Press Releases, September 2007

Economic Forecasting Series comes to HCC
First installment, Sept. 18, 7:45 a.m. at Kittredge Center
September 5, 2007 

HOLYOKE – Community and business leaders are invited to Holyoke Community College's Kittredge Center on Tuesday, September 18 for "Modeling Change for Urban Communities," the first in a four-part economic forecasting series sponsored by HCC, the Greater Holyoke Chamber of Commerce, and the Bank of Western Massachusetts.

The breakfast meeting will run from 7:45 to 10:30 a.m. Tickets are $20 and they should be reserved by Sept. 17 by calling the Kittredge Center at (413) 552-2500 or by calling the Chamber at (413) 534-3376.

Headlining the Sept. 18 breakfast will be James Stergios, executive director of the Pioneer Institute, Barry Bluestone, the executive director for Northeastern University's Center for Urban and Regional Policy, Holyoke Mayor Michael Sullivan, State Senator Michael Knapik, and Alan Blair, president of the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts.

The economic forecasting breakfast series will help businesses and communities plan ahead for anticipated growth, challenges, and opportunities. Future program topics include: global trade, information security and assurance, and changing education pathways.

About the speakers...

James Stergios
Prior to joining the institute, James Stergios was chief of staff and undersecretary for policy in the Commonwealth's Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, where he chaired the Water Policy Task Force, and drove the secretariat's efforts on land protection, smart

growth, and regulatory and permit reform. He spearheaded urban revitalization strategies and the development of Commonwealth Capital for the Office for Commonwealth Development. His earlier career included university teaching experience, development projects, and founding and managing a small business. Stergios graduated summa cum laude and holds a doctoral degree in Political Science from Boston University.

Barry Bluestone
Dean, School of Social Science, Urban Affairs, and Public Policy; and Director of the Center for Urban and Regional Policy, Northeastern University Barry Bluestone is Northeastern University's dean of Social Science, Urban Affairs, and Public Policy and director of its Center for Urban and Regional Policy. He has also held positions at the University of Massachusetts at Boston and Boston College; and has served as a member of the senior policy staff of Congressman Richard Gephardt, Democratic Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives; executive adviser to the Governor's Commission on the Future of Mature Industries in Massachusetts; and is a founding member of the

Economic Policy Institute. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Among the nine books Bluestone has authored are: (coauthored with Bennett Harrison): The Deindustrialization of America, The Great U-Turn: Corporate Restructuring and the Polarizing of America, and Growing Prosperity: The Battle for Growth with Equity in the 21st Century.

Winona LaDuke to speak at HCC Oct. 9
Former vice presidential candidate, 1997 Ms. Magazine Woman of the Year
September 10, 2007 

HOLYOKE – Reservations are now being accepted for "Environmental Justice: A Native American Perspective" a free talk by noted activist Winona LaDuke, to be held at Holyoke Community College on Tuesday October 9 at 11 a.m.

Reservations should be made by October 2 by calling Student Activities Coordinator Vivian Ostrowski at (413) 552-2418 or by emailing vostrowski@hcc.mass.edu (put "LaDuke" in the subject line.) The talk will take place in the Leslie Phillips Forum of HCC's "C" building. Anyone with a disability that may require accommodations should call (413) 552-2417 by October 2.

Since graduating from Harvard University in 1982 with a degree in rural economic development, LaDuke has blazed a trail for the environment, Native American rights, and women's issues. In 1996 and 2000, the Green Party nominated her to serve as its vice presidential candidate, where she campaigned alongside noted consumer advocate Ralph Nader. The mother of three children, LaDuke is also the author of one novel Last Standing Woman (1997), and two non-fiction books, All our Relations: Native Struggles for Land and Life (1999), and Recovering the Sacred: the Power of Naming and Claiming (2005).

For more information about LaDuke's talk or to arrange an interview, please contact the HCC Office of Marketing and Public Relations at (413) 552-2183.

Free MCAS prep class offered at HCC
September 18, 2007 
HOLYOKE – Holyoke Community College is offering a free MCAS preparation course for anyone who is (or was) scheduled to graduate with the high school classes of 2003-2009. The class will run 5:30 - 8 p.m., from October 1 to November 7.

Classes are open to anyone who has not yet passed the 10th grade MCAS test. Classes will feature one-on-one tutoring in math or English, free books and materials, travel reimbursement and bus passes, and the use of HCC's athletic center and library. There will also be help for those who want to pass the College Placement Test and apply for financial aid.

Acceptance into this class is on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, call (413) 552-2387.

HCC to host "Education Under Occupation" author
September 21, 2007
HOLYOKE – The public is invited to Holyoke Community College's Picknelly Dining Room on Thursday October 18 for a free luncheon and talk by Pierre W. Orelus, author of "Education Under Occupation: The Heavy Price of Living in a Neocolonized and Globalized World." The luncheon begins at 12:30 p.m., and reservations are requested by October 10 by emailing Camille Close at cclose@hcc.mass.edu or by calling (413) 552-2277.

A native of Haiti, Orelus is an adjunct English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor at HCC and is pursuing his doctorate at the University of Massachusetts. His book is available for $39 at the HCC Bookstore and online Amazon.com. There will also be copies of the book available for sale and for signing at the October 18 luncheon.In his book, Orelus critically analyzes the ongoing and wide-ranging effects of colonialism and globalization on the poor, especially on those living in the "Third World." The author's overarching argument is that colonization was not merely about the conquest of foreign lands, but it was also about the ideological monitoring of the colonized's mind, often maintained through western hegemonic texts and institutional apparatus, such as schools and churches.

Orelus received his first formal education in an old church building in his native country. When he was 11 years old, he moved from the countryside to Port-au-Prince, the country's capital, with his older siblings. Orelus finished high school at the age of 22 and attended college when he was almost 23 years old. Although he is the youngest child in his family, he was the first one to finish high school and attend college.

Orelus's talk is the first in HCC's 2007-2008 Authors@HCC series, a program that regularly highlights published HCC faculty and staff. Upcoming events include a Nov. 8 talk with American history faculty Elise Tripp, author of "Surviving Iraq: Soldiers' Stories" ($18, Olive Branch Press) a compilation of first-person narratives from soldiers (some of them HCC students) who have returned from the current war in the Middle East.

Orelus to speak at HCC on October 18, 2007
September 24, 2007 
HOLYOKE – The public is invited to Holyoke Community College's Picknelly Dining Room on Thursday October 18 for a free luncheon and talk by Pierre W. Orelus, author of "Education Under Occupation: The Heavy Price of Living in a Neocolonized and Globalized World." The luncheon begins at 12:30 p.m., and reservations are requested by October 10 by emailing Camille Close at cclose@hcc.mass.edu or by calling (413) 552-2277.

A native of Haiti, Orelus is an adjunct English as a Second Language (ESL) instructor at HCC and is pursuing his doctorate at the University of Massachusetts. His book is available for $39 at the HCC Bookstore and online Amazon.com. There will also be copies of the book available for sale and for signing at the October 18 luncheon.In his book, Orelus critically analyzes the ongoing and wide-ranging effects of colonialism and globalization on the poor, especially on those living in the "Third World." The author's overarching argument is that colonization was not merely about the conquest of foreign lands, but it was also about the ideological monitoring of the colonized's mind, often maintained through western hegemonic texts and institutional apparatus, such as schools and churches.

Orelus received his first formal education in an old church building in his native country. When he was 11 years old, he moved from the countryside to Port-au-Prince, the country's capital, with his older siblings. Orelus finished high school at the age of 22 and attended college when he was almost 23 years old. Although he is the youngest child in his family, he was the first one to finish high school and attend college.

Orelus's talk is the first in HCC's 2007-2008 Authors@HCC series, a program that regularly highlights published HCC faculty and staff. Upcoming events include a Nov. 8 talk with American history faculty Elise Tripp, author of "Surviving Iraq: Soldiers' Stories" ($18, Olive Branch Press) a compilation of first-person narratives from soldiers (some of them HCC students) who have returned from the current war in the Middle East.

HCC Dean speaks at international conference in Portugal
September 25, 2007 

HOLYOKE – Holyoke Community College Dean of Science, Engineering and Mathematics, Xin-Ran Duan was a featured presenter this month at the International Network of Engineering Education and Research (INEER) conference in Portugal.

Educators from 58 countries attended the conference, which was held in Coimbra, Portugal on Sept. 2-7. Duan, a Holyoke resident, presented a workshop "A Proposed Model Curriculum for Pre-Engineering Degree Programs" in which he outlined a 68-credit curriculum that seeks to maximize the success of engineering students who transfer from a community college to a four-year institution. Duan was also one of just 47 conference attendees who were asked to contribute to INEER's annual publication "World Innovations in Engineering, Education, and Research." His contribution to that publication was a chapter entitled "The Required Knowledge and Skill Competencies for CAD and Design Engineering Students."

"This was a great opportunity for me to represent HCC and to upgrade our engineering program," said Duan of the conference, which attracted educators from more than 80 colleges in the United States. "HCC has a good tradition for teaching this subject, but we need to attract more engineering students. There is a great need for trained engineers."

A native of China, is a graduate of Xi'an Jiatong University. He holds a masters degree in mechanical engineering and a PhD in higher education administration. In addition to his membership in numerous educational and science organizations, Duan was recently named by NASA as its HCC liaison for the Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium. That consortium provides unique research and internship opportunities with NASA for ambitious engineering students.

Becker exhibit comes to HCC Sept. 24 - Oct. 18
Taber Gallery will feature the art of Fred and Jean Morrison Becker
September 5, 2007 
HOLYOKE – The public is invited to HCC's Taber Gallery now through October 18 to view "Gifts of the Soul for Everyday People" a collection of paintings and prints by the late Fred Becker and Jean Morrison Becker.

The artists' daughter, Carla Becker, will be the featured speaker at the exhibit opening, Oct. 3, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

A native of Oakland, California, Fred Becker, the son of a silent film actor, relocated to New York City in the 1930's when he began studying architecture. He later enlisted with the Graphic Arts Division of the Work Progress Administration, a Depression-era program designed to fight unemployment. He later relocated to Amherst, Massachusetts where he taught art at the University of Massachusetts until his retirement in 1986.