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HCC president responds to MassInc report

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is the text of a letter co-authored by HCC President William F. Messner and STCC President Ira H. Rubenzahl which appeared in the March 4 Sunday Republican. It was written in response to the Gateway Cities report, an analysis of the state’s economic health that was released February 26. Among other things, that report concludes that educational institutions like HCC must play an increasing role in improving the economic vitality of this region. To read that report, please go to the following website:

http://www.massinc.org/fileadmin/researchreports/gateway_cities/gateway_cities_full.pdf

We commend MassInc for its ambitious “Gateway Cities” report, which analyzes the state’s economic vitality through the experience of 11 struggling communities. As the college presidents from two of those Gateway Cities – Holyoke and Springfield – we feel compelled to add some context to the report’s findings.

To fuel economic revitalization in our region, the report recommends a stronger collaboration between Holyoke/Springfield and the University of Massachusetts. Such collaborations, the report says, will help our cities to “anchor revitalization, pursue economic development, and train local workforces.” We welcome this invitation, and hope that our government will back it up with sufficient resources.

We need to recognize that the region’s two community colleges are already working hand-in-glove with UMass to expand educational and economic opportunity. Located in the heart of two “Gateway Cities,” Holyoke Community College and Springfield Technical Community College are the bridge to UMASS, especially for the populations which this report contends are critical to the future of the region.

No formula for economic renewal can overlook this.

Noting that one out of every three immigrants in the Gateway Cities have limited English proficiency, the report calls for an increase in Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English language skills courses. These are the bedrock upon which residents of our cities can build their plans for further education, and, eventually, entry into the middle class. HCC and STCC have long been committed to providing these services, but, as the Gateway Cities report illustrates, the need outstrips our resources.

The opportunity gap that has opened up between our region and Boston is deeply disturbing. It is a gap that can be bridged if we come together to support the strategic partnership between our community colleges and UMass.

- William F. Messner, president, Holyoke Community College
- Ira H. Rubenzahl, president, Springfield Technical Community College

 

Says Who?

If curiosity killed the cat, then there’s got to be a herd of formidable felines roaming this campus.

Only a few of you have sent in your guesses for the February 22 “Says Who?” contest. We don’t want to give this away, but you are forcing our hand. Here’s a photo of our “mystery person” taken when he was a young lad – before his English teacher told him to skip college. (P.S. He went on to earn a masters degree!)

Please send your guess to nmunoz@hcc.mass.edu. A winning entry will be chosen from among all of the correct entries received and will be announced in the March 21 edition of the HCC Connection. The winner will receive a special HCC Gift Pack, which includes a 60th anniversary knapsack and a glow-in-the-dark pen.

Forgot the clues? Click here for a link to the original questionnaire.

"I probably wouldn't advertise it."

For HCC grad Leo Pilares, the words “Cooperative Education” are not educational jargon. They are the words that introduced him to a successful career.

In 2002, the HCC graphic arts certificate student was chosen for an internship with Reminder Publications in East Longmeadow. Within days, Pilares went from toying with graphic arts software to producing professional copy on deadline. A full-time job offer came soon afterwards.

“ It was amazing, actually, because I was in graphics class when Barbara Foster came in, and I knew that getting an internship would be great,” says Pilares, who received his HCC certificate in 2003. “It’s just what I needed.”

In the coming weeks, the HCC Cooperative Education program will, again, be looking for students to sign up for internships in a variety of areas related to their fields of study. The program allows students to earn credits for their internship experience, so the time spent on the job will not slow their progress toward a degree. For more information, call Barbara Foster at the Co-op office at (413) 552-2322.
Pilares is one of many former interns who would urge current HCC students to take advantage of this program.

“ I had wanted to pursue art, but I also had to support my family,” says Pilares, who retired from the Navy in 2000. “So I figured that graphic arts would be a good choice. And it has been.”

Pilares is not alone. Several HCC interns and former students have found a place at Reminder Publications, one of the region’s fastest growing newspapers: Al Villani, ’94, is the graphic arts manager; Danielle Paine, ’02 is a full-time staff writer, Levon Kinney (a former HCC intern) is a paid freelancer, and Alex E. Ross ’07 is currently interning as a staff writer. Managing Editor G. Michael Dobbs says it’s a short distance between internships and permanent employment.

“ It’s one thing to say you want to be a reporter, another to actually do it. The interns learn how to do it, and I have their work to prove it,” he said. “If I had a new position now, I’d give it to Levon because I know what he can do. I probably wouldn’t even advertise it.”

Former HCC intern and current Reminder employee Leo Pilares	HCC student and Reminder intern Alex E. Ross	Reminder Publications Managing Editor G. Michael Dobbs

HCC Lady Cougars go for the gold this month

The Lady Cougars, the 2007 NJCAA Region XXI champions

The HCC Lady Cougars basketball team is poised to compete for the National Junior Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III national title later this month, having clinched the New England title in a two-day match-up on March 3 and 4.

Recently ranked 10th in the NJCAA poll, the Lady Cougars will travel to Utica, New York on March 15 –17 as a part of the Elite Eight, a group of teams that will compete for the national title. The Lady Cougars come into this tournament with an enviable 21–3 record. The team’s first game in Utica will be against the defending national champions, the Lady Mustangs from Monroe College in the Bronx, New York. The Lady Mustangs are currently ranked number one in the NJCAA poll.

The Cougars won the Region XXI (New England) title during a two-day semi-final tournament at HCC on March 3-4. First, they bested the UConn-Avery Point Pointers by a score of 47-36. They then went on to beat the Quinsigamond Community College Lady Chiefs by a score of 62-48.

In related news, the NJCAA Region XXI Basketball Committee on February 26 named three members of the Lady Cougars to the All-New England Basketball Team. Named to the first team were sophomore forward Dominique Finkley of Easthampton and freshman center Erin Russell of Northampton. Named to the second team was freshman point guard Tara Henson of Williamsburg. Head Coach Al Wolejko of Hatfield was selected as the Region XXI Basketball Coach of the Year.

Rufus Reid to headline 10th Annual HCC Jazz Festival

Celebrated New Jersey recording artist Rufus Reid will headline the 10th Annual HCC Jazz Festival, March 30-31. The HCC community is encouraged to attend.

The two-day festival will kick-off in the Leslie Phillips Forum on Friday night March 30 with a concert by Reid and the Amherst Jazz Orchestra. The concert begins at 8 p.m., and tickets will be available at the door. General admission is $10, ($8 for students and seniors.) Members of the HCC community will receive free admission.

Reid will return to the Forum on Saturday, March 31, 4-6 p.m. when he will perform with select high school jazz musicians in a free concert that is also open to the public.

New Jersey-based recording artist Rufus Reid will come to HCC on March 30-31

Also on Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Reid and other music educators will lead a series of jazz workshops, which the public is invited to observe. Jazz musicians from Hampshire Regional, Holyoke, Amherst Regional, Cathedral, Ellington, Enfield high schools will participate in these workshops, which will be critiqued by a panel of music educators. Students tapped to receive honorable mentions by that panel will be announced at the 4 p.m. concert.

For more information on any aspect of the Jazz Festival, please call Deb Golas at (413) 552-2485.

A native of Atlanta, Reid has performed with music legends Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Kathleen Battle, and Andre Previn, to name a few. He has received numerous awards and recognition for his work, including the 2005 Mellon Jazz Living Legacy Award, the 2006 New Jersey State Council on the Arts fellowship, and the Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Award. A noted jazz educator, Reid’s book “The Evolving Bassist” is widely recognized as having set the industry standard for the bass method. It was recently released on DVD.

This two-day event is sponsored by the HCC Music Department, the HCC Music Club, and Gerry’s Music Shop in South Hadley.

CampusBriefs

HCC welcomes Deborah J. Orre

HCC Dean of Nursing Deborah J. Orre

HCC announced March 5 that it has welcomed Deborah J. Orre as the college’s new dean of Nursing Education.

A doctoral candidate at the University of Massachusetts, Orre will take over from Springfield resident Patricia Triggs, a retired HCC nursing administrator who had served as HCC’s interim dean of Nursing Education during the search process.

Orre comes to HCC from Mount Wachusett Community College, where she has served as the dean of Health Sciences since 2001. Prior to that, Orre held positions at Greenfield Community College and at Heywood Hospital in Gardner. She earned her undergraduate degree in nursing from Worcester State College and a masters degree in nursing from Boston College.

SABES and TechPrep come to HCC on March 15

Our regular students will be on break next week, but that doesn’t mean HCC will be abandoned. Hundreds of students, ranging from age 16 to 60 will be on campus March 15 for the SABES “College for a Day” program and for the Tri-County Tech Prep Career Fair. We hope you’ll welcome all of our visitors.

The College for a Day program will host more than 200 Adult Basic Education (ABE) students and their teachers from Hampshire, Hampden, Franklin counties for a day of college classes, educational networking, and inspiration.

ABE students range in age from 16 to 55 and beyond. Many are studying basic literacy, or preparing for the GED test. The program also provides support to English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students. When they visit on March 15, students will sample classes taught by HCC faculty, talk to representatives from HCC support services, and listen to various speakers.

The keynote speaker for the day will be Kenny Taitt, a catering chef at the University of Massachusetts. A graduate of the ABE program and of Holyoke Community College, Kenny will speak to students about his journey from the 1999 College for a Day program to his work for Disneyworld and UMass. His address will begin at around 9:15 a.m. in room G216.

Also on March 15, the college will welcome hundreds of students from 17 area high schools for the 11th Anual Tech Prep Career Fair. The students will converge on the David M. Bartley Center for Athletics and Recreation from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. While there, they will meet employers in the fields of information technology, health, and engineering who will demonstrate some of what these young people may encounter in the work world if they persist in their education and training.

The Tech Prep fair is designed specifically for high school students who have already begun a course of study in one of the targeted careers. Educators will explain how students can gain the needed knowledge for those career paths. Employers and educators will have some fascinating hands-on demonstrations, too. The fair is sponsored by Tri-county Tech Prep of Western Massachusetts, a consortium of educational institutions in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties.

Take Your Kid to Work coming to HCC, April 19

March 23 is the deadline to sign up for the “Take Our Kids to Work Day” event which will be held at HCC on April 19. The goal of this day is to give girls and boys, ages 9-15, first-hand exposure to the workplace and to encourage career development and a positive work ethic. The day will include working side by side with you as well as group activities involving various areas of the college.

If you would like to participate in this event by bringing your daughter, son, other relative, or friend of the family to HCC for the day, please call or email Chris Gosselin-Miller at ext. 2531 or Chris Robarge at ext. 2554, no later than March 23. Space is limited.

They're a little young for classes, but these kids sure did learn a lot when they participated in the Take Our Kids to Work Day in the spring of 2006. To bring your own rug rats to HCC, sign up by March 23.

HCC Star Search highlights talented students

On February 28 eight performers took the stage in the Forum for the first-ever HCC Star Search talent show.

Among the performers were Amy Parker, who did a ballet piece, Jennifer Boucher who sang “Amazed” by Lone Star, and Juan Rivera who rapped to “Love.”

Audience members were asked to vote for their favorite performer. The grand prize, a $50 gift certificate to the Holyoke Mall, went to rapper Victor Rodriguez for “Biblical Concepts,” a rap song that he wrote.

HCC honored at Chamber Breakfast

HCC President William F. Messner was the honored guest March 7 at the Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield breakfast, held at the Sheraton Hotel in Springfield. Chamber members saluted HCC on the occasion of our 60th anniversary.

HCC President William Messner honored at Chamber Breakfast

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 now serves as the site for the UMass Isenberg School of Management Professional MBA program.