The Student Team and Academic Recognition System (STARS) award ceremony, honoring outstanding student and group achievements from spring and summer 2013 terms, was held Thursday, October 17, 2013.  Presenters Giles Lee, Director of Co-Curricular Activities; Amber Justice, Student Government President; Libby Villavicencio, Executive Director of the Hocking College Foundation; Judy Bowie, Registrar; and Hocking College President Dr. Ron Erickson honored the recipients.

The English as a Second Language (ESL) students received the "Most Outstanding Contribution to Community" award for their work with the Soles 4 Soles Project.  The ESL students volunteered their time to collect shoes, under the supervision of instructor Carla Ryan, and donate them to the national organization that provides them to victims of natural disasters or those subject to poverty in such countries as Jamaica, Haiti, Honduras, Tanzania, Costa Rica and India.  This award recognizes a project that made a positive impact on campus or community life.

Bowie presented a second award for "Most Outstanding Contribution to Community" to students in the Fitness Management program for their work with Special Olympics.  These students donated their time and efforts to help with the Special Olympics event management.

Villavicencio presented the Hocking Woods Nature Center with the "Green Award," for their Spring Equinox Program.  Students from the School of Natural Resources worked hard to create a program open to campus and community, providing interactive, hands-on programs for local children to experience the joys and wonders of nature on the Spring Equinox.  This award recognizes outstanding efforts in the area of education of sustainable, renewable and environmental issues or the implementation thereof.

The Culinary Arts program students received the "We Are One Hocking Award for Cross-Cultural Understanding" from Dr. Erickson for their "Dine Across the World Program."  The award honors outstanding efforts in the area of cross-cultural education and community unification.

Students who were named to the Dean's List and Scholar's List were also honored at the ceremony for their achievement.

Kathy Pittman, English faculty member, has been recognized by Inside Higher Education for her outstanding work with student success.

Pittman has attended workshops hosted by Ohio's student success center, where she gave various speeches on how to improve student success. She also led a discussion at a center-sponsored symposium where she described for her peers how she teaches remedial English to fire science students by using material that relates to their work - known as "high-interest material."

This lesson can apply to instructors at other two-year colleges around the state, even if they are not teaching fire science students, according to Pittman.

Hocking College is proud to have one of their faculty recognized as a national example of modeling student success. Read the entire article at Inside Higher Ed.

The Hocking College Art Gallery is currently featuring a photography exhibition that includes work from Hocking College students and alumni, along with a faculty mixed-medium exhibition. A closing reception for the exhibition will be held on Friday, October 25 from 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. in the gallery, located at 30 Public Square in Nelsonville.

This event is part of Nelsonville's Historic Square Art District's Final Friday activities.  

The photography exhibition features several Hocking College alumni and students in the Art, Design & Marketing Program. The faculty mixed-medium exhibition features glass, ceramics, photography and painting. Work from art faculty Brian Alloway, Theresa Cress, Ann Judy, Mark Hackworth, Mark Lombard and Mike Walker is featured.

The exhibition continues through November 8, 2013.

As previously included in Verbatim, the AEP rebates received due to upgrading our campus lighting have been used to fund exterior building and directional signs on main campus. The new directional signs will be installed this week, and the building signs over the next few weeks.  The confusion caused by no building identification will soon be a thing of the past!

Faculty and staff are invited to attend a potluck in Oakley 210 on Thursday, October 31 from 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. There will also be a costume contest and people can contact Mindy Roggow with questions. Participants do not need to know how to cook to participate in the potluck. Paper products, drinks and chips are always needed.

The Drug and Alcohol Prevention group on campus is partnering with Hocking College to host the Athens Alternative Halloween. The event will be held on Saturday, October 26 at 7 p.m. in the Hocking College Student Center. Movies, pizza and drinks will be available. This is a drug and alcohol free event designed for students who do not wish to go to Athens for the block party. Students are reminded that although the block party can be fun, each year, a number of Hocking College and Ohio University students get arrested there.

Athens will also host events during the week of Halloween. Honey for the Heart is a larger-than-life puppet workshop geared toward creating a family event for Athens Halloween. This parade takes place on October 26. There will also be a Hutchison Horse Drawn Wagon Tour through the Ridges and an Athens Zombie Fun Run and Walk.

Nelsonville will hold an alternate personality costume contest as part of Final Fridays on the Square. Cash prizes will be awarded.

On November 10, 2013 at 1:30 p.m., Ohio University will host the famous Color Run.

The Color Run is known as the happiest 5K on the planet. During this 5K, runners pass through four different color zones while color is thrown on them. There is also music and a finish line festival. Costumes are encouraged; most runners wear all white and end up in a multitude of colors.

Get $5 off registration by entering the code COLORHOCKING. Register at www.thecolorrun.com.

The Hocking School of Music, in conjunction with the Broadcast Production and Engineering program, will present the fourth annual Lunchtime Concert Series on Tuesdays in October and November. They will take place in the Light Dining Hall, starting around 11:15 a.m.

• October 22 - Wampum and solo artist Chris Baker
• October 29 - No show
• November 5 - The Foster's and solo artist Jon Rose
• November 12 - Black Vice
• November 19 - Air Method with Hocking College alumni Manny Gonzalez
• November 26 - TBA 

Watch the performances live on Ustream at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/lunchtime-concert-series.  

Adjunct Social Services faculty member Chrissy Ward is planning a 5K Neon Run called "Coming Out of the Dark" to help stamp out the stigma surrounding getting help with mental illness and addictions.

The first organizational meeting is Thursday, October 31 at 12 p.m. in Room C of the Hocking College Student Center. Contact Chrissy Ward with any questions.

As a reminder, the Hocking College Board of Trustees will hold their monthly meeting Tuesday, October 22, 2013 at 6 p.m. at Hocking College Logan Campus.

Hocking College will host Every Child Ready to Read sessions on Thursday, October 24. There are two sessions available, 11 a.m. or 1 p.m.

Every Child Ready to Read is a workshop for parents and caregivers
of children from birth to age five. Get free books, learn easy ways to
promote language development, and get started preparing young
minds to be ready to learn to read when they get to school.

This program is open to all Hocking College staff and students. Contact Nate Perez at 740.753.6537 with any questions.

In celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness month, the School of Nursing and the School of Allied Health are holding activities in Davidson Hall to recognize this health issue.  

Five gift baskets filled with some great items will be raffled.  Tickets are $1 each or six for $5 and can be purchased from Marlene Hook in DVD 217, or Darlene Tipple in DVD 309. The proceeds will go to the "Nurses for a Cure" Relay for Life Team. The gift basket drawings will be held on Wednesday, October 30.  

There is also a wall outside the Bookstore to post a ribbon in memory of any person who has died from cancer or to honor a survivor - any cancer, not just breast cancer. Although it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, those who are diagnosed with other cancers are included to increase awareness of all types of cancer. There will also be giveaways throughout the next two weeks. Come get your Pink Ribbon!! 

A woman has a 1 in 8 chance of being diagnosed in her lifetime and more than 40,000 women and men will die of breast cancer in 2013. Read more cancer facts here.

Also in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Hocking College Horse Club is selling hand-forged pink horse shoe ribbons to raise money for their club.

Cost is $3.00 for one ribbon or $5.00 for two ribbons. To purchase, contact one of the Horse Club officers or Leah Phillips. For more information on the Horse Club, visit their Facebook page.

The focus of the October 23, 2013 Employee Learning Day will be "Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes." All offices will remain open and all non-faculty employees will report to their regular work assignments.

Dr. Bridges, Joe Wakeman and Bonnie Smith will visit each school during the day to discuss the importance of assessment in improving curriculum and instruction. Faculty will participate in the following three assessment related activities:

1. Update of Success Skills Curricular Map
2. Update of Program Outcome Curricular Map
3. Completion of an assessment report for academic year 2012-2013 utilizing data collected during the past academic year. Programs and areas of study that did not collect data for the 2012-2013 report will identify the criteria that will be used for assessment and data collection during academic year 2013-2014.

Reporting forms will be made available by the dean of each school. Completed reports will be due to Dr. Bridges by the spring semester Employee Learning Day.

A caucus of presidents representing boards of education in Athens, Hocking and Perry counties will meet to appoint two new members to the Hocking College Board of Trustees. Interested candidates must reside in Athens, Hocking or Perry counties. Perry County candidates are especially encouraged to apply.
 
The application deadline is Thursday, October 31, 2013. A letter of interest and resume should be sent to Nancy Vandeman, Office of the President, Hocking College, 3301 Hocking Parkway, Nelsonville, OH 45764.

 
Sign up now for the Hocking College Indoor Triathlon and Weightlifting Competition on Saturday, November 16, 2013 in the Hocking College Student Center. Download the registration form here.

On November 7, 2013 the Eleventh Annual Weightlifting competition will be held. Download the registration form here.