Headlines

HCC's Maldonado helps celebrate Puerto Rican Cultural Center

From left Jossie Valentin, Orlando Isaza, Liz Juliette Maldonado, Bill Messner, and Myriam Quinoñes celebrate at the 30th anniversary party for Springfield’s Puerto Rican Cultural Center.

Holyoke Community College freshman Liz Juliette Maldonado was one of several honored guests at Springfield’s Puerto Rican Cultural Center’s (PRCC) 30th anniversary party, held November 3.

Also attending the PRCC soiree were HCC President William F. Messner, Special Assistant to the President Orlando Isaza, Multicultural Academic Services Coordinator Myriam Quinones, and Academic Counselor Jossie Valentin.

But it was Maldonado, 18, who stole the show when she entered the room wearing a glistening tiara and ruby red evening gown—her official attire as the reigning 2006 Miss Puerto Rican Day Parade. The HCC business student could not contain her enthusiasm.

“ I think it’s important to have this pageant because the Latino community gets a lot of negative publicity. We get so stereotyped,” she said. “But our culture is persevering. We are successful. And we have a beautiful culture that needs to be embraced.”

Maldonado received the title in June, when she topped a field of 13 rivals. She is mindful of the hard work that it took to earn the honor.

“ I competed twice for my crown—in 2004 and in 2006. I didn’t give up. I feel like it shows I am someone with a lot of motivation and determination,” she said. “For me, college is another job where I will need motivation and determination. This shows that I have what it takes. It shows that I have the beauty, yes, but I also have the brains.”

Homelessness recognized by HCC community

(from left) Francine Triplett, a formerly homeless woman, collects a donation from HCC student Natasha Merenkov on behalf of the National Coalition for the Homeless.

On November 8, students, staff and faculty gathered in the Kittredge Center’s PeoplesBank conference room to hear a first-hand account of what it means to be homeless. Speaking to the crowd were Francine and John, who shared their stories about living on the streets, and Mike O’Neil from the Washington-based National Coalition for the Homeless.

Sponsored by HCC’s AmeriCorps/VISTA program, the event also marked the culmination of MassPIRG’s Skip the Party campaign, which sought to raise funds for Springfield’s Jefferson Avenue Homeless Shelter.

“ Instead of having a banquet or fund raising dinner, we thought we should skip the dinner and just collect the money from folks,” said MassPIRG organizer Lily Cavanagh. “We raised $220, which will go to the Adopt-a-Room campaign at the Jefferson Avenue Shelter. We’re going to adopt a room (at the shelter) and go in and paint it, and fix it up.”

O’Neil said he hoped that people attending the November 8 event would walk away with something to think about.

“ This panel is here to share real-life experiences about homelessness. We want to take away the stereotypes and misconceptions people have about the homeless. We hope when they hear these stories people will want to become involved, care, and help.”

CARE, he said, is an acronym for “contribute, awareness, reach out, and educate.”

Francine said she became homeless when she was forced to flee from 13 years of domestic abuse. Alcohol and drug abuse soon followed.

“ Homelessness is no joke, it is demeaning,” she said. “I went from park to park. People can be cruel. There was a man from a local restaurant who bought day-old bread (to the park for homeless people to eat). He acted like someone was forcing him to do it. I never believed anyone could be so nasty. I turned to drugs, alcohol, and then became depressed before my life turned around,” she said.

Francine said that, working with a case manager from a homeless shelter, she was able to get back on her feet. Today, she works, volunteers for her church, and speaks on behalf of the homeless.

Homelessness was not something John had ever anticipated. He was raised in a two-parent home and had found a well-paying job after graduating from high school. He worked his way up to middle management and had purchased his own home. Then one day after 15 years on the job he was laid off. Shortly afterward, his house burned to the ground. It was not long before he was living out of his Ford, which was towed away.

“ I will never know what it is like to be black or a woman but I do know what it is like to be a second-class citizen, turned away from a restroom,” he said. “People walk by you as if you are invisible—unless you are in a place they don’t want you. And then you stick out.”

John declined to say where he lives now or how he gets by.

“ John’s story touched my heart,” Joanna Colon, a student. “I never thought he could feel like a minority or end up that way.”

“ I believed the stereotypes,” said Natasha Merenkov, another HCC student. “You know about them being lazy. But now I have a different opinion. I never imagined the nightmare they go through. Now I will say hi and offer a smile.”

“ It made sense for me to invite National Coalition for Homeless,” said Allison Reid, the AmeriCorps/VISTA staff person. “We have a population of students who are affected by homeless. It is part of my job at HCC to build a community to help students connect to social services, like food stamps or Section 8 housing. There are students who have economic problems. We want to make sure our student know how to access the appropriate resources. Hopefully, the help will enable students to stay in school.”

Reid is not alone in her work. The STRIVE club, the Socialist club, the Waiting to Excel club, and the Role Play club have each made their own contributions in honor of National Homelessness and Hunger Month.

From now through November 22, the Role Play Club will be collecting canned food and blankets, which will be donated to local food pantries and shelters. Look for the club’s table around campus.

For more information on the MassPIRG Jefferson Avenue Shelter drive, please call Cavanagh at (413) 552-2115.

Some crunch time advice

Editor’s Note: The following piece was written by Wayne Nelson, HCC learning specialist, to help all of us cope with the anxiety of finals.

“Final exams are approaching!”

Just hearing those words can make our hearts pound faster and our palms sweat. Yet there are proven techniques to prepare for finals and to help us do our best on test day.

• To counter test anxiety, it is important to be well prepared. Begin by asking the instructor what format to expect on the exam. Will it be multiple-choice, essay, short-answer, or a combination of all of these? Will it cover material from the whole semester or just the most recent chapters? Adapt your study plan to fit the type of test expected.

• Prepare a detailed study checklist of what needs to be reviewed. List reading assignments by chapter or pages, dates of lecture notes, problems to be solved.

• As soon as possible, complete any remaining assignments or readings that have not yet been done. This will enable the brain to begin processing the material so you will have an easier time reviewing it later.

• Use a monthly calendar to decide when you will review each item on your study checklist. Be sure to plan study for your most difficult subjects when you are most alert. (Save the other times for light review of easier subjects.)

• Consider using 3” x 5” flash cards to master challenging material. Create practice test questions and tape them so you can listen and quiz yourself while in the car or with your headphones on the bus.
• For especially difficult topics, create a mind map of the topic to see what you can remember. If essay questions are expected, make up your own essay questions and answer them in writing without referring back to the book or your notes.

• As you develop your final exam review plan, be sure to take advantage of the services offered by the Center for Academic Program Support (CAPS) in Donahue 240, the Writing Center in Donahue 238, and the Math Center in Donahue 246. There are tutors and learning coaches available.

• Before the day of the exam, be sure you have planned to get enough sleep, regular exercise, and well-balanced meals. Practice relaxation techniques at home that you can use the day of the test. (HCC’s counseling office may be helpful to deal with excessive test anxiety.) Arrive early at the exam, and prepare your mind with positive thoughts.

A few additional suggestions for the day of the test:

• Read and understand the test directions thoroughly.

• Preview all of the questions before answering any of them.

• Jot down key words, phrases, equations, and formulas immediately (“unload your memory”).

• Estimate the time needed for each section of the test, and be sure to follow your schedule.

• Use all of your allotted time to check over your work. There is no prize for finishing first. Do not be concerned if others finish ahead of you.

Are you expecting an essay test? Special tips for these tests include:

• Begin with the easiest questions to build your confidence.

• Write a topic sentence that repeats the key words of the question.

• Make a mini-outline of your ideas.

• Assume that your reader (the professor) knows nothing about the subject. Explain fully, and support your topic sentence with details showing that you have read the text and remember classroom lectures.

• Check that you have answered the question that is asked and have answered all parts of the question.

• Proofread for spelling and grammar, and make sure that your writing is legible. Appearance counts!

When the test is done, be sure to plan a reward for yourself for all of the hard work. You might see a movie, play a sport, take a shopping trip, soak in the tub, or simply scream, “It’s over, and I did my best!”

From Blue Star to Gold Star: HCC celebrates Veteran's Day

Members of the Barnes Air National Guard were on hand for the Posting of the Colors during the November 8 Veterans Day ceremonies

The HCC community honored current and past war veterans during a moving ceremony, held November 8.

Members of the Barnes Air National Guard began the ceremony with a Posting of the Colors. Past Flotilla Commander Bob Riedl explained that the Veteran’s Day holiday dates back to the First World War, when the armistice ending the armed conflict was signed on November 11, 1918. Reidl also explained the significance of the blue star and gold star flags, often seen hanging in the windows of civilian homes. The blue star flag signifies that that family has a loved one serving in the military. The gold star indicates that the military member of that household has died in combat.

Driving home the poignancy of this transition from “blue star family to gold star family” was HCC Professor Rich Dafoe, who read “A Nation’s Sacrifice, A Family’s Pride”, a poem dedicated to HCC alumnus First Lieutenant Travis M. Fuller, who was killed in combat January 26, 2005. The poem, by Agawam writer Paula E. Provost, describes a mother’s anguish and pride when she learned her son died in Iraq.

HCC student Stephen Stefancik, a Desert Storm veteran, was among those in attendance.

“I’m second generation military. My father (Andrew J. Stefancik) served in Panama for three years and Europe for three years,” he said. “Too often, we let the controversy go too far and we don’t honor those who serve. I’m glad we did this.”

The ceremony concluded with a lone trumpet playing “Taps.”

Vice president candidates visiting HCC

November 14 - 16 three finalists for HCC’s vice president for administration and finance position will be visiting campus, where they will undergo a second round of interviews and meet with the campus community. On the day of each candidate’s visit, the campus community is invited to meet with them in an open forum at 2 p.m. in Frost 309.

The candidates are:

• November 14: Barbara L. Johnson, M.B.A., higher education consultant; previously vice president & treasurer at Carleton College

• November 15: Bryant T. Morgan, M.B.A., director of business services for Greenfield Public Schools

• November 16: William J. Fogarty, M.P.A., town administrator for the town of Wilbraham

Holiday spirit grows on trees

(From left) HCC President Bill Messner, WestMass Eldercare Executive Director Priscilla Chalmers, and Massachusetts Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children administrator Angie Morrell gather in front of the Giving Tree to kick of the 7th Annual Giving Tree campaign.

On November 2 HCC kicked off the 7th Annual Giving Tree campaign with a luncheon reception in Frost 309.

Each year, the Giving Tree campaign provides holiday gifts to the clients of community-based organizations. This year's recipient organizations are WestMass Eldercare, Massachusetts Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC), and Enlace de Familia. Members of the HCC community are invited to remove the mitten-shaped tags on one of two Giving Trees, one located in the library, the other in the main lobby of the Frost Building. Written on these red, purple, and blue tags are gift requests, along with the names, gender, and ages of a gift recipient. Participants in this campaign are asked to purchase the gifts and return them to Vice President of Academic Affairs Lisa Wyatt Ganson, by Dec. 12. There will be another reception, December 15, when all of the gifts are delivered to their recipients.

The Giving Tree campaign was recently recognized by WestMass ElderCare, which presented HCC President William F. Messner with the Tillie Kubik Award during the organization’s 32nd anniversary celebration.

This award has been put on display in the Frost Building lobby, not far from the location of the 2006 Giving Tree.

" Last year HCC collected several hundred gifts,” said lead organizer Lisa Wyatt Ganson, vice president of academic affairs. “I am sure we will be equally successful this year."

Nurses: Find your voice

On Monday, December 11, the HCC community is invited to Frost 309 to hear authors Bernice Buresh and Suzanne Gordon discuss their book “From Silence to Voice: What Nurses Know and Must Communicate to the Public” from 12:15 to 1:45 p.m.

The free talk is the final lecture in a five-part series sponsored by the National Student Nurses Association and Holyoke Community College. It is especially relevant for nurses and nursing students but will also have information that is useful for other professionals.

Buresh and Gordon’s book focuses on a central irony that the two journalists noted while working for such well-regarded publications as The Boston Globe, The Atlantic Monthly Newsweek and The New York Times: the popular media tends to focus on (and quote) doctors, not nurses, when covering medical issues. The authors argue that this “silence” is the result of nurses not having targeted communication skills. Their lecture will focus on teaching nurses (and others) how to develop a “voice” that will advance their professional reputation and career.

Notices

Myriam Quinoñes featured in BusinessWest Magazine

Myriam Quinoñes, coordinator for the HCC Multicultural Academic Services (MAS) program is one of four women educators featured in the November 13 edition of BusinessWest Magazine. The magazine’s “Women to Watch” series profiles women who have excelled in various fields, including law, health care, financial services and education.

Quinoñes was also featured on the Education page of the Springfield Republican on October 30.

Waiting to Excel helps kids charity

Members of the HCC Waiting to Excel Club are seen here with a $1,500 check that the group officially handed over to Wigs for Kids on November 1. The money will allow the charity to create a wig for a needy child who has lost his or her hair due to illness. From left (front row): Melissa Latour, David Mailloux, Rachel Harris, Lisa Batchelor, Lisa Wyatt Ganson, Dorothy Blair, and Kathleen Scholpp (back row): Sharon Cenedella, Jodie Roberts, HCC President William F. Messner, Dan Drexler, and Annette Davis-Harris

On Saturday, November 18, the Holyoke Board of Health and Holyoke Hospital will send staff to HCC to conduct a pandemic training drill, designed to test the city’s response to a public health emergency.

The drill will be held in the main court at the Bartley Center, and will run from about 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. The weight room, locker rooms, and multi-purpose rooms at the Bartley Center will be on a normal Saturday schedule.

Emergency personnel will dispense flu vaccine to Holyoke residents during this drill, so there will be increased traffic to and from the college. Reminders will be sent the week leading up to the drill.

 

 

 

 

Elvis (Again!)

If you can correctly name the Elvis doppelganger in this photo, you will be eligible to win either an HCC umbrella or an HCC windshirt. A drawing from among all correct entries will be done on November 22. You need not be present to win. Just write your guess on a slip of paper, along with your name, phone number and/or email, and hand it in to the secretary in Donahue 101.

Don’t believe anyone who says “Elvis has left the building.” The “Viva! Las Vegas” star, seen in this photo, visited HCC on Halloween.
Or did s/he?

 

 

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.