Campus
Communicator
FEBRUARY • 2014
NORTHERN LIGHTS
PA RT N E R I N G F O R E D U C AT I O N 5K
Are you a runner or a walker? Do you
want to stay in good physical shape
and exercise in the company of others? Are you getting tired of the cold
weather and just want to get out and
stretch your legs? Or do you simply
like good food and drink and the opportunity to win door prizes?
If so, the West Virginia Northern
Community College Foundation
invites you to participate in its first
“Northern Lights Partnering for
Education 5-K Race”, to be held on
Saturday, May 3. The purpose of this
Race is to raise scholarship funds
for Northern students. The Race will
begin at 8:30 a.m. on Sixteenth Street
in front of the College and will thread
its way along the Heritage Port Trail
adjoining the scenic Ohio River. The
course is all flat, with just a
slight uphill grade during its
first half. Runners and walkers
will finish the race in the plaza
in front of the College and be
funneled into the College for
snacks and refreshments.
Plaques will be given to the top three
overall male and female runners and
top three overall male and female
walkers. Medallions from Ohio Valley
Awards will be given to the top three
male and female runners and walkers via the following age categories:
14 and under, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39,
40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, and 80+.
Dr. Martin J. Olshinsky will make a
few remarks about the mission of the
College. There also will be a deejay to
help make the ceremony more festive.
There is a special, discounted rate of
$15 just for WVNCC students. Otherwise, pre-registration through May
2 is $18 for everyone else and $20 on
Race Day. Checks should be made
payable to the WVNCC Foundation
and dropped off in Rana Spurlock’s office in the B&O Building. Registration
forms are available in her office, and
you also can register online at wwwwvncc.edu/about/northern-lightspartnering-for-education-5k/4315.
Participants may pick up their
registration packets in the Applied
Technology Center from 7-10 p.m.
the night before or from
7-8:15 a.m. the
morning of the
Race.
Serious
runners and
walkers will
be glad to
know that
the Northern
Lights 5-K Race
also is part of the
Health Plan of the Upper Ohio Valley’s Grand Prix Series. Look for flyers
about the event posted around the
College. Volunteers for the Race also
are appreciated. If anyone would like
to volunteer by handing out water,
taking registration, or just being a
personal greeter, please contact Race
Director Kim McCluskey at mccluskey@wesbanco.com or by cell phone
at 304-312-2899.
dents put the work in to complete
the modules needed we find they can
be successful, moving more quickly
into their college careers without the
delays often associated with developmental work,” she said. “Many of them
ultimately don’t need developmental
education in the first place.”
Similar successful results were
achieved for developmental math with
the percentage of students needing a
developmental math class going from
67.7 per cent down to 49.3 per cent, a
reduction of 60 students.
From left are Dr. Riley, Dean Tackett and Stephanie Smith, academic program associate. They
work closely with WVNCC’s Developmental Fast-Track program.
WVNCC Significantly
Alters Developmental
Education Need
Large numbers of new students needing to pass placement tests or a developmental class to be able to move on
to college-level courses has become
traditional at most institutions of
higher learning. Successful new programs at Northern are dramatically
turning those statistics around.
A crucial part of a federal grant of
more than $1.5 million awarded to
Northern in late 2011 targeted efforts
to help students more quickly pass
placement tests and cut down on the
volume of students requiring developmental coursework. College officials
point out the ultimate goal is to better
retain and graduate more students.
The U.S. Department of Education’s
Strengthening Institutions Program,
under which the Title III grant is
administered, is being overseen by Dr.
Vicki Riley, vice president of academic affairs, and Larry Tackett, division
chair of transitional education who
also is dean of the New Martinsville
campus. They, along with President
Olshinsky, are touting the results from
the grant’s second year of a five-year
program.
Olshinsky said, “Retaining and graduating more students is a statewide
imperative, and we are extremely
pleased our intervention with this
grant is significantly helping students
achieve their goals and thereby also
impacting Northern’s and the state’s
goals.”
Tackett and Riley explained the
process involved in implementing the
grant’s details. “A program was developed to help students remediate their
placement test deficiencies to reduce
the number of students needing to
take any developmental classes.”
The initiative, partially begun in
2012, the first year of the grant, was
called the Developmental Fast-Track
program. “In year two last year, the
program was expanded and improved
with initial results showing a significant reduction in the number of
first-time students needing any developmental class from 73.7 per cent to
51.6 percent which represents, for the
fall 2013 semester, 97 students who
did not need to take a developmental
class,” Tackett said.
Riley pointed out part of the program includes a test-prep component
that prepares the student to take the
required placement tests. “If stu-
Of the 10 community colleges in West
Virginia, Tackett said, WVNCC often
has been the institution with the highest percentage of students needing
developmental classes. “This significant reduction places WVNCC as one
of the schools with the lowest percentage,” he added. Given that one of
Northern’s campuses will not achieve
full implementation of the program
until grant year three, “we anticipate
being able to maintain and perhaps
improve these results even further,”
Tackett said.
Tackett explained the college’s FastTrack program received the West Virginia Association for Developmental
Education’s annual “Most Innovative
New Program” award at the group’s
fall conference last year.
The Northern officials explained that
placement tests are used to place
students in the transitional education
course they require to better prepare
them for success in college. Typically, transitional education courses
are taken in the areas of mathematics
and English (reading and writing.) In
the past at Northern, more than 70
percent of all students needed to take
at least one transitional education
course.
Students Have Heart!
Students on the Weirton campus held a Cupid’s Corner Sale
previous to Valentine’s Day, with all proceeds going to the
American Heart Association. Standing, from left, are Judie
Johnston, Diane Grimm, Lita Burton and Sarah Blankenship. Paul Griffenberg is seated. They sold cupcakes, cookies, balloons, pins, hot chocolate, flowers, and more.
Culinary Arts Goes Around the World
The Culinary Arts classes at West Virginia Northern Community College have set the dates for upcoming dinners, featuring classical cuisines for spring.
The dinners all begin at 6 p.m. on five different Thursdays and all are served in the Culinary Arts dining room located in
the Education Center, 17th and Chapline streets, downtown Wheeling campus. There is a charge for the dinners which
are open to the public. Reservations are required and may be made by emailing to culinary@wvncc.edu or by calling
304-214-8934.
According to the Culinary Arts chefs/instructors, the classical cuisines series begins March 27 with a French
dinner. The chefs say, “Considered the ‘Mother of all Cuisine,’ it is the basis for much of what we
do in the Culinary Arts. Please join us for a vacation through the wonderful regions of this richly historic country. Our journey is sure to
examine the finest of French Grande Cuisine.”
Next stop is Russia, for a dinner on April 3. “Our emphasis will be
on the peasant food that is considered the foundation of Russian cuisine. We will
explore the Russian soul through the indigenous cuisine that is hearty and satisfying. Our offerings will include traditional soups, pelmeni (Russian ravioli) and zakouskis (hors d’oeuvres.)”
An Italian dinner is scheduled for April 10. “From the rolling hills
and fertile land of the Tuscan region, to the island cuisine of Sardinia,
our journey across Italy will explore the best that each of the grand regions
of this country has to offer. Since Italian cuisine is so vast, spaghetti and pizza will not make the
menu,” the chefs emphasize.
Eastern Mediterranean cuisine will be featured at the dinner on April 24. “Long regarded as
home to one of the oldest culinary traditions in the world,” the chefs explain, “we stay true
to the region’s reliance and use of indigenous ingredients. From Hummus, Kibbeh and
Baba Ghanoush to creative and unique applications of lamb,
chicken, lentils and
exotic spices, we hope our varied offerings please the most
sophisticated and
worldly palate.”
The final offering, American cuisine, will take place on May 1.
“Please accept our offerings from the rocky coasts of New England, the
of the Southwest, the copious bounty of the Amish, the Latin-inspired tip of Florida,
soaked West Coast and the Crown of all Grazing Lands-the American West.”
The chefs say,
Painted Deserts
the wine-
College Goal Win!
potential students and their families
are assisted in filling out the FAFSA
form necessary to receive any type of
financial aid to attend college.
According to Alicia Frey, associate
director of financial aid, Northern was
the sixth largest site in the state, with
97 individuals attending. This was
WVNCC’s fifth year participating in
the event.
Winner of the Kindle Fire Jacob Davis.
A total of 1,846 students and families were assisted this month during
College Goal Sunday at 25 locations
throughout the state of West Virginia.
College Goal Sunday is the annual
event during which students and
Highlight of the event was a drawing from those attending the event
in Wheeling for a Kindle Fire. Winner from Northern’s event was Jacob
Davis, a Wheeling Park High School
senior preparing to attend WVU in
Fall 2014.
Dr. Dave Walker
Delilah Ryan, associate professor of
history at WVNCC, invited a special
guest to one of her classes earlier this
month: WTRF-TV7 News Meteorologist Dr. Dave Walker. Walker spoke
to Delilah’s World Geography class
that is presented via IP Video for
the Wheeling and New Martinsville
campuses.
During the class, Dr. Dave, who said
he became interested in the weather
when he was in high school, spoke on
the topics of weather and climate.
Left, Mike Koon talks to one of the guests and, right, Jenna Derrico shares her knowledge of
the ATC.
Friends Pay a Visit
More than 30 members of the Friends of Wheeling, the local group made up of historians, preservationists and supporters of the Friendly City’s architectural treasures, toured the two newly opened buildings on the downtown Wheeling
campus. Both the Applied Technology Center and the Barnes and Noble bookstore/Student Union, were opened last
year. The ATC is housed in one of the business district’s oldest buildings, used at one time as a movie theater/gift shop
and most recently as a car dealership. Serving as tour guides were Mike Koon, Jenna Derrico, Tami Becker and Dawn
Barcus. The Friends members were highly appreciative of the tour.
Fascination with her life, career and
disappearance continues to this day.
All are invited to share a light lunch
and participate in this special History Alive presentation. It will be held
beginning at 11:30 a.m. as follows:
Wheeling campus, Monday, March
24, B&O Building auditorium; New
Martinsville campus, Tuesday, March
25, Room 110, and Weirton campus,
Wednesday, March 26, room to be
announced.
Gregory Gibson Kenney engages the audience.
“Hey, Hey, Hey:
The Life of Bill Cosby”
Presentation
Gregory Gibson Kenney performed
as comedian Bill Cosby during a
presentation commemorating Black
History Month at Northern’s Wheeling campus. Kenney, an actor from
Pittsburgh who performs as various
iconic personalities, gave the tribute
to Cosby before an appreciative audience of 80 persons who had gathered
in the B&O Building auditorium for
the Feb. 4 event. The free, public oneman show was a Lunch & Learn session, with a light lunch being served
previous to the performance. Kenney’s
February performances on the other
two campuses had to be rescheduled
and now are set for March 10 on the
Weirton campus and April 2 on the
New Martinsville campus.
WVNCC Takes Flight
In honor of National Women’s History
Month, West Virginia Northern Community College will hold a special
Lunch & Learn presentation featuring Amelia Earhart as portrayed by
Patty Sue Cooper of the West Virginia
Humanities Council.
Amelia Mary Earhart was born on
July 24, 1897, and was an American
aviation pioneer and author. Earhart
was the first female pilot to fly solo
across the Atlantic Ocean. She received the U.S. Distinguished Flying
Cross for this record.
She set many other records, wrote
best-selling books about her flying
experiences and was instrumental in
the formation of The Ninety-Nines,
an organization for female pilots.
Earhart joined the faculty of the
Purdue University aviation department in 1935 as a visiting
faculty member to counsel
women on careers and to help
inspire others with
her love for aviation. She
also was a member of the
National Woman’s Party,
and an early supporter of
the Equal Rights Amendment.
During an attempt to make
a circumnavigation flight
of the globe in 1937
in a Purdue-funded
Lockheed Model 10 Electra, Earhart
disappeared on July 2 over the central
Pacific Ocean near Howland Island.
For more information or to register to
attend (deadline is March 21), contact
the Office of Student Activities (EC
Room 115) 304-214-8917 or to iwilliams@wvncc.edu via email.