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That's no full moon - that's Tommy Stewart

Tom Stewart

Tommy Stewart might be at little late with his Halloween costume this year.

The Lady Cougars Soccer team administrator has promised his team that he will "pull a Telly Sevalas" if they prevail in the October 31 National Junior College Athletic Association's (NJCAA) New England championship game, to be played at HCC at 2p.m.

“This is their year. They've really nailed it,” said Stewart of the Lady Cougars, who enter the championship round with an enviable 11-4 record. "But, just in case they get complacent, I told them I'd shave my head if they won."

The locks will be shorn on November 1, Stewart's 40th birthday..

The team will no doubt enjoy Stewart's cosmetic suicide, but they might not need the incentive. For the first time in the program's 23-year history, the women's soccer team is heading into Division III championships with a number one seed. On October 9, the National Junior College Athletic Association recognized sophomore Rachel Colby as the best women's soccer player of the week - another "first" for the Lady Cougars.

Rachel Colby

Colby, a mid-fielder, scored six goals and kicked out four assists over a three game stretch during the first week of October, helping her team to win matches against Bunker Hill Community College, Dean College and the Community College of Rhode Island (the latter team is rated ninth in the NJCAA Division i). In addition, Colby broke Holyoke's all-time scoring record, which was 62 points. For her career, Colby has scored 25 goals and made 20 assists for 70 points in just 29 games. This season she has recorded 13 goals and 13 asssists in 14 games. Her 39 offensive points rank 11th in NJCAA Division III.

"She's really great, an honors student in nursing," said Stewart of the teams's star performer. "But they are all really, really good. And they are all really motivated to make this happen"

On other motivation for the Lady Cougars: in each of the last four seasons, the HCC team has lost the New England championship game to their archrivals, the Springfield Technical Community College Lady Rams..

"They definitely don't want to see that happen again," said Stewart. "And with this team it's not going to happen."


HCC comes out in support of diversity

HCC Community participates in National Coming Out Day

Under skies that alternated between clear and cloudy, the HCC community donned red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple attire to celebrate National Coming Out Day, Wednesday, October 11.

Standing together on the campus steps, more than 100 students, faculty, staff, and friends formed a rainbow flag, the symbol for acceptance of gay, lesbian, and transgender people. After the cameras finished flashing, the flag disbanded so everyone could focus on a brief speaking program.

The mood was upbeat, but the stories underscored a sad truth: there is still much work to be done before equality rules our lives.

Mathematics faculty Aaron Levin cited statistics culled from the Human Rights Campaign to drive home his message:

• Same-sex couples live in 99.3% of all counties nationwide;
• The federal government could save more than $1 billion annually by allowing same-sex couples to marry;
• Nearly half of all Fortune 500 companies offer domestic partner health benefits;
• In most states, you can still be fired from your job simply for being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, and have no legal recourse, because, currently no federal employment law includes GLBT Americans;
• 84% of GLBT students report being verbally harassed at their school.

Vice President for Student Affairs Doreen Larson challenged listeners to interrupt acts of homophobia wherever they arise.

"Mothers of children who are gay worry more because it's not always a safe world for their children," said Larson, who'd donned yellow, the color symbolizing sunshine, for her part in the human flag. "As the mother of a gay son, I beg you from the bottom of my heart to keep these people safe."

Sporting blue, the color symbolizing harmony, HCC President William F. Messner told the crowd that supporting gay, lesbian, and transgender people is important to the future of the college.

"It speaks to our values," he said.

Though it is often discussed as a political issue, the struggle for equality is a deeply personal journey as well. That fact was underscored by Paulette Dalpes, who spoke candidly about her experience coming out to her parents. The scene took place more than 20 years ago, but it remains vivid in Dalpes' memory:

"My mother said, 'I've thought a lot about this, and I'd rather you were dead than gay.'"

Dalpes' father was similarly affected:

"He said, 'Paulette, you are my daughter and I'll always love you, but you will never be welcome in my house again,'" Dalpes recalled.

Spoken in a moment of fear, those words hurt, but they did not completely sever familial ties. Over time, her parents were able to reconsider their views. Relationships were salvaged, a tentative dialogue forged. Some might say it was a miracle that Dalpes' parents were in attendance in 2005, when their daughter married her longtime partner.

Dalpes sees it in less vaunted terms.

"It's been a struggle for them because they have a religion that they love that told them I was wrong," said Dalpes. "But if it can happen in my family, it can happen anywhere."

Engineering community at HCC

What do the HCC Engineering Club and HCC Shalom Club have in common? Apparently, it's a willingness to share their wisdom and skills.

On October 4, the two clubs got together to build a sukkah, a temporary shelter used to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Succot, which began at sundown on October 6 and ran until October 13.

“ We wanted to find a project on campus in which we could help the community in a way that relates to engineering," said Melissa Vyce, president of the Engineering Club. "At the same time, we get to show the campus what the engineering club can do.”

Lois Koltz, advisor to Club Shalom, was so moved by the gesture that she made a personal donation of $18 to help Engineering Club members who are going on a humanitarian trip to New Orleans in January.

Koltz said she chose to donate $18 for a reason.

”Eighteen dollars stands for the numerical value of the Hebrew word 'chai' meaning 'life'," she said.

"My heart was tickled and warmed by what the engineering club did for us," she said. "The donation is my way of not only saying thank you but also reaching out by helping those members of the HCC community assist in the New Orleans relief efforts."

Members of the engineering club responsible for the new structure are Melissa Vyce, Mark McDonough, Chak Chan, John Chicoine, Nate Park, Kokui Dzefi, Rene Crete, Magda Zulowski, Andy LePre, and Hans Mullen.

The Numbers have it: HCC is the place to be

More students are looking at Holyoke Community College as an affordable, accessible beginning to a four-year college education. That's one of the conclusions drawn by HCC officials earlier this month, when they released the fall 2006 enrollment figures.

"Overall, HCC enrollment continues a decade-long trend of stability," said HCC President William F. Messner, who pointed out that the college annually enrolls nearly 9,000 students in credit courses. (Another 4,000-plus people are enrolled in non-credit courses such as workforce development training, adult basic education, and personal enrichment courses.)

"We continue to be the the largest community college in Western Massachusetts."

Messner pointed out that the number of credit students who enrolled this fall was 6,297, up 5& over last fall's number of 6,265. Since 2004, HCC has awarded the second highest number of associate degrees and certificates of Massachusetts' 15 community colleges.

The numbers released this month reveal some other trends.

Of the 3,219 students new to HCC this fall, 1,661 were first-time, degree-seeking students (up 8.92 % from last year). The college also saw a 20.67% increase in the number of new students who transferred to HCC from another college or university.

College officials believe part of the reason for this influx may be the newly signed transfer agreements between HCC and several local, four-year colleges and universities. These agreements encourage students to pursue a four-year degree by streamlining the transfer process, according to Marcia Rosbury-Henne HCC’s admissions director. As a result, more college-bound students are finding it’s simpler and less expensive to start locally, at HCC.

“This fall, we are seeing significant increases in younger students, and male students—the latter runs against the trend that many colleges are experiencing,” Messner continued. “We have also seen increases in students attending full-time and those intending to complete a degree.”

Enrollment figures detail a 6.18% increase in number of full-time students in attendance. Full-time students now comprise 52% of the student body. There has been a 15.66% increase in the number of students who are under 20 years of age, and a 3.45% increase in male students.

Over the last year, HCC has signed “articulation” or transfer agreements with American International College, Western New England College, Bay Path College, and Elms College. In a little over a month since the school year began, nearly 150 HCC students have inquired about transferring to one of these schools, Rosbury-Henne said.

While Springfield continues to send the largest contingent of students to HCC (876 students, or 14% of the college’s fall enrollment), there were sizable increases in the number of students attending HCC from Amherst (up 17.97%), Belchertown (up 13.66%), South Hadley (up 9.40 %) and Agawam (up 8.42%). The communities of Chicopee, Holyoke, and Westfield sent a combined 1,979 students or 31 percent of the college’s fall enrollment.

“What these figures tell me is that students are coming to HCC because we are their community college—the place that will help them start or continue their education,” Rosbury-Henne said. “If they can’t afford a private college—or a public university—they can come here, gain solid academic preparation and support, and move on without a mountain of debt. They might even come away with a scholarship if they do well and go on to the Elms, for instance. They’re offering as much as $10,000 to students who have a good GPA.”

Rosbury-Henne also pointed out that HCC has also made a concerted effort to reach out to families and others who will support prospective students.

“It’s amazing to me the number of students coming in to fill out an application or get financial aid information who bring two, three, four, five family members with them,” she said. “It’s hard to imagine that happening at a large institution. You might feel lost or you might even get lost. At HCC we’re small enough to be welcoming.”

“Even during turbulent economic times, HCC has not suffered huge dips in our enrollments,” said Messner. “We think that’s because we have worked hard to make HCC affordable and accessible without compromising our educational standards. It’s a combination that works well over the long run.”

While Springfield continues to send the largest contingent of students to HCC (876 students, or 14% of the college’s fall enrollment), there were sizable increases in the number of students attending HCC from Amherst (up 17.97%), Belchertown (up 13.66%), South Hadley (up 9.40 %) and Agawam (up 8.42%). The communities of Chicopee, Holyoke, and Westfield sent a combined 1,979 students or 31 percent of the college’s fall enrollment.

“What these figures tell me is that students are coming to HCC because we are their community college—the place that will help them start or continue their education,” Rosbury-Henne said. “If they can’t afford a private college—or a public university—they can come here, gain solid academic preparation and support, and move on without a mountain of debt. They might even come away with a scholarship if they do well and go on to the Elms, for instance. They’re offering as much as $10,000 to students who have a good GPA.”

HCC taps Kimmi Smith as its "Idol"

Kimmi Smith

On October 4 an enthusiastic crowd of students, faculty and staff gathered in the Leslie Phillips Forum to watch the fourth annual HCC Idol competition.

Named after the popular television show American Idol, the event featured 11 student performers, each of whom had three minutes to showcase their talents. The event was staged during the college-wide activity period to maximize participation.

Acting as the Master of Ceremonies Jonathan “The Truck” Haluck started the show with his own unique rendition of the song “You Plus Me Equals.”

(Word is that Haluck will keep his day job.)

Winning the competition was country music singer Kimmi Smith. Singer Shanika Green, of Springfield, came in second, while erotic dancer and Springfield resident Rima Arman tied for third with singer/comedian Joey Stankiewicz, of Hadley.

Celebrating HCC Business Alumni

On Saturday, October 14, the faculty of the HCC Business Division and the HCC Alumni Association teamed up to sponsor “Back to Business,” an open House for HCC alumni and their guests. Held at the Kittredge Center, the event was designed and coordinated by alumna faculty member Gerry Bates, who has coordinated three prior successful events for business alumni.

Highlights of this year’s event included tours of the Kittredge Center by current business students and presentations by business faculty, including “On-line classes—Beyond Pajamas,” (Anne Potter); “Follow the Money—General Ledger Software,” (Leah O’Goley); “Personal Data Security,” (Casey Storozuk); and “Basic Computer Skills for Work and Life” (Rich DeFoe). Vice President for Business and Community Service Jeff Hayden, Dean of Co-op Services Teresa Howard, and Assistant Director of Admissions Linda Scott were also on hand to talk with alumni about their programs. Sumptuous refreshments and a drawing for HCC gear and other prizes rounded out the morning’s program.

Authors @ HCC series kicks off November 14

The public is invited to HCC on Tuesday, November 14 to meet with Professor Graciela Maglia, who will speak about her book “Sintaxis de la decision trajica: Sofocles, Ayax: una lectura semiologica.”

The event will be held in the Picknelly Dining Room, Frost 265, at 2:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

A tenured professor at the Instituo Caro y Curvo in Columbia, Maglia, has recently begun a year-long scholar-in-residence program at HCC under the auspices of the Fulbright program.

Maglia’s appearance at HCC is the first in a new series Authors @ HCC, which will bring local authors to the college each semester for intimate discussions of their works.

In addition to her responsibilities as a professor, Maglia is the founder and director of the Center of Managerial Communication at the College of Advanced Studies in Administration in Bogotá, Colombia. This summer, she defended her doctoral dissertation, which focuses on cultural identity versus national identity in post-colonial Caribbean poetry, at the Sorbonne in Paris

Notices

All welcome at HCC Open House

Current and prospective students are invited to learn more about HCC at an Open House on October 26, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Kittredge Center for Business and Workforce Development, room 301.

Come learn more about the 100+ associate degree and certificate programs offered at HCC. Representatives will be available to explain the financial aid plans, transfer options, and services to help you succeed in the classroom. At 5:45 p.m., there will be a special session for those interested in finding out about online learning.

For more information or to reserve a spot, please call (413) 552-2321 or email admissions@hcc.mass.edu. If you have a disability that may require assistance to fully participate in this event, please call the Admissions Office to discuss your specific needs (413) 552-2321.

Welcome to new staff

Since the last edition of the HCC Connection, we have added two new people to the HCC family. Please welcome Arvard Lingham, who has been hired as a clerk in the Welcome Center and in Community Services, and Amy Anthony, who is the new Tech Prep Consortium Coordinator.

Baha'i Club welcomes all on Oct. 25

All members of the campus community are invited to an Interfaith Devotional Gathering, sponsored by the Baha'i Club on October 25, 1:30 to 2 p.m. in Donahue 368. Please feel free to bring and share devotional readings from your own faith or belief.

HCC celebrates its students at Honors Convocation

Amherst College President Anthony Marx gave the keynote speech at the HCC Honors Convocation, Friday, October 13. The event recognized 180 students who were inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society as well as 25 students who are members of the HCC Green Key Honor Society.

Necessary Targets set for November 9-12

Necessary Targets, a play by Eve Ensler, will be performed at Holyoke Community College November 9, 10, and 11 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, November 12 at 2:30 p.m. The November 10 performance will be American Sign Language interpreted.

The play is based on interviews with women who survived the war in the former Yugoslavia. Performances will be in the Leslie Phillips Forum Theater. Tickets are $7 or general admission, $5 for seniors and students, and free to members of the HCC and Elms College communities. The play will be performed again at Elms College on November 17 and 18 at 7:30 p.m. For information contact Patricia Sandoval at (413) 552-2486) or psandoval@hcc.mass.edu.

Waiting to Excel helps children’s charity

The HCC community is invited to the Kittredge Center on November 1 when the HCC Waiting to Excel Club hands over $1,500 to the Wigs for Kids project.

Wigs for Kids is a charitable organization that provides prosthetic wigs to children who have lost their hair due to illness.

Through a combination of bake sales, raffles and direct solicitations, the Waiting to Excel Club raised enough money to manufacture one wig, which will be donated to a child who cannot afford to purchase one. In addition, Waiting to Excel has collected almost 1,000 inches of hair from the HCC community. The hair will be used to create wigs for the organization.

“Club members work year round soliciting the support of the campus community and local community at large, asking for hair or cash contributions for Wigs for Kids. Hopefully these donations will enable a child to lead a more normal life,” said Sharon Cenedella, the staff advisor to the club.

HCC to host Workforce Training Fund workshops

On November 14 and November 28, HCC will host two free workshops for area employers who want to access the state’s $21 million Workforce Training Fund.

Attendees should register on or before November 3 by calling (413) 552-2122 or by emailing cbpd@hcc.mass.edu.

The November 14 workshop, “Workforce Training Fund Employer Orientation” will introduce attendees to the worker training funds available through the Workforce Training Fund. It will run from 8 to 10:30 a.m. At the November 28 workshop, “The Nuts and Bolts of Writing a Successful Workforce Training Fund Application”, participants will learn how to prepare an acceptable application. The latter workshop will run from 8 to 11:30 a.m.

Giving Tree takes roots at HCC

On Thursday, November 2, HCC will kick off its annual Giving Tree campaign at 11 a.m. in Frost 309. This charitable campaign benefits needy local organizations during the upcoming holiday season.

This year, clients of Westmass Eldercare, Enlace de Familia, and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC) will be the beneficiaries of this effort.

To participate, you simply choose one of the many gift requests, which will be written on tags, and purchase the gift listed. The tags will first be made available on November 2, but will also be hanging on one of two holiday trees – in the Frost and Donahue buildings – until December 12. If you miss the November 2 reception, you can always pick up a tag on your own time.

Participants are asked to purchase the gift listed on the tag and bring it, wrapped and tagged, to the Academic Affairs office, Frost 321, no later than December 12. The gifts will be distributed to the organizations on December 15.

HCC Connection is published every other Tuesday (or thereabouts) and is distributed to the campus community, and friends of the college, and local media.

To be added to our email distribution list, please email: Kimberly Wilson, kwilson@hcc.mass.edu
To submit campus event information for inclusion in HCC Connection, email Natalia Munoz, nmunoz@hcc.mass.eduwith details including date, time, location, cost if any, open to public or not, web links (if appropriate) and contact information (name, phone number, and email). Deadline: end of day Friday before publication.

Natalia Munoz
Assistant Director of Marketing and Public Relations
Holyoke Community College
Phone: (413) 552-2183 Fax: (413) 552-2479
cell: (413) 348-8515 (emergency)
nmunoz@hcc.mass.edunmunoz@hcc.mass.edu
Holyoke Community College is the Commonwealth’s oldest community college, serving almost 9,000 students annually in 82 associate degree options and 42 certificate programs, and over 4,000 in noncredit and workforce development courses. The college has the highest transfer rate of any community college statewide, holding articulation agreements with 27 colleges and universities. Recognized for its Honors Program, distance learning curriculum, learning communities, and service to students, HCC anticipates opening its state of-the-art Kittredge Business Center in Spring 2006.