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Friday, Jan. 9, 2009
The Blue & White is published weekly for St. Petersburg College employees and interested visitors. It is designed for you to be able to scan the headlines quickly. If you are interested in an article listed below, click on the link and you will be directed to that article. You can also view the paper version locations or the printable pdf. Calendar items with a specific deadline are marked with an *.|
Calendar notes Board of Trustees
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Graduation sets record The ceremonies marked the largest fall graduation in college history. Graduation coordinator Kim Corry said 526 students participated in the programs. Last fall 431 students participated. The previous record was 500, Corry said. Because of a college bowl game at Tropicana Field, an alternate site had to be selected. |
Disabled veteran perseveres to earn degree
Ana Tocasuche-Gonzales was 28, a little older than most people who go into the Army. Still, she felt the experience would do her good – perhaps give her the discipline and direction she felt her life needed.
She got all that, and more, specifically, a severely injured foot that left her permanently disabled.
That injury, and the recovery she endured following complicated reconstructive foot surgery, left her somewhat discouraged about her future. But it didn’t stop her from finishing her degrees at SPC in Healthcare Infomatics and Health Information Management, maintaining an A average along the way.
Now 36, Tocasuche-Gonzales made her way across the stage with the help of a cane Dec. 20 to accept her degrees.
She said her 5-year-old son motivated her to stay in school and maintain a high grade-point average.
“He gives me strength,” she said. “When I was going through my darkest times I made a promise to myself that I would finish my degree before my son was 5 years old, and I accomplished that.”
Tocasuche-Gonzales expected to be sent to a war zone when she joined the Army. But a fall during training resulted in her severe foot injury.
“Two years ago they did reconstructive foot surgery, and that left me in a wheelchair for a long time,” she said.
Tocasuche-Gonzales had already enrolled at St. Petersburg College and was taking all of her courses online. She said her professors expected her to drop out when she had her surgery, but she did not. Instead, she worked hard to maintain her high grades.
“At first it was easier because my son was little and I was not working,” she said. “But later, when he got a little bigger and I started working for the Veterans Administration, I had to make time for work and school as well as for my husband and son. But when you manage your time, you can do anything.”
Tocasuche-Gonzales has been employed by the VA for several years, but she started a better job there on Jan. 5, thanks to her new degrees.
Even though she faced many challenges, Tocasuche-Gonzales said she enjoyed her experiences at SPC.
“Everyone there was very nice and helped me very much,” she said. “I learned a lot. My professors where great.”
McLeod named associate provost of HEC
Greg McLeod is the new associate provost of the Health Education Center, succeeding Dolores Teter, who retired recently.
Previously, McLeod was Manager of Collegewide Student System Support, working with a team that provides functional support for the PeopleSoft student system in many areas including admissions, registration, advising, course and faculty management, and special programs. In addition, he provided administrative and technical support for collegewide testing (a role he will continue in the interim while balancing his associate provost duties).
“We’re pleased that Greg is at HEC because he brings a wealth of experience and knowledge that will be very helpful to the staff and students,” said HEC Provost Phil Nicotera.
McLeod’s career at SPC began in 2004 when he served as the Instructional Development Coordinator for the Title III grant program. His duties included supervising Title III site coordinators, designing and developing professional development related to developmental studies, and facilitating student life skills instructor credentialing and training.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to work with the great staff here in supporting our wonderful students,” said McLeod, who has taught math from middle school through community college levels. “This is a great chance for me to directly help students again. I feel I have something to contribute, yet plenty to learn.”
McLeod earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill before working as a program manager and trainer for a corporate firm.
He earned a master’s degree in education from North Carolina State University and has worked with programs such as Upward Bound, Project Uplift and Talent Identification.
McLeod also has experience in health care – he had an internship as a research lab assistant at the University of North Carolina Hospitals and volunteered in a nursing home in his hometown of Raeford, N.C.
Today, McLeod, husband of Beverly and father of Jordan, 5, and Kyla, 3, is a doctoral candidate at Barry University, and plans to graduate in the fall.
McLeod, who is African-American and Korean and has traveled extensively, says his background and experiences will help him better identify with many of today’s students.
“I think working in higher education is a great calling because of the impact you make in people’s lives as well as society at large,” McLeod said.
Foundation launches profile on DoGood Channel
Just a quick note to let you know that the SPC Foundation has a shiny new profile on the Do Good™ Channel .
What’s so great about our DoGood™ profile?
- It’s FREE advertising for St. Petersburg College.
- A partnership with the St. Petersburg Times, the DoGood™ Channel is live on Tampabay.com, which boasts a monthly readership of more than 2.5 million visitors.
- It has social tools built into is, making it easy for you to share what you discover with friends, family and colleagues (i.e. e-mail to friends, post on Facebook or MySpace, bookmark on del.icio.us, Digg, etc.).
So, do a good thing and help us spread the word.
College wins FACC awards
St. Petersburg College received six awards during the recent 59th Annual Florida Association of Community Colleges (FACC) Convention in Orlando, including:
- Distinguished Service Award Winner – Dolores Teter (retired).
- Unsung Hero Award (St. Petersburg College Chapter) – Tammy Cappleman
SPC’s Institutional Advancement department also won four Awards of Excellence through FACC’s Institutional Advancement Commission, including:
- First place, Feature Article in a College Produced Publication (Information Specialist Bill Frederick’s story about EpiServices Custodian Long Nguyen.)
- Second place, Future Student Web pages
- Second place, Radio Advertising
- Second place, Television Advertising
Dolores Teter will serve as 2009 Secretary/Treasurer for the FACC Retirees Commission.
Clearwater’s Sarah Weber gets presidential recognition
Sarah Weber, a staff assistant for the MAP Center at the Clearwater Campus, recently received a certificate of appreciation from President Bush for her volunteer work at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
Weber said she has been volunteering at the aquarium for the past 19 years. She is involved in the rescue and rehabilitation of sea turtles.
Weber said she didn’t know how President Bush came to be aware of her volunteer work. She received a certificate and a pin bearing the presidential seal during a recent Christmas party at the aquarium.
“Some of the other volunteers at the aquarium received similar recognition, too,” she said. “I didn’t know anything about it in advance.”
Weber has worked for the college since May.
Sign Language instructor receives national recognition
Beth Carlson, Communications and Sign Language Interpretation Program instructor at the Clearwater Campus, will receive an Instructional Technology Council award for her blended course, Structure of American Sign Language – the first such honor for the Sign Language Interpretation Program
She will be honored during the ITC Awards for Excellence in eLearning at a special recognition luncheon in February in Portland, Oregon.
“To be recognized for the endeavor of developing this course is tremendously rewarding,” Carlson said.
Carlson said that even though it is difficult to produce and deliver material for the interactive learning of a visual language, the content of this particular course lends itself quite well to the blended environment.
“As anyone who has developed online course material knows, the interplay between design and delivery is a very fluid process, not unlike a face-to-face course,” Carlson said. “However, because the content in an online or blended course gets temporarily fixed in space, at least for the duration of a semester, there is more of a challenge to keep the presentation consistent but flexible.”
The course includes signed video, signed and narrated tutorials, reviews of in-class lectures (delivered in American Sign Language) through PowerPoint, discussion forums, student video blogs or “VLOGs”, group projects, article summaries, quizzes and “for fun” practice.
And to ensure she is properly reaching her students, Carlson’s course has several student learning surveys so she can take advantage of immediate feedback on the content and delivery of the material.
Alumni luncheon Jan. 21
This year's Alumni Luncheon: Our Country, Our Community, Our College, will be Wednesday, Jan. 21 at noon at the Government Institute Conference Center on the Seminole Campus. The conference center is located at 9200 113th St. N., adjacent to the Dennis L. Jones Seminole Community Library.
This year's keynote speaker is James Sirmons, 2008 outstanding alum. Take part in an exciting new scholarship program called STAR. For every $10 donated, you'll have a chance to have a scholarship named after you or your family. Don't forget your checkbook!
Save time for an optional tour of the Seminole Campus after the luncheon.
The cost of the luncheon is $15. RSVP by Jan. 15 by calling 727-341-3363.
Meeting Notices
The St. Petersburg College Foundation, Inc. will have a Finance and Investment Advisory Committee meeting on Jan. 22 at 9 a.m. at the District Office of St. Petersburg College. This meeting will be to consider routine business.
The Education & Outreach Committee of the Board of Directors for the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art will meet on Thursday, Jan. 22, at 1:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Auditorium, and the Collections Committee will meet on the same day at 3:30 p.m. in the Associate Curator & Registrar’s office. The purpose of these meetings is to discuss general business.
Memorial service for Tony Capasso
A memorial service for Tony Capasso is scheduled for Feb. 8 at 9:30 a.m. at the Hospice House Woodside. Capasso, 79, was a longtime bus driver for the college who died Thanksgiving Day.
Cultural Corner
This weekly column features arts and entertainment events presented by St. Petersburg College and its partners. NEW items are noted for your convenience.
Discounts Palladium: Faculty, staff and students receive a 10 percent discount to all shows produced by the Palladium or its partners at the Palladium. |
Continuing through March 29
St. Petersburg College: Legacy of Leadership, St. Petersburg Museum of History, 335 Second Ave. NE, on the approach to the Pier. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. $12 general, $9 senior and student, $7 ages 7 to 17, ages 6 and younger free.
Jan. 9-11
Florida Orchestra Masterworks Concert: “Petrushka with Puppets,” Stefan Sanderling, conductor, with the Bits ‘N Pieces Puppet Theatre, 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Morsani Hall, and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11, Ruth Eckerd Hall. $19- $65.
Sunday, Jan. 11
Opera video: A Life for The Tsar by Mikhail Glinka, 1:30 p.m. Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art Auditorium. Free.
Friday, Jan. 16
Heissler Organ Series: Paul Jacobs, 7:30 p.m. St. Petersburg College Music Center, St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus. General admission $15. No reserved seating. SPC staff and students free with ID.
Jan. 16-18
St. Petersburg Opera: The Merry Widow, Franz Lehar's lighthearted operetta presented in English and fully staged with a professional cast and orchestra. Artistic Director Mark Sforzini, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 16-17, 2 p.m. Jan. 18. Palladium. $20-$46.50.
Saturday, Jan. 17
Opening Reception: It's a Dog's Life: Photographs by William Wegman and Sanctuary: Anna Tomczak Photography, 7-9 p.m. Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art. Free for members, $10 guests.
Jan. 18-April 12
New exhibits: It's a Dog's Life: Photographs by William Wegman and Sanctuary: Anna Tomczak Photography, Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art, Tarpon Springs. Admission: $5 adults, $4 seniors, free for children, members and students. Sunday admission free for all.
Sunday, Jan. 18
Lecture: History and Future of Polaroid Photography, with Barbara Hitchcock, Cultural Affairs Director for the Polaroid Corporation. 3 p.m. Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art Auditorium. $8 members, $10 non-members.
Jan. 20-Feb. 6
SPC Faculty Art Exhibition, Crossroads Art Gallery – Clearwater Campus.
Reception: Feb. 4, 6-8 p.m. Free.
Friday, Jan. 23
St. Petersburg College Piano Concert Series: Cory Hall, solo recital, 7:30 p.m. St. Petersburg College Music Center, St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus. Free.
Friday, Jan. 23
Social Event: Little Black Dress Night - Pants Welcome: Women and men are invited to bring business cards and/or marketing materials to network with other professionals. 7-9 p.m., Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art. $15. For information or reservations, contact Michelle Weyant at 727-712-5210 or weyant.michelle@spcollege.edu.
NEW - Friday, Jan. 23
Side Door Jazz: Mindy Simmons Trio, a tribute to Peggy Lee, 7:30 p.m. Palladium. $20
Jan. 23-25
Florida Orchestra Masterworks Concert: “Pictures at an Exhibition,” Peter Rosel, piano, Stefan Sanderling, conductor, 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Ferguson Hall, 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, Mahaffey Theater; and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 25, Ruth Eckerd Hall. $19- $65.
Jan. 23-Feb. 15
King Hedley II, by Pulitzer Prize-winner August Wilson, 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 3 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays. American Stage Theatre, St. Petersburg. $31-$39.
NEW - Saturday, Jan. 24
Too Smooth Productions: ‘When Loving You is Hurting Me!’ stage play, 7:30 p.m. Palladium. $31- $42
Monday, Jan. 26
Band of the USAF Reserve, 7:30 p.m. Palladium. Free.
NEW - Tuesday, Jan. 27
Side Door Brown Bag Series: Lunchtime concert with Judith Alstadter on piano, noon. Palladium. Bring lunch – beverages provided. $10.
Jan. 29-31
St. Petersburg College Jazz Festival with the Helios Jazz Orchestra, Jan. 29; Manigua & O Som Do Jazz, Jan. 30; and The Sue Terry Quartet, Jan. 31. 7:30 p.m. nightly, Music Center. $10 donation/admission nightly.
Thursday, Jan. 29
Florida Orchestra Coffee Concert: “Great Brits,” Alastair Willis, Conductor, 11 a.m., Mahaffey Theater. $24- $40.
Friday, Jan. 30
The Florida Orchestra Performs the Music of Pink Floyd, Brent Havens, guest Conductor. 8 p.m., Mahaffey Theater. $35-$85.
NEW - Tuesday, Feb. 3
Encore 2009 Chamber Series: C’est Magnifique!, featuring Quartet-de-minaret. Dessert and discussions with the artists follow concert. 7:30 p.m. Palladium. $10-$20.
NEW - Wednesday, Feb. 4
Dar Williams, with opening act Joshua Radin, 7:30 p.m. Palladium. $27.50
NEW - Thursday, Feb. 5
Side Door Jazz: Kenny Drew Jr. Trio, presented by the Al Downing Tampa Bay Jazz Association. 7:30 p.m. Palladium. $20
NEW - Friday, Feb. 6
St. Petersburg College Piano Concert Series: Rev. Sean Duggan, solo recital, 7:30 p.m. St. Petersburg College Music Center. Free.
NEW - Friday, Feb. 6
Palladium Pipes Series: Nathan Laube, 7:30 p.m. Palladium. $12-$22.
NEW - Saturday, Feb. 7
Keyboard Conversations: Chopin for Lovers!, Jeffrey Siegel, pianist, 7:30 p.m. Palladium. $15-$25.
NEW - Saturday, Feb. 7
Dance video: The Sleeping Beauty by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, 1:30 p.m. Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art. Free.
NEW - Sunday, Feb. 8
Opera video: A Night in Venice by Johann Strauss, 1:30 p.m. Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art. Free.
NEW - Tuesday, Feb. 10
St. Petersburg College Jazz Band Concert, 7:30 p.m. St. Petersburg College Music Center. Free.
NEW - Saturday, Feb. 14
Valentines and Stardust: An evening of romantic American standards
featuring Randy Carmichael, son of legendary composer Hoagy Carmichael and an acclaimed pianist and singer. A romantic buffet dinner is offered before the concert. 6 p.m. dinner, 8 p.m. show. Palladium. Dinner $25. Concert only, $15, $20, $25.
NEW - Tuesday, Feb. 17
Side Door Brown Bag Series: Lunchtime concert with Judith Alstadter on piano, noon. Palladium. Bring lunch – beverages provided. $10.
NEW - Feb. 18-March 6
Photography Show, Crossroads Art Gallery, Clearwater Campus. Reception: March. 4, 6-8 p.m. Free.
NEW - Thursday, Feb. 19
Side Door Jazz: Nate Najar with Cynthia Sayer, 7:30 p.m. Palladium.
$20
NEW - Friday, Feb. 20
Heissler Organ Series: Isabelle Demers, 7:30 p.m. St. Petersburg College Music Center. $5 suggested donation. SPC staff and students free with ID.
NEW - Friday, Feb. 20
An Evening with Leo Kottke, 8 p.m. Palladium. $32.50, $52.50
NEW - Tuesday, Feb. 24
Encore 2009 Chamber Series: C’est Magnifique!, featuring Jeff Multer and Friends. Dessert and discussion with the artists follow concert. Palladium $10-$20
NEW - Wednesday, Feb. 25
WMNF and the Palladium present:
Loudon Wainwright III, opening act: Kathleen Edwards, 7:30 p.m. Palladium.
$25
NEW - Friday, Feb. 27
St. Petersburg College Band Concert, 7:30 p.m. St. Petersburg College Music Center. Free.
NEW - Saturday, Feb. 28
“Passages of Martin Luther King Jr.,” produced by Bob Devin Jones and The Studio@620, a dramatic reading and song. A Q & A session with playwright Clayborne Carson and historian Ray Arsenault follows. 7 p.m.
Palladium. Adults $12, Students $6
NEW - Friday, March 6
Heissler Organ Series: David Enlow, 7:30 p.m. St. Petersburg College Music Center. $5 suggested donation. SPC staff and students free with ID.
Check out the upcoming events at the Florida Orchestra in their online calendars:
January | February
Uncontrollable junk mail and telephone directories
Do you receive way too much junk mail? Here are some tips to lighten your junk mail load.
The Issue
Uncontrollable junk mail and telephone directories!
The Larger Issue
- Every year, each of us receives about 560 pieces of junk mail, accounting for 43% of all delivered mail.
- Every year, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates 44% of junk mail isn’t even opened, creating 4 million tons of waste.
- Every year, junk mail uses as much energy as almost three million cars.
- Every year, junk mail consumes 100 million trees or approximately 550,000 tons of paper.
- Every year, U.S, households receive 540 million unsolicited phonebooks, creating an additional 650,000 tons of trash.
- Every week, we typically receive 1.5 personal letters and 11 pieces of junk mail.
- Every day, 250,000 homes could be heated from a single day's accumulated junk mail!.
Be Part of the Solution
Save trees, water and energy by removing your name (or former employees’ names) from unwanted mailing lists, catalogs and credit card offers.
- Whenever you receive an unwanted catalog, simply call the company and ask to be removed from their mailing list.
- YellowPagesGoesGreen.org allows you to remove your home or office from receiving telephone directories.
- DirectMail.com provides a free and quick way to get your name off commercial mailing lists.
- OptOutPrescreen.com allows you to opt out of pre-approved credit card and insurance offers online or 1-888-5-OPTOUT (567-8688).
- CatalogChoice.org is a nonprofit organization that removes your name from specific catalog lists.
- Green Dimes is a private company that charges to remove names from mailing lists.
- EcoLogical Mail Coalition helps businesses stop mail addressed to former employees.
- New American Dream provides information on reducing junk mail and ways to ask Congress for a national "Do Not Junk” registry.
- Make sure you recycle all other unwanted mail/telephone directories.
Want to become involved with SPC’s exciting sustainability initiatives? To participate in the sustainable | SPC initiative, e-mail green.jason@spcollege.edu or call 341-3283.
This article and other health information are available on our Wellness blog.
Listen to your inner voice
Did you ever consider that a great majority of stress is caused by conversations that you have with yourself?
This internal dialogue is called negative self-talk and can replay negative messages that cause your body physical and emotional distress.
Negative self-talk is spurred by unrealistic expectations and standards that you hold for yourself and others. This rigid thinking leads to beliefs that life’s events should go perfectly and according to plan and may lead to the inability to adapt and deal with whatever occurs.
Internal predictions of failure and negativity may hinder your success by limiting objective problem-solving. This thinking may affect those wanting to quit smoking or make other health changes.
You play the most important role in determining how you feel. The keys to changing your inner voice are recognizing these negative thoughts and replacing them with a positive and rational message.
Here is and example of changing negative self talk:
Negative message – “Things really upset me; I have no control over what is happening”
This negative message implies that you are controlled by external factors.
Replace with positive self-talk such as:
“How I react is in my control. I can make things better.”
Gain control by replacing negative self-talk with positive problem solving. Take time to plan and set goals for positive change.
For additional information on goal setting lunch sessions, visit the Wellness at SPC link on the HR home page. If you have a wellness question, please contact Cathleen Shears at Ext. 3083 or shears.cathleen@spcollege.edu.
This article and other health information are available on our Wellness blog.
Locker Room: Men open conference with win
The men’s basketball team opened its Suncoast Conference season Wednesday with a 70-66 victory against Hillsborough Community College. The next conference game is Wednesday at Bradenton against Manatee Community College, another conference contender. The men’s team is 9-8 overall.
The women’s team kicks off Southern Conference play Saturday at 2 p.m. at home against Hillsborough Community College. The women’s record is 1-4.
The conference games determine the representatives to the respective state tournaments. The top two finishers in each conference advance to the tournament in Marianna.
All home games are free and played at the St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus gym at 6605 Fifth Ave N.
For results please visit www.spcollege.edu/athletics.
On SPC TV
Here is the broadcast schedule for the original cultural programs recorded by SPC for broadcast on the college station. SPC-TV can be seen on Bright House 620, Knology 19, Verizon 27 in Pinellas County.
A Night at the Palladium: The KymPurling Trio - NEW
WATCH THE VIDEO: (1 hour)
Or watch them on SPC TV:
Thursday and Saturday at 1 and 9 p.m.
» The Music Center Presents: St. Petersburg College Band
Sunday 1 and 9 p.m.
Tuesday 1 and 9 p.m.
» Winter Choral Festival
Wednesday 12:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
» Co-Motion Fall Dance Concert
Monday 1 and 9 p.m.
Friday 1 and 9 p.m.
Saturday 8 p.m.
You can also view a slideshow from CoMotion's Fall Dance Concert or visit the CoMotion Website.
» A Night at the Palladium: An Evening with Rosa Rio
Sunday Noon and 8 p.m.
Wednesday 1 and 9 p.m.
Thursday Noon and 8 p.m.
For details on other Palladium events, visit the Palladium Website.
» The Helios Jazz Orchestra: Live by the Stacks
Tuesday Noon and 8 p.m.
» A Night at the Palladium: Statesman of Jazz
Monday Noon and 8 p.m.
For details on other Palladium events, visit the Palladium Website.
» A Night at the Palladium: America Remembers
Wednesday Noon and 8 p.m.
For details on other Palladium events, visit the Palladium Website.