Press Releases, December 2006

• HCC Visual Art calendar promotes local artists
• HCC’s Bartley Center to install plaque on December 12
• HCC receives $178,148 ENLACE grant for Latino education initiative
• HCC taps nine to receive Emeritus distinction
• HCC Foundation names Ferriter to chairmanship
• HCC announces key dates for new and returning students
• HCC recibe $178,148 de enlace para la Iniciativa de la Educacion Latina
• Graduation comes early for HCC’s Transition students
• HCC course bulletins now available

December 6, 2006

HCC Visual Art calendar promotes local artists

                            Proceeds from the 2007 calendar will support Taber Art Fund

HOLYOKE – If you’ve ever fretted over what to do with all the art once your calendar is history, a new desk calendar produced by the HCC art department has you covered.

Each month in the colorful 2007 HCC Visual Arts calendar is easily converted into a post card – complete with a handy reminder of where the 52-cent postage stamp goes.

Available at Edwards Bookstore in Springfield and the HCC campus bookstore, the 2007 calendar was produced by current and past HCC art students and costs just $8. All proceeds will go toward the Taber Art Fund, which promotes and preserves art on the HCC campus.

HCC graphics student Danielle Carriveau says she designed the calendar with a personal dilemma in mind.

“I like art, but I also like to be practical,” says the Holyoke resident. “When I get a calendar, it’s usually because I like the images, so when I’m done with it, I don’t want to throw it away. But what do you do with the images? With this calendar, you just mail them.”

The full-color desk calendar features paintings, sculptures, woodcuts, and photography from a variety of local artists, including:

• Caleb Colon, whose acrylic-on-canvas images of the Holyoke canal area appear on the front cover and on the April calendar page.
• Springfield resident Alice Dezan, whose woodcut print of an historic Matoon Street home is seen on the December page. An admissions nurse at a local nursing home, Alice has long dreamed of studying art – with good reason! (Alice’s number is: (413) 782-6364)
• Northampton resident Patrick Krok Horton, 19, whose surreal painting appears in September. Horton’s “found object” mask is pictured in the October calendar. (Horton’s number is (413) 214-2522)
• Worthington resident Elizabeth Beattie, 24, an Iraq War veteran whose photography appears on the August calendar. (Elizabeth’s number is (413) 238-4231)
• West Springfield resident Carolyn Nemier, whose untitled painting appears on the June calendar.

December 7, 2006

HCC’s Bartley Center to install plaque on December 12

The installation of David M. Bartley bust is finishing touch!

HOLYOKE – The public is invited to Holyoke Community College on Tuesday, December 12 to celebrate the formal installation of a commemorative David M. Bartley plaque at the HCC athletic center that now bears his name. The ceremony will be held at the David M. Bartley Center for Athletics and Recreation at 3:15 p.m.

Joining the retired HCC president at Tuesday’s ceremony will be current HCC President William F. Messner. The public is invited to enjoy some warm holiday refreshments that will be served in the lobby of the sports complex prior to the Annual Meeting of the HCC Foundation, Inc.

A 1954 graduate of HCC, Bartley served in the Massachusetts State Legislature from 1963 to 1975. He served as HCC president for 28 years before retiring in 2003. Underneath the image on the bronze plaque is an inscription that summarizes Bartley’s humble assessment of his alma mater:

“Four walls with a future.”

The $8.7 million Bartley Center for Athletics and Recreation officially opened its doors in January of 2001. The complex includes a three-court gymnasium, exercise rooms, exercise classes, weight-lifting equipment, cardio machines locker rooms, steam and sauna facilities, and office space.

December 8, 2006

HCC receives $178,148 ENLACE grant for Latino education initiative

HOLYOKE - Holyoke Community College this week announced that it has received a $178,148 grant from the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships (NCCEP) to continue the college’s successful Latino education initiative

Receipt of the grant establishes HCC as a part of ENLACE (ENgaging LAtino Communities for Education), a nationwide network of higher education and community resources for Latino students.

HCC also announced that it has named Isolda Ortega-Bustamante to the newly created position of ENLACE director. A former HCC grant specialist and executive director of the Holyoke-based Community Education Project, Ortega-Bustamante will work with ENLACE Manager Gustavo Acosta.

The Holyoke ENLACE program takes over the reigns from the ¡Avanza! Initiative, which has been bringing together community resources to improve educational pathways and graduation rates for Latinos since 2003. Nationwide, there are 14 ENLACE programs.

Receipt of the NCCEP grant will also allow the Holyoke public schools to hire a new transition and college prep coordinator to work in the city’s middle and high schools.  

December 13, 2006

HCC taps nine to receive Emeritus distinction

Honorees come from throughout the region

On Friday, December 15, Holyoke Community College will honor nine retired faculty and staff at the Second Annual Emeritus Luncheon, to be held at noon in room 217 of the G Building. The media is invited to attend and interview the recipients, who come from Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden counties.

Emeritus status honors distinguished service by retired members of the HCC community. The nine people receiving the 2006 Emeritus distinction were chosen in recognition of their contributions to HCC’s mission, programs, and values.

The 2006 Emeritus recipients (all retired) are Vice President Elaine B. Ironfield; Dean Allen D. Forsythe; professors Edward C. Brown, Winston H. Lavallee, Patricia B. Triggs, and John E. Tyler, Jr.; Coordinator M. Loretta Patterson; Secretary Jeanne M. LaBelle, and the late Dean Philip S. Campbell.

• Elaine Ironfield of South Hadley retired from HCC in 1999, capping a 28-year career at the college. Among other things she taught retail management and business administration courses and oversaw the HCC Foundation, Inc. In nominating Ironfield for this honor, her colleagues called her a “visionary leader and good friend to HCC.”
• Westfield resident Edward Brown retired from HCC in 2001, after teaching biology for 34 years. He also served as the chair of the Anatomy and Physiology Department, and co-chaired the 2000 College Accreditation Committee. In selecting Brown for this honor, his colleagues praised him for developing computer-based learning materials, which are still used in the classroom today. The also lauded him for being a “dedicated faculty member who served the college brilliantly.”
• Biology professor Allen Forsythe of Belchertown retired from HCC in 2002, ending a career that spanned 32 years and several roles, including acting vice president of academic affairs. In their nomination of Forsythe, his colleagues commented on the personal qualities that made him special:  “Forsythe is remembered for his calm and quiet manner. His sense of fairness won him the respect of all those he dealt with.”
• South Hadley resident Winston Lavallee officially retired from his role as biology professor in 2000, but his 34-year tenure at the college did not end there. He has since returned to HCC to work part-time in the registrar’s office. He is remembered not only for his flexibility (he once served as the college’s interim president, and has published a novel) but also for lending “his wisdom and experience to his classes.”
• Nursing professor Patricia Triggs, a longtime Springfield resident, retired from HCC in 2000, capping a 22-year career at the college. She returned to HCC in the fall of 2006 to take over as interim dean of nursing, where her quiet dedication to the job was lauded by her colleagues, who wrote: “Triggs held the nursing profession in the highest regard. She created an environment that was welcoming for all students.”
• John E. Tyler, Jr. of Hadley retired from the position of HCC chemistry professor in 1989. During his 25-year tenure, he earned a reputation as a strong leader by taking on additional duties, including the chairmanship of his department and the assistant directorship of the continuing education department. His colleagues remembered him for “providing outstanding service to his students and fellow faculty members and the college community at large.”
• Millers Falls resident M. Loretta Patterson retired from her position as the conference and scheduling coordinator for the Hospitality Management Department in 1991. In nominating her for this distinction, her colleagues remembered her as “a hard worker who had unflagging grace under pressure.”
• Secretary Jeanne LaBelle of Holyoke retired from HCC’s Facilities Department in 2002, capping a 27-year career at the college. Her colleagues remembered her thusly: “LaBelle’s outstanding skills helped to maintain a steady flow of continuity and professionalism as well as a wonderfully friendly atmosphere
• The late Philip Campbell retired in 1986 after 22 years at HCC.  The former history professor and onetime dean of the college is remembered for his efforts to “set the academic standards and put HCC on track to where it is today.”

December 15, 2006

HCC Foundation names Ferriter to chairmanship

At its December 12 Annual Meeting, the board of the HCC Foundation, Inc., elected Holyoke attorney Maurice Ferriter as its new chairman and inducted four new members to serve three-year terms.

Joining Ferriter in the leadership role are Holyoke resident Sue Ellen Panitch (vice chair), HCC President William Messner, (secretary) and Holyoke resident Jack Doyle (treasurer).

Elected to three-year terms were South Hadley resident Paul Boudreau, an attorney and 1967 graduate of HCC; Holyoke resident Tim Grader, the marketing director for Thornes Marketplace in Northampton; West Springfield resident Beth Mineo, the vice president of private banking at TD Banknorth, and South Hadley resident Corey Murphy, the vice president for First American Insurance in Chicopee.

The Holyoke Community College Foundation, Inc., is a charitable corporation organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  The Foundation exists for the sold purpose of providing support for programs and activities that enhance the quality of education and expand the educational opportunities for students enrolled at HCC. 

December 16, 2006 

HCC announces key dates for new and returning students

HOLYOKE – Holyoke Community College wishes to remind current and prospective students of some important dates in December and January.

• From December 25 through January 1, all HCC offices will be closed, reopening January 2.
• From December 29 through January 7, HCC will suspend access to Banner, the college’s online registration, payment, and financial aid information system. The system will be upgraded and available again on January 8 by clicking on the “MY HCC” page of the college website www.hcc.edu.
• Beginning January 2, walk-in registration and placement testing for continuing and newly accepted students will be available.
• Right now, new student applications for the spring semester are available online (www.hcc.edu) or by calling the Welcome Center, (413) 552-2000. Applications can be submitted via mail, fax, or in person, when the college offices are open.

For more information on any of these dates, please call the HCC Welcome Center at (413) 552-2000.

December 19, 2006

HCC recibe $178,148 de enlace para la Iniciativa de la Educacion Latina

HOLYOKE - Holyoke Community College anunció esta semana que ha recibido $178,148 de el Concilio Nacional para Alianzas entre la Comunidad y Entidades Educativas (National Council for Community and Education Partnerships) (NCCEP) para continuar con la exitosa Iniciativa de Educacion Latina del Colegio. Programa  anteriormente conocido como  ¡Avanza!.

El recibo de estos fondos establece al programa antes conocido como  ¡Avanza!, como una parte de ENLACE ( Enlace con las Comunidades para EDucacion de los Latinos) (ENgaging LAtino Communities for Education), una red nacional de educacion universitaria sostenida con recursos de la comunidad para estudiantes .

HCC ha anunciado tambien  que ha creado una nueva posición en ENLACE, y ha sido nombrada como Directora la señora Isolda Ortega-Bustamante. La señora Ortega-Bustamante se desempeñaba como especialista en fondos en HCC . Tambien exdirectora ejecutiva del programa para el proyecto educativo de la comunidad de Holyoke. Ortega-Bustamante trabajará con el adminstrador de programas, Gustavo Acosta.

El programa ENLACE de Holyoke continuará el trabajo de  Avanza! El cual ha unido organizaciones comunitarias y recursos para mejorar la continuación de la educación y graduación (estimadas  graduaciones) (graduation rates)  de Latinos desde el 2003. Hay 14 programas de ENLACE en toda la nación.

Los ingresos concedidos por  la NCCEP tambien alcanzarán para los Colegios Publicos de Holyoke y para emplear un coordinador especializado en la preparación para la educación universitaria que trabajará en las escuelas secundarias de Holyoke.

December 19, 2006

Graduation comes early for HCC’s Transition students

HOLYOKE - Each semester, while throngs of students around them work diligently to master college-level work, a handful of students in the HCC Transition to College program toil just as hard so that they will one day be able to join the crowd.

On December 15, thirteen of those students got the green light, earning graduation certificates from the Transition to College program. From here, they can move into mainstream classrooms with confidence, says Program Coordinator Elia Dreyfuss.

Now in its fifth year, the Transition to College program helps prepare low-income and other underserved communities for higher education by providing rigorous academic training, bilingual support, and counseling.  

“Close to 50 percent of them have already said they intend to enroll. And some of them have shown dramatic improvements on their Accuplacer (college placement) tests,” says Dreyfuss. “That’s amazing because, when you think about it, these are people who received a GED but may need additional help to be college-ready.”

More than anything, though, the Transition to College Program prepares participants to dream again.

“I always knew there was something good inside me, but, before I knew about this program, I had no idea what I would do,” said Springfield native Steven Budd, 46, a former Transition student who now serves as a program mentor. “When I got to this program, I found that the harder I had to work, the more gratifying it was for me.”

Budd’s own story of triumph served as an inspiration to many of the students who graduated from the program December 15.

A 1978 graduate of Cathedral High School, Budd briefly attended Boston College before drugs and alcohol sapped his drive and ambition. Acutely aware of his potential, Budd nevertheless felt paralyzed by the passage of time and progression of his addiction.

“I needed to understand that I was worth something, that it wasn’t too late to make something of myself,” he said. “And I really needed a good butt-kicking.”

Budd says he got that butt-kicking when he cam to the Transitions program in the fall of 2004. Teachers didn’t look at his past, so he stopped dwelling on it. His classmates were looking for friendship, not self-recriminations, so he learned to stand a little taller.

“I came to the Transitions program because I needed to brush up on my math and English skills. It’d been so long since I did all of that,” he said. “Also, I’m shy and I didn’t know: is it all right to talk? How do I tell people what I don’t know? Because of my background in education, I quickly excelled in math. Then I started speaking up, asking questions…soon I found that we had all become friends.”

Some more than others.

Budd struck up a special friendship with classmate Patricia Drop. The two dated, graduated from the program, and are now Transition mentors. Patricia is now enrolled at HCC, while Steven is getting ready to begin coursework in urban studies at the University of Massachusetts. In October, the couple married.

“Education is freedom,” says Patricia Budd, as she squeezes her husband’s hand. “So, if you are oppressed by a certain condition – an addiction— education can give you the will to do better. That’s what it did for Steve. That’s what it does for lots of people.”

Patricia Budd’s thoughts echo those of Dreyfuss:

“They are an inspirational group who came to us with a lot of trepidation after being out of school for so many years,” says Dreyfuss. “They worked hard – and it shows.”

December 22, 2006

HCC course bulletins now available

HOLYOKE – Current and prospective HCC students are reminded that the college’s spring 2007 course bulletin is now available online at www.hcc.edu and in many public libraries, including those in East Longmeadow, Longmeadow, Hampden, Wilbraham, Agawam, Ludlow, Holyoke and Springfield.

The course bulletin contains scheduling information for credit, non-credit, day, evening, and online courses which will begin the week of January 22. Beginning January 2, HCC will offer walk-in registration and placement testing for continuing and newly accepted students. For more information, call (413) 552-2000.

The offices at Holyoke Community College will be closed from Dec. 25 through Jan. 1, reopening on January 2.