The line for hot dogs was long, but moved quickly as hundreds of students and employees celebrated at Brookhaven College’s Welcome Back Party. Joy Arndt, Yasaman Contractor and Linus Spiller, Student Programs and Resources Office personnel, coordinated the event to welcome students back for the fall semester. Vendors, 12 student organizations, the Police Department and the Head Start Center provided information and trinkets for sale while a band played. Fun inflatable games, such as human bowling and “Bouncy Boxing,” added more levity to the day.
More than 70 companies and hundreds of visitors came to Brookhaven College’s Fall Career Fair on Sept. 13. Students and community members had the opportunity to speak face-to-face with employers actively seeking to hire for open positions in many career fields, such as call center operators, office managers, police officers and nurses. Lisa Ann Miller, director of the Career Development Center, along with her staff, coordinates three career fairs throughout the year. The spring fair includes a focus on a specific industry and the summer career fair focuses on bilingual positions.
Patricia Dodd, Ph.D., English professor, was recently interviewed for “American Ramadan,” a documentary film that examines what it means to be an American-Muslim. The film, recorded in Dallas and Los Angeles, follows the lives of five American-Muslim families during the month of Ramadan in 2005. Dodd has been the sponsor for the Muslim Student Association at Brookhaven College for the past two years. She also teaches courses focusing on human rights and civil disobedience.
The Early College High School welcomed 76 returning 10th-grade and 93 new ninth-grade students for a busy first two weeks immersed in their new classes, meeting new instructors and participating in a day-long follow-up Sky Ranch iLead experience. Their dual credit courses include ITSC 1401, Introduction to Computers, a variety of physical education courses, and PHED 1304-Health for Today, which is only for 10th-graders. The high school students also joined the fun at the SPAR-sponsored all-campus welcome back activities.
Anahita Sidhwa, astronomy professor, recently returned from the “Hands-On Universe: 2007 Conference” at Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley. The event brought together a consortium of schools and colleges that teach astronomy using current images from observatories and remote telescopes across the world. The International Asteroid Search Campaign is also part of the Hands-On Universe project. The college took part in the asteroid search earlier this year. The Minor Planet Center, the international clearing house for this kind of information, has accepted 10 of the objects discovered by Chaz Hafey, lab coordinator for the astronomy program; Ervin Caldwell, a student; and Anahita.
Chris Vivero, photo editor for the Brookhaven Courier, was awarded the Gordon Yoder Scholarship from the North Dallas Rotary Club this week. Charles McAdams, humanities professor at Brookhaven College, chairs the scholarship committee for the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Rotary Club and made the presentation to Vivero. This is the third time that Vivero has received a $500-scholarship from the Rotarians.
The Alpha Delta Phi chapter of Phi Theta Kappa turned old items into cash Aug. 25 at a garage sale. DeAnna Golson, chapter president, said the sale raised nearly $600 that will benefit the Susan G. Komen Three-Day Walk for the Cure. Several PTK members spent part of their Saturday at the sale, which included furniture, baby items, clothing, house wares, computers, electronics, books, jewelry and more. Items that were left at the end of the sale were donated to the Metrocrest Social Service Center in Carrollton . A group of PTK members will be taking part in the walk as well. The Alpha Delta Phi chapter was recently recognized with a special commendation during the PTK Texas Regional Convention as a Texas Top Chapter and was named as a “Five-Star Chapter,” for its success in meeting the higher standards of quality programming that the term “Five-Star” symbolizes.
The Automotive Technology Division was the beneficiary of a check from Ford Motor Company. Malcolm Barrett, Ford Motor Company’s technical support operations manager presented the $4,000 check in recognition of the college and Ford instructors receiving the “ASSET Program Performance to Standards Award.” The standards for the award require the college’s ASSET program meet specific requirements for the training of instructors, graduation rates and equipment. Shane Baxter and Matt Whitten are the college’s professors in the Ford program. They, along with Don Jones, automotive technology professor; Dr. Richard MCrary, interim vice president of learning and student success; and Sandy Wyche, interim executive dean for the Business Studies Division, met with Barrett on Aug. 29 to discuss the successes of the program and receive the check.
