Stay informed of all the news and events at Holyoke Community College. Along with publishing the latest headlines in a variety of online publications, HCC’s Department of Marketing and Public Relations also maintains a news archives.

In the Heart of Conflict: Trying to Live a Normal Life in Abnormal Circumstances
David Horovitz, author and editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post, Israel’s largest English-language daily, will speak at HCC on Tuesday, March 23, 12:30-1:45 p.m. in the Kittredge Center, PeoplesBank Conference Center. The event is free and open to the public.


Winning approach puts LISA club on top.
Believing that no gift was too small helped the LISA club raise the largest amount for Haiti in HCC’s campus-wide fundraiser.

Exploring sustainable modes of food production, students in the new Sustainable Agriculture lab class are cultivating an organic vegetable garden, the first of its kind at HCC.

Free class helps adults prepare for college & careers
Interested in college and a good career, but need help getting ready? Holyoke Community College and the Community Education Project offer a free course to help adult learners prepare for college. The course, which consists of 12+ class hours a week plus extensive mentor/tutor hours outside of class, runs April 5– May 28. Space is limited — register now!

Are you addicted to fashion? Is style always on your radar? Whether you’re dreaming of starting your own business or just want to meet other fashion-focused students, HCC’s new Fashion Club is for you!

Human rights activist Rance A. O'Quinn will talk about growing up in the segregated south during the era of Emmett Till, the tragic murder of his own father, and how that led him to commit his life to human rights. O'Quinn will be at HCC Thursday, March 11 at 10 a.m. in Frost 265. The event is free and open to the public.

The premiere of a work by pianist Elissa Brill Pashkin and the spirited and eclectic repertoire of The Back Bay Guitar Trio are among the delights offered at A Classical Faculty Showcase Concert, Sunday, March 7, at 3 p.m. in the Leslie Phillips Theater.

HCC Organizes to Help Haiti
Two events on Wednesday, March 3, are aimed at helping survivors of the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti. "Rise Up for Haiti," a performance featuring Artists for Justice, will take place at 11 a.m. in the Leslie Phillips Theater. Wednesday evening, students and staff will participate in a Camp Out for Haiti fundraiser. join us!

Raising money for Haitian relief and a local food pantry, business students do good while polishing their business skills.

A pen pal project connecting HCC’s Adult Learning Center students with high schoolers in a tiny Texas town has turned into more than a lesson on basic writing skills

HCC Women's Basketball finished the season with an impressive 18-6 record. Ranked 7th in the nation in team defense, the Cougars also ranked 29th nationally in scoring. Great work, Cougars!

“There is power talking openly and honestly about sex. I’m glad to help people reclaim it,” says sexologist Megan Andelloux. Ready for a sex-positive talk about pleasure and your body? Andelloux will be at HCC Wednesday, February 24, at 11 a.m. in the Leslie Phillips Theater.

From bruised knuckles to smiles, universal design principles transformed HCC’s Office for Students with Disabilities and Deaf Services from uncomfortable to accommodating.

HCC student Jeffrey Gilmartin struck the right chord with his idea to make customized yet affordable guitar pedals. Gilmartin is the recipient of this year's Kittredge Center Mini-Grant.

The HCC Foundation presented a $20,000 grant to the Northampton Community Education Consortium (NCEC) to help Hampshire County’s first comprehensive community learning center open its doors to the region’s adults and families.

Chuck Stern: Artworks 1985-2010
A reception and gallery talk features the work of artist Chuck Stern, Wednesday, February 10, 11a.m. – 1 p.m. (talk begins at noon), at the Taber Art Gallery. The exhibit runs through March 4.

HCC student represents community colleges on state board
A second semester liberal arts major and parliamentarian for the Student Senate, Liam Hogan is also getting an education in higher ed assessment—and will help reshape student learning at public institutions across the Commonwealth.

The HCC community is organizing to alleviate suffering in our community and around the world. Student Activities is collecting contributions for the people of Haiti...and Holyoke. Your support is needed.

Academic advisors must be knowledgeable about everything from degree requirements to financial aid, career options, transfer, and support services. To acquire this knowledge, in-service trainings are offered each semester. On January 20, the teachers were the students as HCC’s Academic Advising Task Force hosted “All About Advising.”

Culinary Arts Duo Sweetens Open Pantry Benefit
Thousands of area residents turn to Open Pantry for asistance each year. HCC's Jill Burckhardt and Caitlin Basler '07 pitched in to make a benefit for the benefactors a sweet success.

A breakfast to honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will take place Friday, January 15 at 8 a.m. in the Kittredge Center for Business and Workforce Development at Holyoke Community College. Sponsored by the Holyoke Council for Human Understanding, HCC, and the NAACP, this year’s event will feature keynote speaker Helen Caulton-Harris, Director of Health and Human Services for the City of Springfield. RSVP to reserve a seat.

Free class helps adults prepare for college & career paths
Interested in college and a good career, but need help getting ready? Holyoke Community College and the Community Education Project offer a free course to help adult learners prepare for college. The course, which consists of 12+ class hours a week plus extensive mentor/tutor hours outside of class, runs February 1 – May 14. Space is limited — register now!

Selected from a national pool of thousands of candidates, Holyoke Community College Professor Dean Nimmer was named this year's recipient of the Distinguished Teacher of Art Award by the College Art Association.

Led by Counselor Kathleen Keough, students in the New Directions and Pathways programs banished end-of-semester pressures and turned the Elaine Marieb Center into a No-Stress Zone.

Though now famous, Harlem Renaissance era writer Zora Neale Hurston died in relative obscurity. Her niece, Lucy Anne Hurston has spent a lifetime compiling a detailed knowledge of her aunt’s life and work. The author of Speak, So You Can Speak Again: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston, Lucy Hurston spoke on the HCC campus on Dec. 11 as part of the The Soul of a People: Writing America’s Story lecture series.

HCC’s transfer success featured in Chronicle of Higher Education
In an article entitled “Holyoke Community College Builds on its Transfer Tradition,” HCC was spotlighted inthe December 14 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Two recognized for outstanding leadership
HCC’s Pathways Program Coordinator Irma Medina and Vice President of Student Affairs Doreen M. Larson were the recipients of awards for leadership in student affairs administration.

A Wall of Remembrance outside FR 262 challenges viewers to reflect, and memorializes those killed as a result of anti-transgender hatred or prejudice.

Inspired by book, LC reunites to hear author
Members of the spring 2009 Learning Community, "The Immortality of the Revolution," were so taken with the book, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, they traveled to CT for a reading by author Junot Diaz.

Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and classic Beatles’ love tunes? The HCC Players show you how it's done on Nov. 19, 20, and 21 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 22 at 2:30 p.m. in the Leslie Phillips Theater.

Unveiling the Middle East: The Faces of Oman and Jordan
In the summer of 2009, Professor of ESL Rubaba Matin received a prestigious Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Program award, enabling her to travel to and study life in the countries of Oman and Jordan. On Tuesday, November 17, at 2:30 p.m. in KC 301, Matin will present Unveiling the Middle East: The Faces of Oman and Jordan. Her cultural, social, and historical overview of these countries will include special emphasis on the role of women in these Muslim societies. All are welcome.

HCC's Learning Communities program was recently spotlighted by the League for Innovation in the Community College, an international alliance of more than 800 institutions that serve community colleges worldwide.

The Nellie Mae Education Foundation has awarded an $80,000 grant to the ABE Transition to College & Careers (TCC) program, a collaboration between Community Education Project (CEP) and HCC. The program helps under-prepared students enter and succeed in college programs that lead to occupations in fields that pay family sustaining wages.

Robotics course outcomes highlighted at conference. Professor and Dean of Science, Math and Engineering Xin-Ran Duan delivered a robotics course presentation to educators from around the globe at the 2009 Informational Conference on Engineering Education & Research in Korea.

Another win for Women's Soccer
Sunday's outstanding performance won HCC the Region XXI Championship. This Saturday at noon, the team faces Genesee at HCC for a place in the Final Four. Come show your support!

Helping non-traditional women students achieve success has earned New Directions the respect of peers in education...and a nomination for the 2010 Bellwether Award for outstanding and innovative programs and practices among community colleges.

Spread some joy. Really. The Giving Tree campaign helps make the holiday season a little more joyful for clients of Western Massachusetts Eldercare, Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, and Homework House.

Ludlow Area Adult Learning Center director Kermit Dunkelberg was honored on Oct. 22 as "Administrator of the Year" by the Massachusetts Coalition for Adult Education Network at their annual conference in Marlborough.

Nursing Success program gives students a leg up
For many students, the introduction to nursing is fast and furious. The weekly curriculum includes six hours of lab work, twelve hours of clinical training, and four hours of class time. The college's Nursing Success program helps students meet the challenge.

Gov. Deval Patrick unveiled plans to build a high performance computing center in Holyoke at a ceremony Oct. 21 in the Kittredge Center for Business and Workforce Development on the HCC campus.

Don't Trash MASS
HCC MassPIRG students set up an eyecatching geodesic dome on the upper courtyard, and invited students to join in working for a zero waste future for Massachusetts.

A new program for Springfield adults who speak English as their second language and are looking for job training and job placement help will begin Nov. 16 at HCC's Ludlow Area Adult Learning Center. Funded by the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County, the course will focus on training preparation in Green Jobs, health care, precision manufacturing and early childhood services.

National Coming Out Day
Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students, faculty, and staff and straight allies came out in celebration and support of LGBT people as part of National Coming Out Day. The event, held in the HCC Courtyard during Activity Period, was part of what has become an international day of action for LGBT rights.

Information Security Conference at HCC
Increased internet security, the widespread use of surveillance cameras, and state laws that require businesses and institutions to better protect the confidentiality of their information were among the issues addressed at the Information Security Conference held Oct 16 in the Leslie Phillips Theater at HCC.

The chamber music ensemble Alturas Duo will perform their unique blend of South American and classical music on Wednesday, October 14, 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., in the Leslie Phillips Theater. Carlos Boltes and Scott Hill have received acclaim for bringing together the unusual combination of the viola, charango, and guitar.

Open this fall, HCC's new Media Arts Center is the only place in Western Massachusetts where students can access sophisticated digital equipment and instruction without being in the major.

Amy Lantigua's hard work and stellar moves earned her the title of NJCAA DIII Player of the Week. Lantigua scored a hat trick against STCC on September 23, then added two goals and four assists against Bristol on September 26 to earn this recognition.

Delegates from the Oman Ministry of Education were at HCC on September 30 as part of a trip to examine educational guidance and career counseling in the United States.

Starting this fall a new AA degree option, Sustainability Studies, will prepare HCC students for careers in sustainable living in fields such as health and safety, energy and climate change, environmental research and engineering, public policy and law, resource conservation, corporate social responsibility, urban planning, and political science.

Deaf Awareness Week at HCC
The last full week in September is the International Week of the Deaf, also known as Deaf Awareness Week. It is a time to celebrate the culture, heritage, and language unique to deaf people of the world.

Join us for HCC's Deaf Awareness Week Celebration on Wednesday, September 23.

Visit our library showcase and learn more about Deaf culture and sign language. We'll have a display with videophones and some cool wax handshapes.

Join us for a panel presentation from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., in C111, moderated by Deaf Studies Chair Claire Sanders.

Dine and sign at the Silent Pizza Gathering from 5 to 6 pm in G 217 (cafeteria). Please be sure to RSVP (csmalley@hcc.mass.edu) so that we order enough pizza!

Soul of a People
HCC Professor Dr. Maura Henry will deliver a presentation on the people, music, life, and times of the Works Progress Administration(WPA) era as part of the launch of Soul of a People: Voices from the Writers’ Project, on Wednesday, September 23, from 1-3 p.m. and 4-7 p.m. at Wistariahurst Museum. The first in a series of events sponsored by Holyoke Community College Library and Wistariahurst Museum, Soul of a People tells the story of the WPA Writers' Project, drawing from the life and work of authors such as Zora Neale Hurston, and from the recently released film Soul of a People: Telling America's Stories.

The event will begin with an open forum of surviving members of the Civilian Conservation Corps who will talk about their experiences. The later portion will feature a 1930s atmosphere with live music, exhibits, food, and displays containing pieces from the museum’s paintings, textiles, manuscripts and object collections. Attendees will be able to view excerpts of the documentary throughout the course of the day. Mark your calendar for the full series of events.