It will be a busier semester than ever as we strive to offer students and community members a good reason to spend time with us on the Havasu campus. After all, we kinda like it here and we think everyone else should, too.

The family that studies together...

2010-01-20T16:42:00.007-07:00

One of the unique things about a community college like MCC, with its open enrollment policy and high population of "nontraditional" adult students, is that children and parents often wind up being students together.
I talked to a mother today who was a little late in registering and was searching for an open class she could share with her son and daughter. She said she just did better with her kids as "study buddies."
While her children's section of Beginning Algebra was already full, we did find there was still room in the Introduction to Humanities class the kids were taking, and she was amped at the prospect of sharing the interdisciplinary study of art, history and philosophy with them.
Talk about quality time with your kids.
This is not the only case of multi-generational students I've run across, and both kids and parents invariably display a glimmer of pride in each other when they recount their shared college experience.

Seeing the light

2010-01-13T16:22:00.004-07:00

We don't let the grass grow under our feet here at MCC. Something always seems to be afoot (excuse the pun) that's intended to make a process better, faster or cheaper.
This week our campus facilities staff has been climbing up and down ladders installing new, more energy efficient ballasts and light bulbs in our ubiquitous fluorescent lighting fixtures.
At first, the change was met with skepticism as office-bound campus workers, like the ground hog that takes its first reluctant look at the sun on Feb. 2, squinted at the strangely bright light emitted by the new bulbs. Comments like, "We're going to need sunglasses in here" were heard in the hallways.
After about two hours of cohabiting with the new lights, we began to realized what we'd been missing -- the ability to see.
The lights, which lend a cheerfully sunny aspect everywhere they shine, will eventually be installed all over campus and ought to make the labors of learning, teaching and working easier for everyone.
On top of that, the lights are expected to save the college up to 60 percent on lighting costs.
It's a beautiful world!

Here we go again

2010-01-06T16:57:00.006-07:00

Classes don't start for more than two weeks, but students are already roaming the halls here saying they can't wait for school to start again. What is this world coming to?!
Seriously, the Winter Break for students -- which extends from Dec. 4 to Jan. 25 -- is a long period of idleness for people who are in a hurry to learn something new and get on with their productive lives.
Monday morning at quarter to 8, students were bunched around the door of Students Services waiting to get in, and business has ranged from brisk to overflowing ever since. Our academic advisers are booked solid almost all the way to the 25th and slots to take the COMPASS assessment are filling quickly.
Yes, it's great when people are clamoring to get the product you have to offer. It's not so great when students are disappointed because the classes or sections they want are full. That's why our mantra at this time of year sounds like something a car salesman would say: Hurry in for the best deals (i.e. classes) while they last!

The miracle of Christmas

2009-12-18T16:13:00.008-07:00

With MCC Shines behind us and a two-week Winter Break ahead, this is my Christmas miracle: I don't have to work on the holiday.
As a newspaper reporter, working on holidays was my habit and my choice. The time-and-a-half pay was too good to pass up. But after a couple of years of covering the free Thanksgiving dinner at the Catholic church or trying to find anything at all to write about on Christmas Day, I was ready to make holidays days of rest again.
Now I'm the ecstatic beneficiary of an academic calendar that gives staff a full two weeks off at the holidays. It goes a long way toward making up for the many long, jammed-packed days and occasional weekends I worked this fall.
January 4, we go at it all over again. We have a lot of plans for next semester, that's in addition to academics. We'll be hosting a series of open houses to introduce prospective students to our programs. And we're working on offering students and community members a line-up of cultural events such as the campus hasn't seen in a while.
But in the meantime, if you'll excuse me, I'm just gonna be lazy. Same to you.

Coming up for air

2009-11-25T16:56:00.003-07:00

To misquote a famous poet, "November is the cruelest month." This one has been from my perspective as a blogger, anyway.
The demands of planning two big campus events have caused my dispatches from paradise to become fewer and farther between. That doesn't mean our Lake Havasu City campus has become any less paradisaical - the opposite, in fact.
The campus is proud to welcome to our gallery the traveling exhibit "Our Fathers, Our Grandfathers, Our Heroes: the Navajo Code Talkers of World War II." We're just the sixth site in the state - and the only in northwestern Arizona - to host this important educational exhibit, which recounts the story of how Navajo Marines used their native language to baffle the Japanese during the Pacific War.
The exhibit's curator, Zonnie Gorman - daughter of an original Code Talker - will kick things off with a lecture Dec. 1 at 3 p.m. in our 600 building. That will be followed by a reception to mark the exhibit's opening from 5-7 p.m. in the gallery. The public will be able to view the show through Dec. 18, when we close for winter break, and from Jan. 4-8.
On Dec. 3 the campus will transform into a holiday paradise as we as we host our annual lighting extravaganza, MCC Shines. The merry open house will happen Dec. 3 from 5-7 p.m. and include music, treats and photos with Santa with the climax of the evening being the moment Santa flips the switch that turns MCC into a twinkling fairy land. OK, maybe I'm overstating things, but it ought to be a lot of fun.
With great events like these going on, I'm counting on December being better.

Planting a seed

2009-11-13T16:26:00.004-07:00

I spent this morning with Admissions Counselor Anne Frazier pitching to a future generation of MCC students at a career fair attended by eighth-graders from Lake Havasu City's two middle schools.
Maybe I forgot what middle school was like, but it seems to me these kids get bigger and more grown up every year. The adult is a lot more evident than the child in the faces of these young teenagers, making their college futures seem even closer than they are.
Anne and I heard from a lot of kids who want to be pediatricians, architects and aeronautical engineers. There were also a number who aspired to careers in theater, music and photography.
I don't know the exact value of pressing a CD of our college catalog into the hand of a 14-year-old girl who wants to become a psychologist, but I hope it will be another little shove down the road she has already set for herself.

New tricks

2009-11-09T16:33:00.006-07:00

One question I habitually confront during my visits around the community to recruit new students is "how old is too old to continue one's education and pursue a new career?"
All ages march by my table outside the unemployment office, many of whom appear to be well into retirement age. One who stopped to talk to me said he was age 81, felt great, and was looking for a job just to have something to do.
He was lucky enough to be looking out of choice. Too many people over 50 are there because their life-long careers have been pulled out from under them like a trick chair, leaving them in free fall.
"I'm too old to go to school," they tell me, looking over my laminated program fliers longingly, like pastries in a glass case at the bakery.
But how old is too old?
My job, of course, is to get people to come to school at MCC, so I tell them it's never too late, even though I know full well that never is a long time. On the other hand, 55 is pretty young for the world to throw you away because you can't do the same job anymore.
I was reminded of that today, talking to a former truck driver who was intrigued by MCC's Chemical Dependency Studies program. I talked to him about the value of life experience - which he obviously had a lot of - and how he could use it to help people. I wasn't just giving him a soft sell.

Thrilling

2009-11-04T16:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I survived Pumpkin Fest.
It was scary, but I guess you could say it was a "good kind of scary" - like falling out of an airplane.
I felt that same combination of helplessness, excitement and terror as hundreds of parents and little kids in costume streamed and then jammed into our student center last Friday night.
And in spite of the fact that we couldn't make popcorn fast enough to keep up with the demand, everyone seemed to have a good time.
Now it's on to the next thing in this event-mad time of year; from Halloween we go hurtling on to the Christmas season and our annual campus lighting event "MCC Shines."
In the meantime, don't we operate an educational institution here? Good question. In fact, Spring registration has started already and it's the perfect time to register. Don't procrastinate or you might find you're one of the "walking dead" on Jan. 25 with that English class you absolutely had to have is full.

OK, let's get serious

2009-10-28T16:51:00.000-07:00

Workplace food contests are always fun. One of the most lasting -- and disturbing -- memories I have of my time at a former employer is a hot dog eating contest held to raise money for United Way.
The "yuck" factor wasn't nearly as strong earlier this week when the Havasu campus staff held its annual Chili Cook-Off to collect food for the Community Food Bank. As organizer Sandy Webber explained to the panel of judges, "This is a chili tasting contest, not a chili eating contest." Gorging was expressly discouraged.
True to the spirit of the event, the judges approached the task of evaluating each entry for aroma, taste, texture and spiciness with the delicacy and seriousness of fine-wine connoisseurs. The three staff members who won honors for "best red," "best green," "hottest," "best of show" and "people's choice" claim bragging rights for the entire year.
More importantly, about 20 grocery bags of food were collected for the food bank.

Funky town

2009-10-23T15:39:00.000-07:00

This is a college with serious educational objectives, and you can hardly turn around without bumping into a Ph.D. But we also aren't afraid to get silly.

That was obvious yesterday when I was asked to stop by outside the campus library to take a photo of the cast of "Staying Alive," a mystery dinner event that's being sponsored by our campus Student Government and Phi Beta Kappa.

Several faculty and staff members have agreed to throw all self-respect away and don outlandish clothing and disreputable looking wigs to portray parodies of iconic figures from the 1970s, including Andy Warthog, Bruce Leap and John Revolting.

They also weren't too shy about getting into character for a publicity shot. It was strange enough seeing English faculty Dan Pund (as Andy Warthog) with hair, but I'm still trying to get my mind around the sight of Student Services Director Tim Keith (in back, smiling) striking the famous pose from "Saturday Night Fever."

How soon can I start?

2009-10-23T15:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the smallest happenings of the day, the ones that don't show up on my weekly task list, leave the biggest impression.
Today I received a phone call from a young woman who stated bluntly "Do I have to make an appointment or can I just come in and see you today?"
By all means, come in and see me.
She said she was a single mother who had recently moved to Havasu and gotten my card from someone with job services. She'd already applied for financial aid and received an award letter. She dressed up to come see me, and she was really, really, really ready to start college.
"I've never been to college and nobody I know has ever been to college," she told me.
She thinks she wants to become a pediatrician.
I spend a lot of my time talking to people about how they can get the fastest possible retraining so they can be employable again right away. (Unfortunately, it rarely works that way.) So it was a pleasure to discuss what MCC can do for an ambitious and determined young person who's plotting a course for a four-year university degree ... and beyond.

A chill in the air

2009-10-22T15:07:00.000-07:00

It may sound silly in a place where the average daytime temperature in October is over 90 degrees, but it's really starting to feel like fall here at the Havasu campus.
It's not just the fact that early morning temps in the mid-70s have us pulling on sweaters. The real feeling of the season comes from preparations for our annual Pumpkin Festival. In fact, as event planner for the campus, I've got Halloween on the brain.
Today found me at WalMart purchasing cobwebs and $178 worth of candy (through the generosity of the MCC Foundation). That's only about 2/3 of what we'll have on hand at the event. When we throw a Halloween party at MCC, we want to be sure the little ones come away with enough sugar to rot every tooth in the Western United States. It's job security for the graduates of our dental programs.
(In fairness, our dental students hand our toothbrushes and toothpaste to the trick-or-treaters to promote responsible candy consumption.)
The greatest thing about Pumpkin Fest is that everyone gets in the act. It's really like a big Halloween party our students, faculty and staff throw for the community. So maybe we can be forgiven if it has a goofy, handmade quality. Self-expression rules!
Pumpkin Fest happens Oct. 30 from 4-6 p.m. (also on the Kingman and Bullhead City campuses). Come get a sugar rush.

It keeps me thin

2009-10-15T16:22:00.001-07:00

I spent a couple of hours yesterday afternoon observing the exertions of the hardest-working woman in Havasu. I can't prove that designation, but watching this woman push queues of shopping carts into one of our local grocery stores - one after another - that was the title that naturally came to mind.
I had set up my little table outside the store to hawk MCC's wares (education) to the people bustling in to pick up a few items on the way home from work or school. It was the first time I'd targeted a grocery store for my outreach efforts, and it was gratifying to reach a new set of prospects - people I hadn't encountered before.
I talked to one young woman about MCC's culinary arts program. She wasn't discouraged by the fact the program classes are conducted at our Bullhead City campus, about an hour's drive away. She wanted to open a restaurant some day.
"I love to cook, so I figure that's what I should do," she said.
Others, like the woman pushing the shopping carts from the parking lot, weren't sure exactly what direction they should go in, they just knew they needed to find a new career. She said she'd worked for several years in a business tied to real estate and was laid off about a year ago. She was "starting over," she said.
I think one thing is certain: When she finally moves into that new career with better pay and less physically demanding work, she can expect to put on a few pounds.

I love this club!

2009-10-12T16:45:00.000-07:00

Whatever controversies may surround Columbus Day, I can say that it inconvenienced me some by forcing me to postpone my weekly visit to our local employment services office. (Undeterred, I will be there tomorrow.)
On the other hand, the unexpected extra hours in my office today did allow me to clean up the place - which periodically gets downright cluttered with program fliers, party supplies and to-do lists - before a visit from a prospect this afternoon.
I met Richard on a visit last week to a new job club hosted by Mohave County Library. The organizer was kind enough to put me on the agenda with a employment counselor from the county's "One-Stop" center.
It turned out to be one of the most rewarding recruiting junkets I've undertaken. The people I met there were on a mission to find a job, a new career, more education, all of the above.
Usually I'm the one calling prospects trying to get them to come in a see me. The folks in this group have been calling me for appointments, hungry to know where they can go from here.
Yeah, they make my job easy - and they make me want to work all the harder for them.

Thanks for coming

2009-10-09T16:16:00.000-07:00

More than 40 Lake Havasu City community members and MCC students filled out self-assessments and spoke with licensed mental health professionals last night during MCC's first National Depression Screening Day event.
That may not sound like a lot of people, but given the misunderstanding of mental illness still prevalent in our society and the resultant stigma associated with it, the turnout felt like a great success. At one point there were eight or 10 people, both young and old, intently filling out assessment forms, elbow to elbow around the large table in our main lobby.
My primary job was to keep the coffee pot full and the cookie tray neat, but it felt good being associated with an event that clearly made people feel comfortable enough to come forward for help - and it felt good that the place they could do that was MCC.
Now it's on to Pumpkin Fest, sort of from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Fired up

2009-10-06T16:36:00.000-07:00

I think I've probably mentioned before that my role coordinating the exhibits in the campus art gallery is one of the best parts of my job. The Gallery adds a dimension to our campus, and our lives, that is rare and beautiful, and I really enjoy being a part of that.

Right now, The Gallery is home to a show of student-created ceramics and pottery. Some of the pieces were crafted by students in Ceramics I and II and reflect the students' imaginative solutions to the artistic "problems" posed in class (see photo). Others are the very skilled creations of members of the campus' Student Art League, and they're as good as anything you'd see at a professional craft show.

What's really great is that all these pieces will be available to purchase Oct. 23 from 1-5 p.m. during our annual Student Art League Pottery Sale. The majority of these beautiful pieces - including gorgeous mugs, cups, bowls and bud vases - are real bargains. So, of course, I'm obliged to point out it's a great opportunity to shop for Christmas gifts.

The most fun you can have while sterile

2009-10-01T17:09:00.001-07:00

I've just returned from the Surgical Technology lab, where some first-year students were practicing a few of the procedures that will one day become second nature to them: scrubbing, gowning, gloving, covering their instrument trays.
There's so much to learn and so much to remember - and this is before they ever learn when to pass what instrument in a real-life operating room.
But the students were engaged, constantly asking questions and calling out answers; they were using their newly acquired terminology and getting a lot of the answers right. It made me feel like, if I ever find myself in an operating room with one of them, I'll be in good hands.
I was there to shoot some video, which I'll turn into a mini-documentary. I'll also link to it here, so check for it in a week or two.

Self-reliance

2009-09-29T16:05:00.000-07:00

Today I had the chance to talk to one of our success stories, Loretta H., a mother of four who was working as a waitress before earning her nursing degree at MCC. She's now an RN working in the cath lab at our local hospital.
"I look back at 10 years ago and what I was doing and what I’m doing now, and I think ‘What happened?'" Loretta says.
What really struck me about Loretta's story was how getting an education and a better-paying job changed her economic relationship to her family. She decided to go back to school to begin with because of her fear of what would become of her family if something happened to her husband, the main breadwinner in the household.
Now that she's an RN and earning a good salary of her own?
"I’m not so dependent on my husband," Loretta says. "We’re equals now as far as income coming in. If something happened, I know I could take care of my family. It's good to know I can take care of myself."
Loretta's improved economic status has also helped her husband, who recently opened his own business.
"Which he probably wouldn't have been able to do if I hadn't have gone back to school," she says.

Gadget crazy

2009-09-25T16:38:00.000-07:00

I have a notoriously short attention span, so I try to keep myself interested by tinkering. The latest object of my fussing around is this blog, to which I have added a nice picture of our marquee (at right) and a slide show (also at right, underneath me).
I've been in my position a couple of months now and taken pictures of just about everything that's happened around here, so I've accumulated some terrific photos - if I say so myself - of our campus life.
I'll continue to add images as the school year progresses, and given how jammed-packed our schedule is, the show should get pretty long.
I was asked to take the photo of the marquee by my boss, Recruitment Manager Jason Hembree, who wanted a distinctly Havasu view for a commercial he was producing. I wound up taking the photo on what had to be the only overcast day we'd seen in months, so the sky behind the marquee came out gray rather than the typical crystalline blue. It almost seems like false advertising.

Recipe for the future

2009-09-24T16:36:00.000-07:00

What do you get when you take about 500 high school seniors, add 30 or so college and military recruiters and shake with some really loud music? The answer might be a college fair such as the one Anne and I attended today at Lake Havasu High School.
After introductions, the purple-and-gold hoard was let loose to visit 20 tables and collect as much information (and as many freebies) as they could in 30 minutes. Meanwhile, a very hip Navy recruiter was acting as DJ at the end of the gym nearest our table. I could only presume break dancing or the modern equivalent was taking place inside a circle of at least 100 enraptured, clapping students gathered by the booming speakers.
Anyway it was quick but fun, and we saw a lot of hopeful young faces with serious aspirations that we hope will include Mohave Community College, even it if is along the way to a four-year degree or farther.

Too much of a good thing?

2009-09-22T16:08:00.000-07:00

In many ways Mohave Community College is a microcosm of the communities it serves.
Here in Lake Havasu City, when the weather gets cool, the social calendar gets ridiculous as community groups and our city fathers try to cram as much fun as they can into the beautiful weeks of autumn.
MCC's Havasu campus isn't immune from event mania, largely because we're part of the community and want to participate as much as we can. Determined to be overachievers, we're planning a blow-out month, including the college-wide Depression Screening Day Oct. 8, a Coffee at the College about Havasu history Oct. 10, the London Bridge Days Parade Oct. 17, another Coffee at the College Oct. 20, the annual Art Club pottery show and sale Oct. 23 and - gasp!- Pumpkin Fest Oct. 30.
The craziness begins Oct.3 when I'll be representing MCC at the annual Community Health Fair inside Relics & Rods Hall at the Aquatic Center. (At the same time, a few thousand walkers clad in pink will be just outside enacting the also-annual Breast Cancer Walk, meaning more than a few socially active community members are challenged to literally be two places at the same time.)
Hey, if you're reading this, come down from 8 a.m. to noon, grab a free lip balm, grab a free pen, grab a good education, grab a cool, new career!

¡Viva Mexico!

2009-09-16T16:45:00.000-07:00

It's said travel is broadening, but oftentimes so is sitting in a chair in a classroom on a college campus.
Today minds were broadened by a little party we threw on campus in observance of Mexican Independence Day.
We didn't fire pistols in the air, just watched a PowerPoint presentation, listened to a couple talks, examined brightly colored handicrafts and sampled traditional Mexican refreshments.
The event was attended by several prominent members of Lake Havasu City's Hispanic community and hosted by beloved local icon Bertha Nyboer. MCC instructor Angelina Ortiz contributed a Mexican punch flavored with jamaica, or hibiscus blossoms, and displayed some beautiful traditional costumes she had made herself.
Far from dry, the history lessons about Father Hidalgo, "El Grito" and Colonel Augustin de Ituribe, first emperor of Mexico, were fascinating. It does us good to be reminded other countries have compelling histories, too, particularly our close neighbor to the south.

It starts here

2009-09-15T17:08:00.000-07:00

One of the duties of my job that stretches me the most is my monthly appearance on KNTR radio's talk show "Speak Out." Though I worked in print media for four years and have blogged here and elsewhere, I've never experienced the peculiarly vulnerable feeling of speaking live over the air waves. It's a new world.
The good thing is, the shows are never about me. I'm just there to plug campus happenings and provide a pleasant segue to the real guest, one of our own MCC personalities.
Today it was Chemical Dependency Studies faculty Lori Howell who went on-air to promote the National Depression Screening Day event the college will host Oct. 8 from 3-7 p.m. Lori's famous around campus for being a dynamic speaker and I was pretty sure she'd represent the college well - and take the pressure off me to fill dead air.
Lori was really articulate when talking about mental illness and its relationship to substance abuse and dependency. I imagine she reached a lot of people when she talked about how the screening day is a "grand opportunity" for people who are struggling with even low-level depression and other disorders to make their first hopeful step toward diagnosis and treatment.
You can hear the Sept. 15 Speak Out at www.kntram.com/kntr-am-speak-out. Click on the files marked "hour 1, part 2" and "hour 1, part 3" to hear Lori.

Hard act to follow

2009-09-14T16:32:00.000-07:00

I see several of my fellow MCC bloggers are talking about the college's appearance this past weekend to the Mohave County Fair, so I might as well not buck the trend.
Mohave Community College had a prime spot in the exhibit hall that gave everyone wandering through the perfect opportunity to grab a free pen or a big horn tattoo - a favorite with the 10-and-under crowd.
I was there to talk to fair goers about how careers start at MCC, but I had some tough competition in the form of a robotic dog driving a miniature fire truck, complete with flashing lights and a siren. The thing eerily knew what color a child was wearing and spouted "Nice hat!" to every kid wearing a straw cowboy hat.
Actually, it wasn't so eerie, because most of us - including the more clever children - knew the dog was being controlled by a group of good-looking young firefighters at the nearby booth of the Northern Arizona Consolidated Fire District.
I couldn't really begrudge the robotic fire dog the eager attention it was getting from kids and parents. I'd rather watch it than listen to me, too!

Art for art's sake

2009-09-11T16:58:00.000-07:00

The campus hosted its first art gallery reception of the season last night, and it unexpectedly offered a lesson in contrasts that was kind of delightful.

Several very dignified members of the Lake Havasu City Art Guild, of which our guest artist Janet McIntyre is a member, mingled in the gallery with a couple dozen clay-smeared - and very hungry - students from instructor Alan Hall's ceramics class.

The best part was that it appear everyone had a pretty good time. Janet herself seemed to enjoy talking about her installation, "Wall Jewelry, with her art guild friends, who said they hadn't seen anything like it come out of Janet's studio before.

She also seemed fascinated by watching the reactions of the art students, who appeared to range in age from 18 to 60, and was pleased to chat one-on-one with those who sought her insights.

Part of the mission of the campus' gallery is to offer cultural enrichment to the community at large. Still, there's no doubt the gallery is really for students like Alan's to expand, twist and stimulate their developing artistic muscles.

I'm really looking forward to the next exhibit, a show of the ceramics created by these very students. That's coming in October.

No excuses

2009-09-08T16:51:00.000-07:00

Today we locked our front doors so faculty and staff could spend a few hours talking about what kind of college we want to be.
A couple of themes were repeated. One was that we needed to keep working at helping our students learn what it means to be in college. The other was that we need to hold them responsible for their own education.
While on the surface these two objectives seem contradictory, one really leads into the other, because, of course, part of what it means to be a college student is to be a responsible adult.
There will undoubtedly be an ongoing discussion about how to bring about the second objective, but Mohave Community College has already made strides toward realizing the first through initiatives like mandatory pre-registration orientation, "Introduction to College" classes and extra help provided through supplemental instruction and tutoring.
It may sound like a platitude, but the people here really are committed to helping students succeed and stay the course once they're on the college rolls. The main things the students needs to provide (and they're not insignificant) are courage and perseverance.

The reward for our labors

2009-09-04T16:29:00.000-07:00

As we head into the long Labor Day weekend, it's hard to relax. Next week seems like a big week and I feel a buzz of excitement that I expect to linger.
Part of the jitters comes from knowing I'll have to squeeze a week's worth of work into three days because the college is not only closed Monday but also Tuesday for the annual all-staff, in-service day.
Wednesday the Lake Havasu campus, along with those in Bullhead City and Kingman, will host two orientation sessions to tell people about a program that will use federal stimulus money to pay for students to complete five high-demand vocational certificate programs. (See my previous post.)
Organizers from the Mohave County Workforce Development office admit they have no idea how many people to expect at the sessions. I made several calls this week to people I've talked to who expressed interest in these particular certificates and all said they'd come.
While not everyone who shows up will make it through the process of assessments and applications to become part of the five planned cohorts, the program still feels like a life-ring being thrown to people who have found themselves with the rug pulled out from under them by our country's changing economy.
Those who don't enter the fast-tracked cohorts will have made significant progress toward entering MCC as regular students. Any way you look at it, it's a great opportunity for everyone involved.

Now we're getting somewhere

2009-09-01T16:40:00.000-07:00

For anyone who's been wondering where all that enomic stimulus money is going, I have a delightful example. A few drops from that $700 billion bucket are splashing down on Mohave County to train residents - many of them dislocated, unemployed or underemployed - to work in high-demand jobs that pay a decent wage.
During my weekly visit to the Department of Economic Security's employment services office today, I was excited to be able to tell the people who stopped by my table about the program, in which MCC is joining with the Mohave County One-Stop Career Center to fast-track cohorts of students in the county's three largest cities through five of the college's most popular certificate programs: certified nursing assistant, medical assistant, medical billing, electrical and HVAC.
Ads about the program are due to appear in local papers in the coming week leading up to a pair of orientation sessions scheduled for Sept. 9 on MCC's southern campuses. I'll also keep you updated in this space as plans for the program progress.

Yet another excuse to eat

2009-08-31T16:28:00.000-07:00

After caterer J.C. Hillman let me shoot her picture today with the biggest cinnamon twist in the civilized world, she insisted I take it.
She was feeling generous because she was celebrating the opening of her new business, "The Chuckwagon," right here in the Student Services building on the Lake Havasu City campus.
The rest of us had reason to celebrate, too. Now we can purchase and eat real food made when ordered by a human without driving somewhere in an automobile whose interior temperature is 130 degrees. Woopee!
The opening of The Chuckwagon is momentous for more reasons than because it is convenient for people like me. Being able to buy food on campus and eat it with your classmates and friends - or while spending quality time with a textbook - is part of the college experience that our students have been missing out on.
As an undergraduate at the University of New Mexico, I ate every day - and I mean every day - in the student union building. I kept eating there even after I graduated and got a job on campus. The SUB, as it was called, was my big, echoy home away from home (I also slept, studied and watched art films there) and the ladies who made that fantastic New Mexican food were my surrogate aunts.
So, yeah, food on campus is a big deal. Bon appetit.

A learning moment

2009-08-27T16:31:00.000-07:00

I went over to the Physical Therapist Assistant program lab today to take some photos of a lab in which students were learning techniques for evaluating patients with dizziness and balance disorders, and I suddenly found myself part of the lesson.
It turned out that due to a condition I experienced years ago, my right eye behaves in the very way these techniques are designed to provoke. Instead of the students practicing on each other and probably not seeing anything strange because they don't dizziness or balance disorders, they got to see that characteristic jittery eye action for real in me.
The students gathered around eargerly, oohing and aahing as guest lecturer Liz Briere, a vestibular rehab specialist at Kingman Regional Medical Center, went through a series of examinations that demonstrated the little hitch in my right eye. Other examinations indicated I probably don't have more serious issues with my central nervous system. Good to know.

The absolutely last final ultimate drop-dead deadline - for real this time

2009-08-24T11:10:00.000-07:00

This is it, the absolute last day to register for fall classes - and we're not kidding this time. Except for second session, 8-week and community outreach classes. You can still sign up for those. Oh well.
Even so, with drop-add over, maybe our Student Services department can stop looking like a bad day at the DMV and I'll have a chance to meet some of the folks who have effectively been chained to their desks since I started working at Mohave Community College.
All this is not a complaint. We're in the student business, and we want students. But that doesn't mean we all won't enjoy the ebb tide for a while.
On the other hand, when crunch time ends, that's when I get busy, "hitting the streets" so to speak - the public library, local employers, the unemployment office, the mall - to bring to the people the good word of what MCC can do for them and their futures.
If you don't want to wait until you bump into me around town, give me a call (928-505-3393) or e-mail me (dparker@mohave.edu).

Foot sore

2009-08-20T15:47:00.000-07:00

My feet are killing me. I've spent much of today off campus selling my wares, so the speak, at a couple gatherings of Lake Havasu City business people. My wares, in this case, are goodwill and greater educational opportunities for the employees of everything from restaurants to utility companies.
Luckily for me, these days education isn't a hard sell. It's eye-opening to hear from businesses as well as from potential students what workers' educational needs are in the real world. At a business expo put on by our city's Chamber of Commerce, a representative from the local telephone company told me its technicians need to learn basic computer troubleshooting and repair because more and more they're going into customers' homes to install high-speed Internet.
The possibilities for all parties are exciting. The worker gets the opportunty to expand his knowledge base, the employer gets a more well rounded employee and the college gets what it values most -- a student.

Back in business

2009-08-19T15:25:00.000-07:00

This is my first first-week-of-classes at Mohave Community College, and I've found myself getting excited about seeing classrooms full of students engaged in the business we do here: teaching and learning. It's as if the old MCC battleship has been in dry dock these last few weeks and finally it's out at sea again, steaming along.
Of course, the voyage so far hasn't been without its rough spots. A few students encountered locked classrooms or came to school on the wrong night. But that's what the "Friendly Teams" are here for, to smooth out the inevitable rocky patches these first few days.
My Friendly Team shift before the start of 5:30 p.m. classes last night was pleasantly uneventful. I was impressed to see that most of the students I encountered not only knew where they were going, they were striding confidently toward their classrooms with a spring in their step. But they thanked me anyway for offering to help.
My pleasure.

Artfully done

2009-08-17T16:11:00.000-07:00

The Lake Havasu City campus just got a little more stimulating.
Today, local artist Janet McIntrye installed her show of 40 abstract "assemblages" in The Gallery here on campus. She calls it "Wall Jewelry," and much of it is jewel-like with subtle, sparkling patinas.
The installation is the first of six planned art shows that will grace the campus this school year. This campus is lucky to have such prime real estate devoted to the arts.
I had a great time just watching the installation process. It took me back to my childhood when my mother, a fiber artist, was often involved in putting together gallery shows and larger art exhibits. I miss that milieu.
Until today, the drab, white gallery stood empty except for a few partitions and pedestals waiting for the chance to display art. It was a little sad, like an empty house.
Now that Janet's artworks are in place, skillfully arranged by local artist and sometimes MCC student Greg Heil, the transformation is astonishing.
For me, having the chance to enrich the campus with events like this -- this is the fun part.

Calm before the storm, but in a good way

2009-08-14T16:58:00.001-07:00

Fall classes begin Monday, and as this week comes to an end the campus is almost eerily quiet. I've become accustomed to the bustle and urgency of the open registration period, which became more bustling and urgent as Aug. 17 got closer.
But I know the silence of our campus two minutes before closing time on the Friday before the beginning of classes is deceptive. Next week will be like a volcano erupting as more than a thousand students begin classes and registration -- still more urgently -- continues through drop/add week.
I'll be taking part in the happy madness by serving on a couple shifts on our campus' "Friendly Teams." Those are the little groups of faculty and staff who will be stragically stationed around campus looking for that lost look, that uncetain gaze.
Anyone who walks onto this campus next week who appears confused or uncertain better be prepared: we're gonna get friendly on them.

A new beginning

2009-08-13T15:52:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it seems like everyone who visits this campus sooner or later walks by my office door. I've seen every variety of student -- the 17-year-old kid with a hank of blond hair flopping over his eyes (he recently completed his GED) -- the young mom with a toddler in tow and an arm-load of anatomy textbooks.
The greatest thing is when I see a face I recognize from my weekly visits to our local unemployment office.
It's not easy to face the fact you have to find a new career when you're 30 or 40 or 50. As friendly as I think Mohave Community College is, I know it's not easy to walk into that admission's office and submit yourself to a college placement test decades after high school.
It takes a lot of courage and a lot of perseverance.
But I also know the payoff in the form of a better career and a more promising livelihood is waiting from them on the other side of their hard work.
I saw one of those students this week as he was waiting to see his counselor with REPAC, which assists dislocated workers to get the education and training they need to start new careers. I asked him how everything was going and he reported he was registered for a full load of classes at MCC.
"I'm nervous. Now I have to study," he said.
"You'll do fine," I said.