MOTT COMMUNITY COLLEGE
CONNECTION
MARCH 2012
MCC Electronics Specialist Builds
Solar Trainer
MCC
FACULTY
& STAFF
NEWSLETTER
WHAT’S
INSIDE
AROUND CAMPUS
MCC LIBRARY
TO FEATURE
RENOWNED ARTIST
GRAPHIC DESIGN
PROGRAM WINS
ADDY AWARDS
MOTT CAMPUS
CLOWNS TRAVEL
TO PHILADELPHIA
FINE ARTS
GALLERY FEATURES
WORKS OF DETROIT
ARTIST
QUOTE OF
THE M ONTH
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt
David Roach, Support Specialist in the Electronics and
Electrical Technology Department at MCC, is among a growing
number of individuals looking into alternate ways to harness energy. Considering the fact that solar energy – the use of power
from the sun – provides a consistent and steady renewable,
natural resource, Roach built a solar trainer with panels, as a
teaching tool to demonstrate the benefits of solar energy. The
solar trainer, which is being used by instructors and students in
the Electronics and Electrical Technology program demonstrates
the concept of how solar energy can be collected and used.
With the price and consumption of energy spiraling and environmentally-friendly green initiatives on the rise, solar
energy – one of the fastest growing renewable energy sources –
is gaining popularity across the globe.
Solar panels make use of the sun's energy by using the
photovoltaic (PV) cells to convert light directly into electricity.
David Roach and Solar Trainer.
Roach's trainer design consists of two photovoltaic panels, a
controller/battery charger unit, a power inverter, a voltage meter, and a battery. The PV panels are
mounted atop the trainer and can be manually pivoted to track the sun as the earth rotates. Direct
current can be taken straight from the battery and alternating current obtained from the power inverter.
"The solar trainer demonstrates this concept of capturing solar energy and storing that energy for
later use," Roach said. "The design is based upon many of the solar power systems currently in use but
is adapted for educational purposes."
Roach's creation is portable, manually-adjustable, convenient, and available for use by members of
the community as well. Future plans include student involvement in the development and implementation of an automatic tracking system to pivot the PV panels. For more information about the solar
trainer, please call (810) 762-0570.
Chevy Volt at MCC
General Motors has loaned a 2012 Chevrolet Volt for use in the automotive technology program at Mott Community College through March 7, 2012. Students were given the opportunity to
learn hands-on about the technology and mechanics of the Chevy Volt, GM's electric car. The Volt
was delivered to the Automotive Lab
in the Mott Community College Regional Technology Center on Feb.
22. Scott Vandekerckhove, product
specialist for Event Solutions International, delivered the loaner Volt to
MCC the morning of Feb. 22 and
gave an hour-long presentation to introduce students to the car and field
any questions they had.
d
Ca m p us
Technology Instructor
Chuck Breidenstein brings news
from the Technology Division.
This semester -- for the first time
at Mott -- a group a students in the
Building and Construction
(BCON) program are learning
how to perform energy audits on
buildings, including instruction on
and hands-on experience with the
use of Blower Door Testing, InfraRed Camera use and performing
building performance diagnostics." This
type of training will be a long-term benefit as this type of performance
measuring and scoring will be required in all structures," Chuck adds.
Accounting Instructor Alana Ferguson lets us know that eight of
MCC's Accounting students are currently volunteering their time and expertise to prepare income tax returns for low-income individuals in the community. These students are working through an Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
program called VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) at two different
sites: Resource Genesee and MCC's Hispanic Technology Community Center. “With only three weeks into tax season, these students have already
helped prepare over 100 tax returns, gaining valuable work experience while
participating in a service learning activity. The students are accounting majors who have had at least one of the Tax accounting courses offered at
Mott,” Alana adds.
Arou
n
History Instructor Aaron Gulyas gave a talk at the 2012 Comics
Forum at Michigan State University, entitled, "Hey Kids! Learn History
with Comics! Warren Ellis's “Crecy” and Trevor R. Getz's “Abina” and the
Important Men as Classroom Resources." The talk covered Aaron's search
for a graphic novel that would work as a textbook in his World History
courses. The MSU Comics Forum brings together scholars, creators, and
fans in an effort to explore and celebrate the media of comics, graphic storytelling, and sequential art.
Dental Hygiene Instructor Mary Nicolai completed a week long
course in grant writing from The Grantsmanship Center. She received a certificate in grant writing and she's currently working on a grant for the Clio
Area Art Society.
Regional Technology Initiatives Secretary Carol VanBuren was recently nominated to serve as the Genesee Regional Chamber of Commerce
Ambassador Chair for 2012-2013. She was selected by her Ambassador
peers to serve in this position. Congratulations, Carol!
English Prof. Fairy Hayes-Scott reminds us that former MCC Public
Safety officer Jeff Wheeler, author of Where is Adam: Understanding the
Importance of Fatherhood, will have a book signing on Thursday, March 29
from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express, located at 1150 Robert T. Longway in Flint. His publisher, MarketingNewAuthors.com (MANA), will be
hosting the activity. Light refreshments will be available. In addition,
MANA will donate a percentage of the profits to the Foundation for Mott
Community College towards a scholarship for young men attending MCC.
For more information, contact MANA at (734) 975-0028 or info@marketingnewauthors.com.
MCC Library to Feature Works of Renowned
Artist Jacob Lawrence
The Mott Library will host a traveling exhibition featuring a series of silkscreen prints by Jacob Lawrence, entitled "The Legend of
John Brown," from Monday, April 2 through Sunday, April 29. The exhibition is free and open to the public and can be viewed
during the library's regular hours: Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; on Friday – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday through
Sunday 12:00 noon to 5 p.m. The library will be closed Sunday, April 8. The display includes digitized images and descriptive text that
tell the story of the abolitionist fighter John Brown. The display does not include original works of art. The original prints are owned by
the Wayne State University Art Collection and reside on the 2nd floor of the David Adamany Undergraduate Library at Wayne State
University. Wayne State created the traveling exhibition to bring one of the university's unique cultural resources to Michigan libraries
and other non-profit organizations.
Jacob Lawrence created The Legend of John Brown prints in 1977, basing them on paintings he created in 1941. The original paintings were in fragile condition and in storage in a museum. By creating prints of his original paintings, Lawrence was able to make the
work available to a wider audience. You can learn more about Jacob Lawrence from the collection housed in the Mott Library by visiting, calling (810) 762-0411 or emailing the Mott Library at library@mcc.edu.
Graphic Design Program Wins ADDY Awards
Students and faculty from MCC's Graphic Design Program won numerous awards as the American Advertising Federation-Greater
Flint presented its 2012 ADDY Awards for advertising creative excellence on Feb. 10 at the Flint Institute of Arts. Graphic Design Program Coordinator Mara Fulmer was one of the presenters, and had the opportunity to reward five MCC students with nine awards:
• Jason Jerke won 2 Silver Awards and 2 Gold Awards for work created for ART.- 246, ART.- 249, ART.- 245 and ART.- 233
• Christine Aucompaugh won 1 Silver Award for work from ART.-243
• Francisco Cortez won 2 Silver Awards for work from ART.-242 and ART.- 146
• Emely Williamson won a Silver Award for work from ART.-233
• Ryan Martin won the Greater Flint chapter of the American Advertising Federation Student Scholarship worth $500.
In addition, Mara Fulmer won a Silver Award for her poster promoting MCC's ART.-259 Conceptual Book Design Class, and
Graphic Design Professor James Shurter won two Silver Awards, one for a poster for Red Ink Studios, the other for promotional
material for UM-Flint Department of Theatre & Dance.
MCC Library Announces Closing for Spring Break
The Mott Library will be closed to the public during Spring Break, Monday-Friday, March 12-16, to complete construction projects. Even though
the building is closed to the public, the library staff will be working from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can get help with library resources and services by
calling 762-0411 or emailing the library staff at library.mcc.edu, or visiting the library website for more information.
Mott Campus Clowns Gear
MCC to Host Basketball
Up for Travel to Philadelphia Regionals March 9 at
Ballenger Field House
Don’t miss out on the action as the #1 nationally-ranked MCC
Men’s Basketball team (28-1) plays and hosts this year’s tournament.
Join Coach Steve Schmidt and his Bears as they embark on
another run for a national title. Mott’s first game is scheduled for Friday, March 9, at 3 pm in the Ballenger Field House.
Honors Program Coordinator Brian Ivory's Mott Campus Clowns
made their debut last fall semester and left a lasting impression, spreading
cheer during activities in the Flint, Detroit and Lansing areas. For the
winter semester, the Mott Campus Clowns are choosing service instead of
taking a typical Spring Break trip, by completing a weeklong Alternative
Spring Break March 10-18 in Philadelphia, Penn. The troupe will be
making goodwill appearances at various locations, including schools,
churches, nursing homes, social service agencies and community events.
They will also appear in the 242nd annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in
Philadelphia on Sunday, March 11, 2012. According to Break Away: The
Alternative Break Connection, a non-profit organization that promotes alternative break programs that inspire college students toward lifelong active service, the Mott Campus Clowns will be the first group of college
students in the U.S. to complete a curriculum-based Alternative Break involving service learning through clowning. The group is comprised of
honor students enrolled in Dr. Ivory's capstone course, entitled Social Diversity and Civic Engagement (HONS 251). As a course requirement, students enrolled in HONS 251 must develop traditional clown skills,
including puppetry, pocket magic, juggling, balloon animals and face
painting. The students are required to complete service hours during
weekend or weeklong trips away from campus, all part of MCC's service
learning component.
Works of Jacklyn Brickman Featured at Fine Arts Gallery
Mott Community College's Fine Arts Gallery will present an
exhibition of work by Detroit area artist Jacklyn Brickman titled
Homage to Heqet. Her work will be in the gallery through Tuesday, March 13, 2012. This event, made possible in part by the
Ballenger Trust, is free and open to the public.
Jacklyn Brickman is currently a partner in Butter Projects, an
artist-run studio and exhibition space in Royal Oak. She received a
BFA with a Minor in Photography from College for Creative Studies, Detroit, including a semester of study abroad at the Institute
Allende, San Miguel de Allende, Guana Juato, Mexico. Exhibitions of her work include That Which Remains, Alumni and Faculty Hall, College for Creative Studies, Detroit; Real-E, Florida
Atlantic University, MacArthur Library Gallery, Boca Raton, Fla.
and Flock, Arlington Arts Center, Arlington, Va. Her Artist Statement reads as follows:
"The complexities of how we inhabit and engage with the
earth and the entities we share it with are at the core of my work –
systems within systems. Over the past two years, frogs and toads
have been a vessel for my perpetual interest in the simulation of
nature. This exploration has manifested through drawing, installation, video and sound. My materials and habits tend toward everyday objects, multiples, and layers. Homage to Heqet is an
extension of this work: an offering to frog-headed Heqet, Goddess
of fertility, midwives, and newborns. In the spring, amidst frog
calls and blooming earth, my burgeoning belly was adorned in
henna, a centuries old custom. Thirteen days later, our daughter
was born into water like the force of nature she is. Ritual is intention & process. I'm focused on honoring repetitive, menial daily
tasks in mothering an infant (specifically wrapping and diapering),
while embedding and reflecting on elements of my wetland counterparts."
The Fine Arts Gallery is located in the Visual Arts and Design
Center. Gallery hours are 9 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. The public is always welcome. For more information, call the
MCC Art and Design office at (810) 762-0443.
PRESORTED
STANDARD
US POSTAGE PAID
Flint, MI
Permit NO 51
1401 East Court Street
Flint, Michigan 48503-2089
MARCH 2012
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday Thursday
1
For more calendar items visit
www.events.mcc.edu
5
12
Flint River Wld Ones
Meeting
5:00-8:30 p.m.
PCC 1230
19
Genesee Area Unit of
Parliamentarians Meeting
5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
PCC 1120
26
6
13
Bruin Club Board of
Directors Meeting
12:00 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
PCC 1230
20
CTL Special
Event Concert in
Celebration of Women’s
History Month
2:30-4:00 p.m.
MMB 1130
27
Genesee Area
Counseling Association
Board of Trustees Meeting
Luncheon
7:30 p.m. • RTC 1301
11:00 a.m.-2:00 pm
ML 1204
7
8
14
21
Saturday
2
AAU Volleyball
Tournament
8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Ballenger
Sunday
3
10
11
15
16
17
18
22
23
24
25
30
31
CCNA Membership
Meeting
6:30-9:30 p.m.
RTC 1005
MCC Regional Basketball
Game
3:00 p.m. Ballenger
Field House
STAR Program
6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
RTC 1107
28
4
AAU Volleyball
Tournament
8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Ballenger
9
The Steelheads with
Andy Narell Concert
7:00-10:00 p.m.
MMB 1130
Sierra Club Board
Meeting & Program
6:00-9:00 pm
PCC 1230
Friday
29
Wayne State University
Advisement
10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
CM Fishbowl