Help for Haiti through Project C.U.R.E.

Students Combine Efforts to Aid Haiti

Phoenix College students and employees are combining efforts to assist in relief efforts for Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake. The fundraising and supply drive kicks off today (Wednesday, January 27, 2010) during the Student Involvement Fair and will continue until March 10, 2010 during the annual Phoenix College Bear Day.

Funds and supplies will be donated to Project C.U.R.E. (Commission on Urgent Relief & Equipment), which was founded in 1987 to provide medical supplies and equipment to medical personnel in over 120 needy countries. Project C.U.R.E. has a collection and distribution site in Phoenix and in the past, several Phoenix College student groups have volunteered to package supplies there.

In cooperation with Phoenix College, Project C.U.R.E. is accepting donations of first aid and hygiene supplies to help with preparation for deliveries of medical relief to Haiti.

Donate First Aid Supplies:

•    Disinfectants/antibacterial solutions (peroxide)
•    Hand Sanitizer
•    Masks
•    Sterile Gloves
•    Bandages
•    Wraps/Rolled Bandages
•    Gauze and Dressings
•    Tape
•    Antibiotic Ointment (Neosporin)
•    Analgesics (Tylenol, Aspirin, Advil)
•    Splints
•    Diapers
•    Baby Bottles
•    Baby Formula
•    Infant Rehydration (Pedialyte)
•    Personal Care Items
•    Toothbrush/Toothpaste
•    Feminine Hygiene Supplies
•    Adhesive Bandages (Band-Aids)
•    Water Purification Tablets
•    Crutches

Supplies can be dropped in the donation boxes at the Office of Student Life & Leadership and throughout the Phoenix College campus. 

Donate Online

Financial contributions can be made on campus or online at www.projectcure.org (select 2010 Haiti Earthquake Relief in the dropdown menu). If you donate online, be sure to indicate that your donation is part of the Phoenix College drive effort by writing “PHOENIX COLLEGE SPRING 2010 DRIVE” in the IN HONOR OF designation box. **To receive a donation receipt for tax purposes, you must make your contribution online.

Collect Spare Change

Collection jars for loose change will be available in Student Life & Leadership, the International Student Center, and other locations around campus. Please contact Kelly Loucy at 5-7230 if your area is willing to host a collection jar. Collection jars will also be available during select events.

Please help Phoenix College reach our Help for Haiti goals:

•    $1202 (for 1202 W. Thomas Rd)
•    $1920 (a nod to our college’s 90 year history)
•    $2658 (for the distance from Phoenix to Port Au Prince, Haiti)

Several student organizations, faculty, and staff also have come up with ideas for fundraising. If you would like to coordinate your own fundraising event to benefit this effort, please contact Student Life & Leadership for assistance in coordinating and getting the word out.

For more information about any of PC’s Help for Haiti efforts, please contact the Office of Student Life & Leadership at 5-7231.

A Valentine's Gift That Lasts All Year Long?

This Valentine's, consider giving a gift and receiving one in return all year long. At Phoenix College, the Partner Massage class is back by popular demand, and is offered this Valentine season. The Partner Massage class offers 4 sessions meeting on Friday evenings, 5 – 8:30 p.m. starting February 19 to March 12 at an affordable price of $71 per person.

Under the guidance of an experienced licensed massage therapist, the sessions are designed to teach participants a variety of fun, hands-on Swedish massage techniques that will help share the nurturing, relaxing, and therapeutic benefits of touch. The massage course will help couples reduce stress, increase relaxation, improve circulation, and most importantly, enhance the relationship.

“During these economic times, few people can afford hundreds of dollars for a resort-style massage,” said Director of the Phoenix College Therapeutic Massage Program Dianne Geddis. “This class will give participants the opportunity to learn massage techniques with their partner at a very affordable price.”

The sessions are not exclusive to romantic couples. Participants are welcomed to sign up with anyone they are comfortable with. The sessions invite mothers, fathers, daughters, brothers, sisters and friends to also enjoy the relaxing experience of massage. Those interested must enroll with a partner.

The Partner Massage course meets on the following days from 5 – 8:30 p.m.:
Special Topics: Therapeutic Massage (WED297AA, # 33861)
-- Friday, February 19
-- Friday, February 26
-- Friday, March 5
-- Friday, March 12

Participants can register for the partner massage sessions in-person at Phoenix College, 1202 W. Thomas Rd., via telephone at (602) 285-7800, or online at My.maricopa.edu. For more information, contact Dianne Geddis at (602) 285-7649.

Honors Forum Lecture Series - "From Tijuana to Harvard and Beyond: One Writer's Journey"

This lecture is part of the 2009-2010 Honors Forum Lecture Series, "The Paradox of Affluence: Choices, Challenges, and Consequences."


Guest:
Luis Alberto Urrea, 2005 Pulitzer Prize finalist for nonfiction and member of the Latino Literature Hall of Fame, is a prolific and acclaimed writer who uses his dual-culture life experiences to explore greater themes of love, loss and triumph.

Born in Tijuana, Mexico to a Mexican father and an American mother, Urrea has published extensively in all the major genres, and is currently published by Little, Brown and Company. The critically acclaimed author of 11 books, Urrea is an award-winning poet and essayist. The Devil’s Highway, his 2004 non-fiction account of a group of Mexican immigrants lost in the Arizona desert, won the 2004 Lannan Literary Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the Pacific Rim Kiriyama Prize. A national best-seller, The Devil’s Highway was also named a Best Book of the Year by The Los Angeles Times, The Miami Herald, The Chicago Tribune, The Kansas City Star, and many other publications.

Urrea’s first book, Across the Wire, was named a New York Times Notable Book and won the Christopher Award. He received the 1999 American Book Award for his memoir, Nobody’s Son: Notes from an American Life. In 2000, Urrea was voted into the Latino Literature Hall of Fame following the publication of Vatos. Urrea’s book of short stories, Six Kinds of Sky, was named the 2002 small-press Book of the Year in fiction by the editors of ForeWord magazine. He has also won a Western States Book Award in poetry for The Fever of Being and was in the 1996 Best American Poetry Collection.

Urrea’s most recent book, The Hummingbird’s Daughter, is the culmination of twenty years of research and writing. The historical novel tells the story of Teresa Urrea, sometimes known as The Saint of Cabora and the Mexican Joan of Arc.

Urrea attended the University of California at San Diego, earning an undergraduate degree in writing, and did his graduate studies at the University of Colorado-Boulder. He is currently a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Where:
Phoenix College - Bulpitt Auditorium
1202 W. Thomas Rd.

When:
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
7 p.m.

Admission:
Free and open to the public

More Information:
Call (480) 731-8300

Improve Your Speaking Skills - Toastmasters Now on Campus!

Toastmasters Now on Campus!

“Communication is one of the most important skills that employers look for in a job candidate.”—Job Outlook 2008 (NACE)

Phoenix College, in partnership with the La Voz de Oro “the Golden Voice” Toastmasters Club, is now offering students an excellent opportunity to focus on self-improvement in the areas of communication and leadership.

La Voz de Oro is a bi-lingual Toastmasters club, founded over 28 years ago by individuals who wanted a venue to improve their Spanish/English speaking skills. Members learn by preparing, practicing, and presenting formal speeches (either in English or Spanish), and by helping one another with supportive evaluations and other feedback. During club meetings members also improve "quick thinking" skills, learn to introduce speakers, conduct meetings, and perform other roles that help develop communication and leadership skills.

    Where: Phoenix College PS Bldg Room 23

    When: 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of every month, 7:00-8:30 pm

    Membership Dues: $4.50 per month ($27 for 6 months)

Note:  There is no local club fee for PC students, faculty, staff, active alumni, and “Golden Bear” PC retirees.  The stated fees are for membership in Toastmaster International (required).

In Toastmasters, you learn how to formulate, express, and sell your ideas and yourself with confidence. You will improve your thinking, listening, and presentation skills, and have many opportunities to further develop your leadership skills in an environment full of supportive friends and colleagues. Please drop by a meeting or visit us on the web at www.lavozdeoro.org.

For more information contact Harry Wolfe, VP Education (623-203-7642). and Danny Valenzuela, President (602-568-5957).

College Goal Sunday: Saturday Edition at Phoenix College

Free Help with Financial Aid Forms Can Help Students Gain Money for College

This year, the Arizona Commission for Postsecondary Education (ACPE) will host its 14th annual College Goal Sunday (and Saturday TOO!) event at 30 sites across Arizona. This year, Phoenix College will host the "Saturday edition" in the lower level of the Fannin Library on Saturday, January 30 from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m.

College Goal Sunday is a free event which provides assistance in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and an opportunity to speak directly with financial aid professionals. FAFSA is the one application that must be completed for all federal, state and institutional aid (Pell grants, loans, etc.).

Students age 23 or younger are strongly encouraged to invite their parents to the event and should bring their parents’ and their 2009 income data (W-2's or a pay stub and/or 2009 tax return). Students age 24 and older may attend on their own and should bring their and spouse completed 2009 tax returns, W-2 forms, and other 2009 income information. Foster and homeless youth do not need their parents' tax information.

“So many people still do not know what financial aid is available or how to apply,” said Dolly Aguirre, assistant director of Phoenix College Financial Aid Office. “We want to help families relieve some of the stress and anxiety they have about the financial aid application process.”

Phoenix College will provide computers in the Fannin Library to both English- and Spanish-speaking students and their families for immediate submission through FAFSA on the Web. Many locations, including Phoenix College, will be offering Spanish speakers to provide translation service.

Since its inception, College Goal Sunday has helped more than 30,000 college-bound students and their families complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and take the first steps toward finding financial aid to fulfill their dreams of higher education. More information on the event is available at www.collegegoalsunday.com/phoenix.

Apply for LeaderShape Institute - Deadline April 15, 2010

Apply today for the LeaderShape Institute, an intensive and energizing six-day educational experience unlike any other college leadership development program.

Through LeaderShape students will discover more about themselves, be inspired by the passion of others, make new friends, and learn valuable leadership skills.  It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be exposed to a new world of possibility – a world where creativity and risk-taking are encouraged, where there are no boundaries to the amount of good one individual can do. The program is filled with hands-on activities, team and character building exercises, and self-reflection opportunities.

Sixty (60) MCCCD students, including 10-15 students from Phoenix College, are selected each year to be a part of this internationally recognized program:

LeaderShape Institute

Central Arizona College

June 8-June 13, 2010

Orientation (mandatory) May 6, 2010

Reunion August 12, 2010

Cost: Free for selected participants. Must be current PC student.

The program and all materials, including transportation and a 5-night stay with meals at Central Arizona College, is offered FREE to all participants. Applications for the program can be found on-line at https://www-s1.leadershape.org/database/application_create.php?appid=2179 .  The deadline for consideration is Thursday, April 15. Informal interviews will be held April 16-21 to determine the final participants chosen to represent Phoenix College.

Jordyn, a 2009 LeaderShape graduate writes about the strength of the friendships that are formed:

“LeaderShape is a life-changing experience, and also one of those trips that is hard to understand unless you have gone. It's amazing how fast you connect with people in a matter of days and go home with friendships that last a lifetime. I took what I learned about myself at LeaderShape and was able to apply it in my day-to-day life .  People are always telling me how much I have changed since I went there. “

Visit the LeaderShape web site at www.leadershape.org for a day-by-day overview of the curriculum. For additional information, contact Kelly Loucy (602-285-7230) or Helice Agria (602-285-7968) in the PC Office of Student Life & Leadership.

Stay Safe and Healthy: Attend a Free Seminar on STDs/HIV & U

Learn how to stay safe and healthy by attending one of the upcoming (and free!) informative sessions about STDs, HIV, and how you can protect yourself. Using a biological approach, faculty presenters will discuss how STDs are transmitted (in some cases, you might be surprised), explain symptoms and treatments, and offer sound strategies for protecting yourself. You'll receive factual, up-to-date information in a way that's interesting, informative, and humorous.

What:
STDs/HIV & U seminars

When:
Three dates to choose from:

• Tuesday, February 9, 2010 from 5:30 - 6:45 p.m.
• Thursday, February 11, 2010 from 1:15 - 2:30 p.m.
• Friday, February 12, 2010 from 12:00 - 1:15 p.m.
  
  

Where:
Phoenix College, Room C102

Cost:
Free

For more information:
Contact Liz O’Brien at 602.285.7313 or email liz.obrien@pcmail.maricopa.edu

MLK Youth Rally: Rallying for a Cause and Collective Vision

What:
Join NAACP and the Black Student Union (BSU) of Phoenix College at the 26th commemoration of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Rally for a cause and continue in collective vision to recognize the strengths, talents, excellence and resilience of our communities with poetry, storytelling, motivational speaking, children’s activities, community participation and entertainment that the whole family can enjoy. Activities will include a screening of the Oscar-winning documentary Mighty Times: The Children’s March, which tells the story of a group of young people in Birmingham, Alabama, whose heroism moved President Kennedy to introduce the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Brenda Williams, past president of the Phoenix College Alumni Association and BSU Living Legend award recipient, has championed the MLK Youth Rally since its inception in the 1980's and will be honored at this year’s event for her dedication to preserving the legacy of Dr. King.

When:
Saturday, January 23, 2010
11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Where:
Phoenix College
1202 W. Thomas Rd.

Admission:
$5 donations benefits Phoenix College Black Alumni Scholarship Fund
Children age 5 and under receive free admission

For more information:
For volunteer, entertainment and vending opportunities, contact Dr. Camilla Westenberg at (602) 285-7365 or Billy Ramsey at (602) 435-7411, or e-mail mlkyouthrally@yahoo.com

Tropical Marine Biology in Queensland, Australia June 8 to 29, 2010

Tropical Marine Biology in Australia
MCCD Study Abroad Program

$5,500.00 for Room & Board, Airfare, Train, Bus, Boats, Snorkeling, Gear, scuba, Instruction, Entry Fees, Tuition, Books

Experience the exciting underwater world of tropical Australia. Learn about the management of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. This unique summer program will be held in Brisbane, Stradbroke Island, and Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef. The spotlight will be on the inner workings of coral reefs and their incredibly diverse flora and fauna. You will spend your days exploring the coast, snorkeling (optional scuba diving), participating in reef preservation activities, and discussing a variety of fascinating coral reef and marine parks management topics.

Snorkel and scuba dive off beautiful Heron Island in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Monitor the health of coral reefs and survey the invertebrates and fishes of the GBR.Explore the mangrove and Eucalypt forests of Stradbroke Island and observe native birds and other Australian wildlife. Learn about Aboriginal natural arts from members of the Dunwich Indigenous Community. Observe unique Australian animals at the Erwin family’s Australia Zoo in Beerwah.

Robin Cotter, a biologist from Phoenix College, will be your teacher and guide. Philip Pepe, a PADI Instructor from TEAL Australia, will be your expert connection to Australian marine parks management and the underwater world of the GBR.

The University of Queensland will be teaming up with Phoenix College to offer students a unique opportunity to study tropical marine biology abroad. Brisbane will be our base of operations. Classes will be packaged together to optimize your field experience in Australia. Professor Cotter will conduct a series of orientation meetings at Phoenix College during the spring semester and prior to departure for Australia. TEAL and MCCD will assist you in arranging transportation, lodging, diving, and other logistics.
To make sure you don’t miss this special opportunity contact Robin Cotter today at (602) 285-7102 or robin.cotter@pcmail.maricopa.edu

Connect at Phoenix College: Student Involvement Fair, January 27

What:
Learn all about the ways you can connect to Phoenix College! Through campus involvement, you can make friends, gain valuable leadership skills, work in collaborative teams, build your resume, and have fun!

We invite you to learn about the greatest clubs, events and activities at Phoenix College at the Student Involvement Fair. Visit with the different student clubs, discover leadership opportunities and check out the many different ways that you can get involved on campus.

Free snacks and prizes provided – don’t miss out!

When:
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
12 – 2 p.m.

Where:
Phoenix College – Sophomore Square
1202 W. Thomas Rd.

Admission:
Free and open to all students

For more information:
Contact Student Life & Leadership at (602) 285-7231

Students Graduate as Certified Pharmacy Technicians at Phoenix College

Phoenix College Custom Training and Education (CTE) recently celebrated the graduation of 16 students from the Youth Pharmacy Technician and Work Externship Program. In partnership with the City of Phoenix, CVS Pharmacy, and Arizona Call-A-Teen, Inc., the 12-week program was created to meet Phoenix’s high workforce demand of well-qualified, skilled pharmacy technicians.

Participating students in the program prepare for the national Pharmacy Technician Certification Board examination to become certified pharmacy technicians while working in local retail pharmacies. After completing the program’s classroom instruction and work experience, participants are placed in local CVS stores, allowing students to job shadow professionals in the industry through an internship

During the ceremony, eight of the graduates were awarded $500 scholarships to continue their studies at Phoenix College. In addition, Roberta Jeffers, CTE Director, and staff were presented with an award from the Phoenix Community Development & Investment Corporation for their dedication and commitment to the 2009 Pharmacy Technician Internship Program.

Youth Pharmacy Technician & Work Externship Program graduates:
Angelica Aguirre
Sharifah Brent
Candice Dominguez
Liberal Giramata
Angelica Gonzalez
Victoria Gonzalez
Lucille Longoria
Kawana Moore
Maria Perez
Cassandra Prince
Damian Ramirez
Antwane Riggins
Arvin Vanpelt
Jessica Vellaseñor
Frank Villa
Allisun Vojir

Over forty students have completed the program since its inception in 2008, and one recent graduate has already been hired by CVS Pharmacy.

The program for Spring 2010 begins in February. Training is held at the Phoenix College Downtown Campus, located on 640 N. 1st Ave. in Phoenix. Those interested in becoming a certified pharmacy technician at Phoenix College can register at my.maricopa.edu, or for more information about the program, call 602-223-4000.