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The following is a message sent by Dru Bookout, co-chair for the Council for Community Building, to her fellow committee members:
I want to share the feedback I received from my students who attended Tuesday’s 15 Minutes of Fun. They all agreed that playing with the beach ball and parachute was a blast. One student shared that she had been seriously considering skipping her math class that afternoon. However, she said, “After playing I felt so energized I decided to go to class!” Of course I wanted to immediately get a recorder and tape this wonderful feedback! So… Fun-derDucks – Play on! Thanks for being such a great group and spreading JOY at RLC!
The next Fifteen Minutes of Fun will be a Carnival held on Wed., Oct. 22 at 12:15 p.m. in the East Breezeway. For more information, click here.
Know an outstanding faculty member or student? Give them the recognition they deserve by nominating them for an award.
The Council for Teaching and Learning is accepting nominations for a creative or effective teaching and learning practice. This is an excellent opportunity to recognize faculty (full-time, part-time, credit, or continuing education) who implement innovation in the classroom. Please submit by Oct 1. Nominate a colleague or yourself. Click here for the nomination guidelines. Submit a nomination here. For more information, contact Becky Jones at BJones@dcccd.edu or by calling x6215.
The Council for Community Building invites you to nominate current or former students for the Fall 2008 Student Wall of Honor. Deadline is Oct. 1. This is your opportunity to recognize students with outstanding achievements and those who have made a difference in our community, made academic strides, and succeeded in the face of obstacles. Submit your online nomination form now.
All faculty, staff and students are invited to hear Dr. Matthew Sleeth’s thoughts on this question when he speaks from 10:10-11:05 a.m., Sept. 24 in Fannin Performance Hall. His topic, “Serve God, Save the Planet,” reflects his belief that environmental stewardship is a major responsibility of people of faith. A physician and evangelical Christian, Dr. Sleeth left his position as a hospital emergency room director and downsized his life in order to speak, write, and teach full-time about “creation care.” He has since authored a book and became U.S. Director of A Rocha, an international conservation organization. For more about Dr. Sleeth, click here.
Learn about a rapidly growing movement toward “simple living” through the 2008-09 Conversations series on Voluntary Simplicity, a book by Duane Elgin.
Simple living can include less materialism, stress reduction, sustainable living, locally grown food, spirituality, health consciousness and/or increased “quality time” for family and friends.
The group will meet from 1:45-3:45 p.m. on Sept. 29, Oct. 27, and Nov. 24 in the fall, and Feb. 2, March 2, and April 6 in the spring. Participants in Conversations must commit to attending at least four of the six sessions. Participants will receive a free study copy of Voluntary Simplicity.
Conversations provides a unique opportunity for Richlanders to think together, listen to one another, and address important issues in an inviting, low-stress, mutually respectful atmosphere. Conversations is open to all employees and can fulfill the professional development requirement for third-year employees. To register, call Susie Brown at 972-238-6134.
Join the Richland College Thunderduck team for the annual Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure/Sleep In for a Cure at 8 a.m., Sat., Oct. 18 at North Park Center.
This year individuals who are unable to race, are out of town, or simply want to avoid the crowds have the option to Sleep In for The Cure. The registration fee is the same and allows anyone to make a contribution to the cause.
The cost to register is $30 if done before Oct. 12, after that the cost is $35. Participants (racing or sleeping in) get a t-shirt and packet. Members of the team do not have to be RLC employees. Students are encouraged to join and can receive Service Learning credit for participating.
To join, click here. Click on “Join an Existing Team,” find the Richland College Thunderducks and you will be prompted to start the registration process. Participants have the option to “race” or “sleep in.”
According to its Web site, the Race is in its 26th year, and is part of a national 5K series sponsored by Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The goal of the event is to heighten awareness and education about breast cancer as well as to recognize and celebrate breast cancer survivorship. The Race is also the largest fundraising event for local breast cancer screening, treatment, education and research.
RLC Rooms now has a new Web page to request conference rooms and classrooms for meetings and special events. Included on the page is helpful information on what to do once a room is confirmed, rooms that can not be reserved through the RLC Rooms Web page, a calendar of events for some of the most requested conference rooms, and more. Those who are requesting rooms for credit and CE classes do not have to use this page. For additional details, contact Bethany Wright at 972-238-6061.
Reservations are now being taken for the Richland College Theatre Department production of The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare, directed by Emily Gray. Reservations can be made by calling the Richland College Theatre Box Office at 972-238-3733.
Performances of The Taming of the Shrew are Wed., Oct. 15, through Sat., Oct. 18, at 7:30 p.m. nightly in Fannin Performance Hall. There will be a matinee showing on Thurs., Oct. 16, at 11 a.m.
Tickets will be available for pick up at the box office 45 minutes prior to the start of each show. Any unclaimed reservations will be released to the standby list 10 minutes prior to curtain.
A GREENRichland tip
Reduce the environmental impact from your clothes dryer
While a clothes line is the most eco-friendly way to dry clothes, it’s not practical for everyone. Here are some tips from www.greenlivingtips.com on how to use your dryer more efficiently.
1. Clean the lint filter regularly. A clogged lint filter can extend the drying time, so check often.
2. Don’t overload the dryer. Air needs to circulate easily between the clothes in order for drying to be most effective.
3. Open a window when using the dryer. A closed up laundry room gets very humid and that humid air just gets sucked into the dryer, decreasing its effectiveness.
4. Separate your loads. Heavier items should be dried separately from light-weight clothes.
5. Use the cool-down cycle. Many modern clothes dryers have a this feature which allows the clothes to complete drying with the remaining heat in the dryer.
View more clothes-drying tips here.
Have a global warming action to suggest? E-mail them to greenrichland@dcccd.edu.
Blood Drive
12-7 p.m., Wed., Sept. 24
East Circle
Sponsored by the Health Center. For more information, call 972-238-6135. Donors will receive a free cholesterol test and t-shirt and have a chance at winning a pair of tickets to a Dallas Mavericks or Dallas Stars game. One grand prize winner will win a three-game ticket pack to either a Dallas Mavericks or Dallas Stars game.
“Serve God, Save the Planet,” Dr. Matthew Sleeth lecture
Wed., Sept. 24
Lecture: 10:10 a.m., Fannin Performance Hall
Reception/Q&A: 12:20-1:15 p.m., El Paso Hall, Room 070
Arno Rafael Minkkinen Reception and Book Signing
Thurs., Sept. 25
Lecture: 7-8 p.m., Arena Theater (F108)
Reception and Book Signing: 8-9 p.m., Lago Vista Gallery (Library)
For information about the artist, visit www.arnorafaelminkkinen.org
Faculty Appreciation Week
Nov. 17-21
Fall 2008 Student Wall of Honor Ceremony
10 a.m., Wed. Nov. 19
Crockett Hall
Featured Teaching and Learning Practices Ceremony
11:15 a.m.-12 p.m., Wed., Nov. 19
Crockett Hall
If you have any other events you’d like to have publicized in the ThunderBridge, e-signs, marquees and/or Web Calendar click here.
Emily Gray, adjunct professor of Theatre at Richland College, was selected by the Dallas-Fort Worth Theater Critics Forum for her outstanding performance in 2007-08.
Ms. Gray, one of eight actresses recognized on the annual awards list, was honored for her work in Season’s Greetings!, House and Garden, and Popcorn at Dallas’ Theatre Three.
The Dallas-Fort Worth Theater Critics Forum is comprised of print journalists in North Texas who work primarily in the area of theater criticism. The Forum chooses several favorites in each category, without singling out a winner.
Ms. Gray says she honored to receive the award and to be able to share her expertise with aspiring actors.
“I love teaching the Richland students because it constantly keeps me fresh and open to new ideas,” she says. “The young actor is a sponge and seeing people discover new ways of doing things or suddenly succeeding gives me so much joy. I love what I do as an actor professionally and being able to share that joy with young people is a double joy. Besides I’m not very good and stopping and sitting still!”
Kenya Gabriel
Title: Department Assistant I
Department: ACCESS
Amber Westmoreland
Title: Senior Academic Advisor
Department: RCHS
Tatiana Matyushina
Title: Accounting Clerk C
Department: Business Office
Craig Ramsey
Title: Senior Rehabilitation Specialist
Department: Disability Services
Tony Fears
Title: Accountant
Department: Business Office
To: Various Thunderducks
From: Susan Wehe, WLCC
Dear MGRF – Thanks for all you did to support the visit from Cari Clements, Lindsey Morse, Quito the parrot, and the white-feathered red-tail hawk of Natural Encounters, Inc. For sponsor and ad support: David Henry and GREENRichland, Mitzi Werther and Emeritus, Bobbie Harrison, Wilfred Manyango, and Jay Wooldridge of SPAR, Suzy Hogue for putting in the info to Emeritus book seconds before print deadline. For room support: Jennifer Owen – for believing in this and not being scared of bird products, for your crew, thanks! For audience support: AECI/ILC profs – Anne Savidge, Phyllis Williams, Mercy Fernandez, Ludmila Smith, Scott Branks, Ronda Glasser, Cathy McDade, and my team – teacher Danielle Plauche and our great students. To unknown folks for cleaning up the sunflower seed and peanut shells from the stage – thank you all.
*More Thanks, Thunderducks . . .
Hello Dr. (Bob) Mims,
I just wanted to take a minute to thank you, for the wonderful time I had while attending your lectures. The way you lecture, really had a significant role throughout my learning experience. I’ve been attending college for the past 2 years, and so far this has been the greatest class I’ve taken. Not only I learned a lot about geology, the universe, animals, lifeforms, geography, and so on, but I also learned to feel good about myself. What I thought would be another class to drop, became the most affordable to conquer. The way you teach was increasingly making me feel good about myself. Overall I had a feeling of “Yes I CAN do it”. . . .
David Edlund
*Thanks Thunderducks and Letters now has its own special page. If you would like for a letter of thanks to a fellow T-duck to appear there, please use this new, convenient online form. Letters from outside Richland may be e-mailed to anitracotton@dcccd.edu or hard copies may be forwarded to the Information Services office. Thanks!
Mary Frances Gibbons’ (Institutional Effectiveness) mother passed away on Wed., Sept. 10. Services were held in Huntsville, Texas.
Patricia Benter’s (College Communications & Marketing) mother, Mary Benter, passed away on Fri., Sept. 19 in a Dallas hospital. Service to be held in the Clear Lake area are pending.
Richland College kicked off another school year at it’s 2008 Convocation program, held Aug. 22 in Fannin Performance Hall. The day was packed with awards for faculty and staff, new employee recognition, a video presentation, and keynote speaker, Dr. David T. Abalos of Seton Hall. Highlights of the day’s events are pictured in the slide show above.
2008-2009 Convocation Award winners:
Administrator of the Year Award
Ron Clark, Vice President for Business Services
Jean Sharon Griffith Student Development Leadership Award
Fred Martinez, School of Human and Academic Development
Innovation of the Year Award
Instructor/Course Profiles Team: Leslie Wendling, Mark Murray, Audra Barrett, Dan Dao, and Randy Jensen
Excellence in Teaching Awards
Full-Time – Dr. Fred Newbury, Economics
Adjunct – Anna Gann, ESOL
Continuing Education – Amber Reedy, Health Professions
Associate Faculty – Matt Hinckley, Journalism
Richland College will partner with KERA to present “A Dream in Doubt,” a community film screening and panel discussion on the first hate-based murder in the wake of September 11, 2001. The event will be held in Richland’s Fannin Performance Hall at 7 p.m., Sept 9.
The documentary touches on a hate crime that occurred four days after the 9/11 attacks. Balbir Singh Sodhi was gunned down at a Phoenix-area gas station by a man named Frank Roque. To Roque, Balbir Sodhi’s beard and turban—articles representing his Sikh faith—symbolized the face of America’s new enemy. Seeking retaliation for 9/11, Roque killed Sodhi and went on to shoot at a Lebanese American man and fired multiple rounds of ammunition outside an Afghan American family’s home. The film follows Rana Singh Sodhi, Balbir’s brother, as he attempts to fight the hate threatening his family and community.
For more information about the film, click here. Contact Carole Lester at 972-238-6110 or CLester@dcccd.edu about the screening. Download flyer.
Students may make appointments for non-crisis situations by contacting one of the counselors directly, visiting the Counseling Office (E088, 972-238-3771) or calling the Richland Health Center at 972-238-6135. More information regarding Counseling Services can be found here.
Journalism faculty member Tonya McMillion was featured in an issue of DART’s “In Motion” magazine. Read more here.
A GREENRichland tip
Gas Saving tip: Look at alternative transportation options — even if it’s just for one or two days a week. Walk, bicycle, carpool or take public transportation and leave your vehicle at home.
Have a global warming action to suggest? E-mail them to greenrichland@dcccd.edu.
September 2008
Van-Anh Do
Continuing Education/Workforce Training
An excerpt from a congratulatory letter from Dr. Mittelstet:
Dear Van-Anh:
Congratulations on being selected the Richland College Outstanding Employee for September 2008. Your award is well-deserved recognition of the exemplary service you have provided Richland College.
As a valued member of our Continuing Education registration staff, you are top notch when it comes to customer service. Your main priority is student success, whether making sure your information to students is always current and correct or not leaving at the end of the day until each student has been served. Because of your bi-lingual skill, students whose first language is Vietnamese seek your help with the registration system and enrolling in the correct classes. Always with a professional demeanor, you are calm and understanding even when challenging situations are involved.
Meeting Professional International-Dallas/Fort Worth (MPI D/FW) Chapter presented several Richland College Travel, Exposition and Meeting Management (TEMM) program staff and faculty members with industry awards.
On June 6, the Colleen Rickenbacher Leadership award was given to TEMM instructor Jim Monore. At the June 26th MPI D/FW Awards Gala, instructor Bill Reeser received the Lifetime Partnership Award and TEMM advisory board member Elizabeth Chandler received the President’s From the Heart Award. The Planner of Year award, which is the highest honor given by the D/FW Chapter, was presented to TEMM program director M.T. Hickman for her leadership and lifetime achievement in the travel and meeting industry.
MPI D/FW is an affiliate of Meeting Professionals International, the world’s largest association of meeting industry professionals with 24,000+ members in 80 countries with 69 chapters globally. The D/FW Chapter currently ranks as the 6th largest chapter in the world with over 950 members.
Laura Moguel
Title: Student Services Specialist
Dept.: Multicultural Center
James Thomas Jr.
Title: Testing Assistant
Dept.: Human And Academic Development
Betty Trueblook
Title: Instructional Support Specialist
Dept.: WLCC
Derrick Logozzo
Title: Director of Instrumental Music
Dept.: Humanities
Vicki Mayhan
Title: Faculty- Art
Dept.: Humanities
To: John Carmichael, Academic Advising
From: Susan Wehe and Ann Moy, WLCC
Thank you for making a special presentation of your “Juggling For Life” talk to our ESOL Learning Community class. Since many of our students work, and your regularly scheduled presentation was not during our class time, you agreed to make the additional effort to come to our class on a Friday morning and show us how juggling relates to life. I was so pleased when one of the shy, quiet students said, “There is a deep meaning in this,” in response to your lesson that “The toss is everything, the catch is nothing.” You grabbed their interest, and you got them all juggling! Thank you.
*More Thanks, Thunderducks . . .
Richland College,
I sincerely wish to express my appreciation to Caren Tate. It was so rewarding to have a telephone call and welcoming introduction from this instructor.
I sincerely appreciate the honor.
Anthony C. Mathis Sr.
*Thanks Thunderducks and Letters now has its own special page. If you would like for a letter of thanks to a fellow T-duck to appear there, please use this new, convenient online form. Letters from outside Richland may be e-mailed to anitracotton@dcccd.edu or hard copies may be forwarded to the Information Services office. Thanks!
Pablo Pascal (WLCC) welcomed son Arturo León Pascal on Aug. 16 at 7 lbs. 9oz., and 20″ long.
Carole Lester’s (Academic Enrichment Programs) mother, Mrs. Lucille Littman, passed away Saturday, Aug. 10 in Spokane, WA following a lengthy illness. A memorial service was held on Aug. 14 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Spokane.
• What’s on the DCCCD Board of Trustees meeting agendas?
Click here.
• What’s on the DCCCD Board of Trustees meeting agendas?
Click here.
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