CCV Burlington in the news

Once again, CCV is in the news regarding our planned move from Burlington to Winooski in 2010...

Click here to read "Voice of the Free Press" from the Burlington Free Press (12.27.07)

CCV Art Instructor Wins Barbara Smail Award

Burlington City Arts has announced that Carol MacDonald is the winner of the 2008 Barbara Smail Award. MacDonald, a printmaker, writer and CCV art instructor is the sixth recipient of the award. She also founded Art’s Alive. The award is given to a “mid-career” artist and comes with a $1,000. prize and use of BCA facilities for one year.

The award was established by friends and family of Smail, an artist who taught Watercolor Painting at CCV for many years. Barbara Smail lived in the Champlain Islands before her death in 2001.

Congratulations Carol! Click here to visit Carol MacDonald's website.

Bearing Alms III by Carol MacDonald

Submitted by Mica Deangelis

"What the Bleep Do We Know?"

"What the Bleep Do We Know???"

Take Science and Spirituality, Thursdays, 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm beginning January 24th, 2008 at CCV Burlington and find out!

Chris Heintz, a UVM graduate who later earned a Master of Theology degree from Andover Newton Theological School, passionately explores the "nexus of science and spirituality." He looks forward to welcoming many others into this journey using interactive discussion and inquiry.

More Videos from Intro to Filmmaking

Check out the videos below from Bill Simmon's fall 2007 Intro to Filmmaking course at CCV Burlington!

"End of Time" by Al Pedone:

 

"Broken Promise" by Megan Dattilio:

"Shoots and Ladders" by Megan Dattilio:

Calling All CCV Students for MLK Day

In commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, CCV Burlington’s Student Advisory Board will be organizing a service event on January 21, 2008. Working with the Americorps program and local non-profits throughout Chittenden County, CCV students will have the opportunity to honor MLK’s legacy by volunteering at a number of different service sites. We will be meeting in our 119 Pearl St. building at 11:00 AM to talk a little about King’s life and commitment to community service before heading down to City Hall at 12:00 PM to sign-up for some service work. Students will be able to choose from a number of different volunteer opportunities addressing many social issues (such as race and gender discrimination, environmental and sustainability concerns, poverty, etc.). We will conclude our day with a free community dinner with live music and entertainment at 5:00 PM in Contois Auditorium at City Hall.

Please come and meet some new folks and commemorate the life of one of America’s greatest human rights leaders the way he would have wanted you too, as a “Day On, Not a Day Off.”

For more information please email Ian Boyd at ian.boyd@ccv.edu.

Picture provided by :http://www.mlkday.gov/

Trustees Approve CCV Facility in Winooski

At its Dec. 7 meeting, the VSC Board of Trustees approved the construction of a new CCV facility to be built in Winooski. The new facility will serve 2,200 students currently attending CCV in Chittenden County and will support continued growth in enrollment.  Occupancy is planned for summer 2010.  A fuller description is contained in a communication to the CCV community from President Tim Donovan by clicking here (CCV Portal log-in required). 

What do you think about CCV's plans to move to Winooski? Let us know by leaving a comment here. 

For further media coverage, check out the links below (more will be added as they are made available): 

Board approved CCV's Winooski move from the Burlington Free Press (12/8/07)

State Colleges trustees approve CCV move to Winooski from the Boston Globe (12/8/07)

8 Ways to Think Better

Final exams and term papers are right around the corner and the impending stress of this busy time calls for thinking about how we can improve our brain power. Below are eight tips to help us all keep our brains performing at their best.

1. Time it right. Figure out your own best “thinking time” and reserve it for your most challenging brain work.
2. Anchor new memories to established ones. “Think of your existing memory as a scaffold upon which to fit new information,” says University of Michigan cognitive researcher Denise Par, Ph. D. “Don’t isolate new information out in left field. Always relate it to something.”
3. Practice, practice, practice. Learning and repeatedly practicing new skills appears to change the brain’s internal organization.
4. Pay attention. Do you sometimes find yourself “forgetting” a person’s name seconds after meeting him/her? The problem isn’t memory; it’s concentration.
5. End distractions. If you’re bombarded with irrelevant stimuli, it’s hard to focus. When you absolutely must do something (complete a paper, for instance), try leaving your room where you can turn off the phone and concentrate.
6. Exercise the body to improve the mind. An increasing cadre of researchers now believe aerobic workouts can increase everything from school performance to nerve conduction velocity. Suspected mechanisms: increased oxygen and nutrient supplies to the brain, plus a boost in natural compounds called neurotrophins, which promote brain cell growth.
7. Take time to dream. Research has shown that your neural net is built during sleeping hours. You will indeed remember more and be better able to “make connections” if you get adequate (8 hours/ night) uninterrupted sleep.
8. Eat right. There really are good-mood foods and foods that help you construct better neural pathways. Fish, vitamin D (salmon, milk), vitamin B (dried beans, leafy greens, whole grains, and avocados), and chocolate are essential ingredients for maintaining your mood and your mind.

Thank you to Anita M. Long for submitting this piece. (We really appreciate you giving us scientific research to promote eating chocolate). Anita, who works at the Learning Cooperative at UVM is also a CCV Burlington math instructor and former CCV Burlington Academic Advisor.

Possible new home for CCV

At its Friday, December 7 meeting, the Vermont State Colleges Board of Trustees will vote on a resolution to accept the CCV Site Selection Committee’s recommendation and approve the construction of a new CCV facility in Winooski. Details will be posted to the CCV Portal Friday evening following the Board action. Check back here for more details as they are available.

The following news stories hit the press today regarding this topic as well:

CCV plans to build Winooski campus from Burlington Free Press (12/6/07)

Community College Of Vermont Could Move To Winooski from WPTZ.com (12/6/07)

Community College of Vt. to move Burlington campus to Winooski from WCAX.com (12/6/07)

CCV Finds New Chittenden County Campus from WCAX.com (12/6/07)

Community College of Vt. to move Burlington campus to Winooski from Vermont Public Radio (12/6/07)

CCV in the news

Check out these recent articles regarding CCV:

CCV recieves $200,000 grant from the Burlington Free Press (12/04/07)

CCV offering online human services courses from the Burlington Free Press (11/28/07)

CCV staff member volunteers in L.A.

Mica DeAngelis, a CCV Burlington academic advisor and coordinator of our Visual Arts programs, and her husband Barry Mansfield recently spent a week in Los Angeles, CA working on the Jimmy Carter Work Project 2007 through the Habitat for Humanity organization. Mica and Barry are long time Habitat volunteers and during this project in LA, they were house leaders working with a team of 16 that included college students, teachers, retirees, and young professionals. Together with the homeowners, a Mexican American family of 16, they applied 60 gallons of paint to a large home and two smaller cottages on their property. Thank you Mica for filing this report and the accompanying images:

"Sweat, smiles and dreams mix with sore muscles, energy and celebration every year for the Jimmy Carter Work Project. During the week of October 29, 2007, 3000 volunteers from around the world met in Los Angeles to build and rehab 100 homes. Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter put on tool belts themselves and worked along side volunteers to raise awareness about Habitat for Humanity’s mission to reduce substandard housing.

This annual gathering sponsored by the Carters, focuses the world’s attention on the need for affordable and decent housing worldwide. Called the Jimmy Carter Work Project, the international event has been an ongoing light raised against poverty housing by the Carters and Habitat for Humanity International since 1984."

College Transfer Fair a big success

On Friday, November 16, CCV Burlington hosted its first College Transfer Fair! Admissions counselors from 25 different colleges and universities representing five states were on hand to help CCV students explore their transfer options. Representatives from the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) were also available to help students explore their financing options as well as the many other VSAC resources available for planning a college transfer. Nearly 100 students from six different CCV locations attended the event. Check out the pictures from this event below.

Student artwork on display

Now through the end of the fall semester, student work from several art classes will be on display in the 3rd floor hallway of CCV Burlington’s 110 Cherry Street building. During the week of November 26th, pieces from Life Drawing I (ART-2031), Life Drawing II (ART-2032) and Two-Dimensional Design (ART-1060) will be on display. Work from Drawing I (ART-1011) will be up during the week of December 3rd. Stop by to view these great pieces by CCV students!











Images: Oil paintings from Bob Huntoon’s Oil Painting I & II (ART-1131 and ART-1132) classes.

CCV Students Take Part in an Alternative Weekend Service Trip

Three CCV students representing the Burlington and Rutland sites headed over to Portland, Maine on November 8th through the 11th to take part in the fall semester alternative weekend trip. CCV students joined up with Johnson State College and Burlington College to spend a weekend doing service at two Portland non-profits: the Preble Street organization and the Frannie Peabody Center.

Our students began their day preparing and serving breakfast to Portland natives living in poverty, as well as helping sort and organize clothing donations and making food pick-ups at local grocery stores. After a quick lunch they headed over to the Frannie Peabody Center, an organization that works closely with individuals suffering from HIV/AIDS, to help plan their annual health fair and raise awareness about World Aids Day on December 1st. Please visit the links below for more information about these two wonderful non-profit agencies.

http://www.preblestreet.org/

http://www.peabodycenter.org/

And…keep your eye out for our next alternative weekend trip planned for April. More details are on the way.

Contributed by: Ian Boyd, Academic Advisor at CCV Burlington

Video from Intro to Filmmaking

Check out the video below from Bill Simmon's fall 2007 Intro to Filmmaking course at CCV Burlington! This short in-class project is called "Marissa Explains it All." The students in the video are Marissa Dean and Trevor Thompson. The scene was loosely scripted by Amanda Reardon, who also directed most of the acting.

This was an in-class project intended to demonstrate basic "coverage" for shooting a dialogue between two people. Camera and audio duties were performed by the other students in the class. The goals of this demonstration/exercise were to show shot-counter-shot continuity, the 180 degree rule and direction-of-motion rules central to narrative filmmaking techniques. Amanda and Marissa expanded upon this script to produce a short film for one of their assignments, which should be up on YouTube soon.

Some of the current projects being developed and shot by students in the filmmaking class include a zombie movie, an adaptation of Meatloaf's "Paradise by the Dashboard Lights," a faux realty show based upon Laguna Beach called "North Beach," and a film depicting a vicious Chutes and Ladders smackdown.



Thank you to Professor Simmon for contributing this post. Click here to view Bill's other YouTube vidoes. Also, check out Bill's blogs at www.candleboy.com/candleblog and www.vermontcam.org/blog.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from the CCV Burlington Staff!

(From left to right: CCV Staff members Aimee Loiter, Marianne DiMascio, Margaret Dorey, & Amy Stuart)

CCV Burlington in the news

CCV Burlington’s search for a new location in Chittenden County has been in the local news a bit lately. Check out the following stories and feel free to leave comments regarding this topic here.

CCV seeks Chittenden County site (from Burlington Free Press)

CCV Narrows Choices (from WCAX TV)

CCV students explore "Crazy"

To acknowledge National Disability Awareness month, on Friday, October 26th in CCV's famed LL-7 classroom, students from Glen Hueckel's Abnormal Psychology and Kate Maynard's Interpersonal and Small Group Communications classes watched "Crazy" a performance art piece created and performed by Gail Marlene Schwartz. A panel discussion followed with guests from Mental Health Education Initiative, Vermont Protection & Advocacy and a local psychotherapist. Students explored questions of stigma and meaning about anxiety and depression via the discussion and an interactive workshop which included a spectogram, poems and speaking body sculptures!

In response to "How did your understanding grow about mental illness?" CCV student Kaz explained "The feeling is expansiveness, wonderfully open with a comfort in the lack of clear answers." Stacy wrote "Mental illness is more common than I thought and it is ok to open up to others." Kellie concluded "It seems everybody is effected by depression somehow."

Thank you to Gail and CCV Coordinator of Academic Services Yasmine Zielser who planned the event, to Glen and Kate who found the very real connections between the program and their course content, to the amazing CCV students who took the material and shaped it with their own stories and finally to the producer, VSA Arts of Vermont and the funder, the Vermont Community Foundation.

Scholarship Opportunity

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation annually offers around 50 scholarships nationally for students transferring from a two-year program to a four-year program. The scholarships are worth up to $30,000 annually and selected recipients may receive up to three years of the scholarship. In order to be considered, all applicants must meet the minimum qualifications which are available here.

Applications for this scholarship can be downloaded here. Completed applications and questions regarding the scholarship should be submitted to Pam Chisholm, CCV’s Director of Financial Aid at the address below:

Pam Chisholm, Director of Financial Aid
Community College of Vermont, Waterbury
P.O. Box 120
Waterbury, VT 05676-0120

Hallway Gallery Committee needs members

Attendtion students! Consider joining CCV Burlington's Hallway Gallery Committee and help choose the Visiting Artists who display at the Burlington site. Email your name and phone number along with one paragraph explaining why you are interested in being on the committee to Karen Geiger at geigerk@ccv.edu. No formal art training or knowledge is required, just a desire to learn. And hey, isn’t that the reason we’re all here? Please submit by November 9th, 2007.

Want to suggest an artist for a Hallway Gallery exhibit (perhaps even yourself)? If so, click here for more information on CCV Burlington's Hallway Galleries.

A new ccv.edu

Today, CCV is very proud to launch our new website with a completely new look. We hope that all users will find it to be more attractive, informative, and easy-to-navigate. Check it out at http://www.ccv.edu/. If you'd like, submit your thoughts and feedback by posting a comment here or by emailing us at inquire@ccv.edu.

CCV Harvest for Hunger, fewer people hungry

At CCV Burlington's 8th Annual Salvation Army Friendly Kitchen dinner on Monday, October 15th, more than 75 people enjoyed baked Harrington Hams purchased by CCV staff. Side dishes ranged from baked beans and macaroni and cheese to garbanzo bean salads and carrot ginger soup!!! Desserts included 5 dozen chocolate chip cookies. With Kim Evans’ CCV and VTC Nutrition students, we had plenty of set up, service and clean up assistance! Kim Evans’ students also added extensively to the side dish pickings.

As usual, CCV Burlington student and guitar minstrel Sergio Torres created musical magic in the crowd. Numerous diners requested songs he knew and they lauded him with thanks and smiles throughout the evening.

I spoke with one man who asked me to give regards to Jason Conway, a friend of his from the Vietnam Vet Center!! Another diner mentioned how much he appreciates coming to the Friendly Kitchen because then he doesn’t have to eat alone.

Thank you to everyone who participated because you understand the value of community effort in meeting community needs. And, it really is ok to have dinner at the Friendly Kitchen at 64 Main St., Burlington, VT 05401 (802) 864-6991. Please check it out next time you’re looking for a place to have a meal with people who also live in or near Burlington.

Peace, Amy

CCV Burlington Student is Nominated for VT Teddy Bear Award!

Richard Maxwell, a CCV Burlington student, was selected to represent CCV in the Vermont Teddy Bear Student Citizen award sponsered by Vermont Campus Compact. VCC is an organization that helps colleges and universities throughout the state support service learning and civic engagement activities on each campus. Richard has spent time volunteering with the Winooski Community Justice Center, COTS and through his work at Home Depot. He is an amazing example of a student who really gives back to his community. Congratulations to Richard and best of luck in the statewide competition!

CCV Sponsors Living Goddess @ VT International Film Festival

CCV Burlington is proud to sponsor Ishbel Whitaker's documentary film "Living Goddess" as a part of the 2007 Vermont International Film Festival. The film will be shown at the Waterfront Theatre at Main Street Landing (1 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05401) on Saturday, October 13 (7:15 PM) and Sunday, October 14 (12:30 PM). For more information on this film, click here. 

CCV graduate LOVES Smith College

Heather Johnson, CCV graduate June, 2007, shares her thoughts with friends,family and CCV students curious about life in college beyond CCV at her on-line journal:

http://smithie714.wordpress.com/2007/10/09/dedicated-post-to-my-fellow-ccvers/

Please check it out if you're considering transfer to another college or university after CCV. Peace to all CCV blog readers, Amy

Snow Geese

This weekend, although supposed to be summer-like, will still boast snow geese in Addison County. Thanks to one of my colleagues here at CCV, I found out about this trip.
They stop for a rest at Dead Creek and blanket the ground in white.

Check this site out for a first person description:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1306/is_4_68/ai_84971161

or this paper from the Massachusetts Audobon Society for a beautiful description:
http://www.massaudubon.org/PDF/sanctuaries/joppa/trips/DeadCreek2006.pdf

Check back here next week to see photos from my trip there - hopefully with geese included!

Be a couch potato!

I am notoriously bad at remembering (and celebrating) birthdays, holidays and theme months. The only reason my sister gets a birthday card is because we share the same birthday. Actually, I don’t always remember to send her a card.

So, this may sound hypocritical, but I would like to challenge all blog readers to honor a theme month. Wait, before you start reading the NEXT post, let me finish. This would require very little work on your part. You can actually accomplish it the next time you are staring at the shelf at your video/dvd store, or you are deciding which movies to add to your queue online.

October is Disability Awareness Month. There are scads of current (or recent) feature films that have characters with disabilities. Pop some corn, watch the film and talk amongst yourselves. Then come back here and submit a comment about the movie, your thoughts, etc.

Here are some suggestions to get you started:

Touch the Sound
Murderball
The Hours
Proof
Finding Nemo
Angels in America
A Beautiful Mind
Unknown White Male
Frida
Girl, Interrupted
Iris
My Left Foot

Many other suggestions can be found at http://www.disabilityfilms.co.uk/

Hallway Galleries: Px(c)

CCV is proud to showcase the Px(c) show in our Pearl Street Gallery. The work has been generously donated by the Kasini Gallery. Px (c) is the alter-corporate identity of Montreal artist Depelteau. He has shown in Montreal, Toronto, and Burlington, and his work has been used by the band Dook. He has been published in the Turkish 'zine PLASTIK SEHOR.

Px(c) first appeared in the 1999 painting "You never know when you’ll need Px(c)," as a car parts brand name. Px(c) has been known, over the years, to mimic advertising strategies to sell dysfunctional products and ideas to people. Its catalogue includes car parts, eyes, fingers, tongues, sunglasses, do-it-yourself art, concepts for gallery art, mouse traps, packages and some collages and prints. By presenting himself as the corporate entity, Px(c), the artist makes a cultural statement about the dominance of commercial culture in everyday life. His work is a hybrid of American and British Pop Art. Rendered in Px (c)'s unique pop art style, these works combine the humor of Albert Camus and the visual insight of Barbara Kruger. For more information on CCV's Hallway Galleries, click here.

Smith & Mount Holyoke Visit CCV

This week, representatives from Smith College and Mount Holyoke College will visit CCV Burlington to meet with students who are interested in Smith's Ada Comstock Scholars Program or Mtount Holyoke's Frances Perkins Program. The event will be held at CCV Burlington (119 Pearl Street) on Friday, October 5, 2007 at 12:00 PM. For more information, contact Mica DeAngelis at 865-4422.

Student Success Week

This week is Student Success Week at CCV Burlington! This week is a time when many students start to feel the pressure of impending midterm exams, papers, and other due dates. In order to help alleviate the stress of this busy time, students can stop by the lobby at 119 Pearl Street to pick up some great resources on student success skills like time management, stress relief, note taking, math study tips, and much, much more. We also have free snacks available! If you are having problems with your classes and need help, please stop by to pick up some resources, have a bite to eat and maybe even speak to an on-call academic advisor.

Lunch Citations

Over lunch at the Burlington site today, CCV psychology faculty talked about the challenge students face in knowing how to incorporate sources into written assignments. Library Learning Center coordinator Zoe Griffing shared a nifty interactive tutorial for students on the http://www.dianahacker.com/pocket/ website, under research exercises. Take an interactive quiz and see if you can identify whether someone has correctly used a source or plagiarized it!

Check out more tips and all of our learning support resources at http://www.ccv.edu/locations/burlington/Burlingtonwelcome/academic_resources/index.html. 

The American Machine

Local playwright and CCV faculty member, Jim Lantz opened his latest work this week. "American Machine" is playing at the Flynn Space through October 7. Great work Jim!

Burlington Free Press Review

College Transfer Fair

CCV Burlington is pleased to announce our first College Transfer Fair! The event will be held on Friday, November 16, 2007 from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM at CCV Burlington (119 Pearl Street Burlington, VT 05401, Room 2C) If you are thinking about transferring from CCV to another college, this event is for you. Representatives from 25+ colleges and universities around New England and New York will be on hand to speak with you about degree programs and transfer options. For more information, including a full list of schools that will be in attendance, click here.

Welcome!

Welcome to the semiofficial blog for the Community College of Vermont's Burlington Site! The blog is intended to be a forum for celebrating, promoting and discussing the many happenings here at CCV Burlington. Enjoy!