MWCC's Weekly e-newsletter

Friday, December 10, 2004

TESTIMONY AT STATEHOUSE TO FEATURE WORK OF MWCC’S MOLLY BISH INSTITUTE

By Lea Ann Erickson

Massachusetts Campus Compact Executive Director Barbara Canyes plans to focus on the story of the creation of the Mount Wachusett Community College Molly Bish Institute for Child Health and Safety as part of her testimony to the Public Higher Education Task Force Monday, Dec. 13 at the Statehouse.

“We think the story of how this project developed from the volunteer work of one student which grew into a much-needed initiative exemplifies what civic engagement and service learning should be,” said Canyes about her upcoming testimony. Her testimony is part of a public hearing scheduled for 4 p.m.

MWCC student Roberta Rodger began volunteering her time distributing Child I.D. kits with John and Magi Bish in 2002. Molly Bish was abducted and murdered while serving as a lifeguard in Warren. Since their daughter’s death, John and Magi have distributed over 90,000 I.D. kits—but they wanted to do more to keep children safer. They approached MWCC President Daniel M. Asquino, and he offered to have the college host an institute dedicated to providing children and parents with hands-on learning experiences designed to promote child health and safety.

MWCC applied for and secured a Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA grant and due to the incredible commitment of 2003-4 VISTA Emily Ball, hosted over 1,000 children and parents at the first annual Molly Bish Kid Expo on the Gardner campus last June. The event featured demonstrations on child self-defense (RAD KIDS), distribution of free bike helmets, a search dog demonstration with the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, an Internet safety demonstration, UMASS Memorial Medi-Flight landing, a fire truck tour, a bike raffle, a car seat raffle, a visit from Smokey Bear and Scratch from the Worcester Ice Cats as well as music, food and entertainment. In addition, a variety of information on health and safety was available to parents.

Thanks to state Sen. Stephen Brewer, the college was able to secure additional funding to support the important work of the Molly Bish Institute for Child Health and Safety. U.S. Congressman John W. Olver as well as Senators Brewer and Robert Antonioni serve on the Molly Bish Institute Advisory Board.

Other Board members are: Co-Chairs John and Magi Bish and President Asquino, MWCC Board of Trustees Chair Jay Davis Drake, Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Juvenile Court Martha P. Grace, Massachusetts Board of Higher Education Chancellor Dr. Judith I. Gill, Massachusetts Community Colleges Executive Director Janice Motta, Colonel Thomas J. Foley, formerly of the Massachusetts State Police, State Police Major Mariann McGovern, President and Chief Executive Officer of Heywood Hospital Daniel P. Moen, Fallon Community Health Controller Todd Bailey and MWCC Early Childhood Education Chair Dr. Rosanne Morel.

“The college is deeply grateful to both Campus Compact and to Senator Brewer in everything they have done to support our efforts to fully engage our students as part of our Decade of Civic Engagement initiative,” said MWCC President Daniel M. Asquino.

Massachusetts Campus Compact is a membership organization of college and university presidents leading Massachusetts institutions of higher education in building a statewide collaboration to promote service as a critical component of higher education. It believes that through sustained and creative student, faculty and institutional involvement in community service, higher education realizes its most noble goals of educating citizens, preparing tomorrow’s leaders and contributing to the life of America’s communities.

RECEPTION CELEBRATES FOURTH ISSUE OF LIFE’S ‘TAPESTRIES’ ANTHOLOGY

	Donna Caruso

By Kimberly B. Caisse

About 25 people attended the Lifelong Institute for Enrichment’s reception at the Colonial Hotel in Gardner celebrating the publication of its fourth issue of “Tapestries,” an anthology of writing by people age 50 and older, on Friday, Dec. 10. A handful of them read their published pieces.

“If your piece is in the magazine, kudos to you,” said Lorraine Wickman, curriculum developer for the Lifelong Institute for Enrichment (LIFE). She received over 1,200 submissions. Sixty-two authors are represented in this year’s issue.

Wickman and Pat Consentino, “Tapestries” editor, chair of the LIFE advisory board, presenter at the annual Wachusett Writers’ Conference and LIFE’s writing and poetry instructor, took turns introducing the readers.

Donna Caruso read her “Letter to a Palestinian Woman,” in which she describes her Native American family’s struggle with racism, forced separation and the reconnection with their past. She also is the author of “The Wild Turkeys of Fitchburg.”

Lari Smith, editor of the New England Poetry Club’s “Writ” and a former classical singer, read “Song of Myself,” her poem about the sudden loss of her ability to sing.

	Lari Smith

Wickman shared “Changes,” her poem about resisting change, “encouragers” of change and fulfilling change. She read a poem by Rene Pellitier, a wheelchair-bound resident of Leo P. LaChance Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing whose essay “Going To and Living in a Nursing Home” recounts how his unhappiness with moving into a nursing home evolved into an appreciation for it allowing him to do things he couldn’t do by himself at home.

Bob Collén read his “Spooked,” a folk tale about a fisherman possibly hearing Hessian ghosts while fishing the Middle Branch of the Swift River.

Former state Sen. Robert Wetmore, who takes Consentino’s poetry course, read four of his poems—“Collision at Sea,” “Resting Place,” “Hiding Place” and “Without Commitment.” “I’m honored to have my work included among the likes of Marge Piercy,” Wetmore said afterward.

Wetmore, who is the chairman of the Forest & Wood Products Institute at MWCC, then was presented with a picture of Mount Tulley by Consentino from the poetry class. It was done as a gift for his office in the new Robert D. Wetmore Center for Innovation in Design, Technology and Resource Development, which houses the institute’s offices.

Copies of “Tapestries” are available for $5. For more information, contact Wickman at (978) 630-9176.

Campus Events:

• The Mount Wachusett Community College library will be open extended hours the next two weekends to help students prepare for final exams. The hours will be Friday, Dec. 10 from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 11 from noon to 4 p.m., Friday, Dec. 17 from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 18 from noon to 4 p.m. For more information, call the library at (978) 630-9125.

• Get your tickets now for performances of the comedy “Inspecting Carol” on Friday, Dec. 10 and Saturday, Dec. 11 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. in the Theatre at the Mount. Mix together a struggling theater company, a tired production of “A Christmas Carol,” a really bad actor and a visiting inspector for the National Endowment for the Arts, and you end up with an off-the-wall holiday farce. Everything that could possibly go wrong does as a fictitious theater company struggles to mount their annual production of the holiday classic. Bad theatre has never been this much fun before! For information and reservations, call the Theatre at the Mount box office at (978) 632-2403, or purchase tickets online at http://theatre.mwcc.edu.

• Slots are still available for most of the Fitness & Wellness Center at MWCC’s annual baseball and pitching clinics. The age-appropriate baseball clinics will run on Sundays Jan. 9, Jan. 16, Jan. 30, Feb. 27, March 6 and March 13 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Each session is limited to an enrollment of 32. The cost is $45 per player. There is still room in the pitching clinic for children 13 and up that will be held on Sundays March 20 and March 27 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Enrollment is limited to 20. The cost is $25 per player. For more information, call the center at (978) 630-9212.

• Theatre at the Mount will hold auditions for Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” on Tuesday, Dec. 14 and Wednesday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. sharp in room 182 at MWCC. Those who audition are asked to prepare a short vocal selection (accompanist provided), expect to be taught a short dance combination and to wear appropriate clothing and footwear. For more information, contact Professor Gail Steele at (978) 630-9162 or visit the Theatre at the Mount website at http://theatre.mwcc.edu.

• The MWCC Health Science Division will host the second annual Practical Nursing Pinning Ceremony on Monday, Dec. 20 at 7 p.m. in the Theatre at the Mount. About 20 students, who have successfully completed MWCC’s practical nursing program, will receive pins and certificates recognizing their completion of the certification program. For more information, call the Health Sciences Division at (978) 630-9265.

• The Greater Gardner Community Choir will present a holiday concert at MWCC on Sunday, Dec. 19 at 4 p.m. The theme of the concert will be “A Season of Glorias.” Tickets for the concert will be available at the door for $5. Senior citizens will be admitted at no charge. For additional information, contact Professor Gail Steele at (978) 630-9162.

• Register now for the Fitness & Wellness Center’s annual golf lessons, which begin the week of Monday, Feb. 28. Directed by PGA Professional Mike Egan, the lessons include individual instruction and video analysis. Participants can bring their own clubs or use the center’s. Beginner lessons will be held Mondays and Thursdays at 7:15 p.m. Intermediate classes will meet Tuesdays at 7:15 and 8:15 p.m. and Thursdays at 8:15 p.m. Advanced lessons will be held on Mondays at 8:15 p.m. The cost is $85 per session; fitness center members are eligible for a 10 percent discount. For more information, call the center at (978) 630-9212.

• Theatre at the Mount will hold auditions for the children’s musical “Honk! Jr.” by appointment only on Monday, Jan. 17 at 10 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. Director Sharon Asher, music director Bill Asher and choreographer Nicole Couture are looking for a large cast of children and teens (age 8 to 18) with singing, dancing and acting ability. “Honk! Jr.” is a contemporary re-telling of Hans Christian Anderson’s classic story, “The Ugly Duckling.” To schedule an appointment, call the Theatre at the Mount box office at (978) 632-2403, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., or e-mail your appointment request to box-office@mwcc.mass.edu. Auditions—consist of singing, dance/movement and cold readings from the script—will be held in room 182 at MWCC. Performances of “Honk! Jr.” are Thursday, March 31, Friday, April 1, Wednesday, April 6, Thursday, April 7 and Friday, April 8 at 9:30 a.m.; April 1, 6, 7 and 8 at noon; and Saturday, April 9 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tentative rehearsal schedule is Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings. For more information, contact Professor Gail Steele at (978) 630-9162 or visit the Theatre at the Mount website at http://theatre.mwcc.edu.

Lea Ann Erickson
Director of Community Relations
Mount Wachusett Community College
Phone: (978) 630-9322
Fax: (978) 630-9561
cell: (508) 517-5202
l_erickson@mwcc.mass.edu

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