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Feature Stories:  Landscape Gardening | Best Little Whorehouse | CCC&TI Job Fair | Cobras Complete Season | Scholarship Updates | 2005 FAC/Staff Training Sessions |  | Continuing Ed Extension Courses
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Calendar

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Birthdays

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For CCC&TI's Inclement Weather Policies, look for posters, flyers and magnets in Student Services and around campus. You can also access the Inclement Weather Policy on the Web.

College snow lines

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Dell is offering free online classes, which you can work on in your spare time. The courses cover Windows XP,
Using the Internet
General E-mail topics (not just Groupwise), and
basic software applications. If you are interested, contact Myra Moore or call 726-2701.

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The Caldwell Chronicle

The Caldwell Chronicle is a weekly publication of CCC&TI's Marketing & Communications Department, a division of Instructional Support Services.

For story ideas, contact Marla Christie or call 828.726.2202. All submissions must be received on Thursdays at 12pm to be included in the following week's edition.

For technical assistance, contact Denise Wagner or call 828.726.2264.

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For Feb. 21 - Feb. 27, 2005

What's Happening @ CCC&TI

• Mm-mm good. Line up for another Business Club Breakfast Bake Sale Wednesday, February 23, from 8:15 to 11:30 a.m. in the Student Lounge. Menu items include ham/sausage/gravy/livermush biscuits, scrambled eggs, grits, muffins, donuts, etc. All proceeds to go the Business Club scholarship fund.

• CCC&TI Cobras will vie for another regional title in the Region X Championship Tournament Feb. 24 through Feb. 26. CCC&TI is hosting the tournament this year.  For a complete lineup, visit the CCC&TI Sports Site. Tune into CCC&TI games on WJRI 1340 AM. See also the inside story for a complete schedule.

• Students planning on participating in graduation ceremonies this May must apply in Student Services by March 1. This applies to curriculum students only. For more information, call 828.726.2700.

• Volunteers from the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) will be on campus again this year to help students or staff, who qualify, with their tax returns.  These volunteers are trained by the IRS.  This service is provided through a partnership between the Small Business Center and RSVP.  The volunteers will prepare both federal and state tax returns (regular and E-filing) for low to moderate income taxpayers. 

  • When:  Thursdays, until April 14 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Please call 754-3000 for an appointment.

  • Where:  A130 - The Small Business Center Resource Room

• This month, the Foothills Performing Arts Theatre presents its production of Frederick Knott's Wait Until Dark, a famous psychological thriller about a blind woman, a sadistic con man, and a heroin-filled doll. Knott's play debuted in 1966 and was later adapted to the big screen, in which Audrey Hepburn starred in Susy Hendrix, the wife of a professional photographer (the role won Hepburn her last Oscar). The story takes the audience on a nail-biting roller coaster ride that starts when Susy's husband, Sam, unwittingly transports a doll carrying several grams of heroin into the country—and into the couple's Greenwich Village basement apartment. Sinister con man Harry Roat and his two accomplices track the doll to the Hendrix home and set in to first con and then terrorize Susy into divulging the doll's whereabouts. Susy isn't as helpless or as gullible as they think. With the help of a young girl who lives next door, Susy fights her assailants on her terms, drawing them into her world of darkness. The show, directed by Scott Woodard, runs Feb. 24 through Feb. 26. Shows start at 8 p.m. The Sunday matinee starts at 3 p.m. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (828) 726-2318.

• The Foothills Performing Arts will hold its final night of auditions, Monday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. at the Studio Theatre in B Building (Caldwell Campus) for its April and May production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Parts are available for two women (ages 16 to 50), two men (ages 18-50) and seven children (ages 8 to 14). Bring a prepared song and a copy of your sheet music (no tapes please). Scripts are available at the FPA Theatre Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12 to 3 p.m. For more information, call 828.322.3169 or 828.726.2318. This production will be directed by Keith Smith.

• CCC&TI will host its Spring Job Fair, Wednesday, March 2, from 11:00am to 1:00pm.  The job fair is open only to current students and CCC&TI alumni. For more information, contact Dana Glen, Coordinator, Student Employment Services , at 759.4675 or e-mail her at dglenn@cccti.edu. See also our inside story.

• CCC&TI will hold its annual Spring Professional Development Day at the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center Tuesday, March 8. The day will begin at 9 a.m. with a report from Dr. Boham. This session will be followed by a 15-minute break (coffee, soft drinks, and light snacks). At 10:45 you will have the opportunity to attend one of two break-out sessions. One session will focus on "The Art of Hybrid Teaching" and the other will provide information on "Campus Cruiser Implementation and the New R25 (Facility Scheduling) Components,"  both of which will be available to our students, faculty, and staff in the near future. At the conclusion of the break-out sessions, lunch will be served at 12:00pm provided by Bill Ellis Barbecue. We will plan to adjourn at approximately 1:30pm. All faculty and staff that are not on annual leave or attending other conferences during this time are expected to attend this opportunity to get together and learn about initiatives at the college.

• The NC Computer Instructors Association will hold its spring conference this year CCC&TI's Caldwell Campus March 9-11. Mary Kincaid, director of CCC&TI’s Information Technology Systems programs and sitting president of NC-CIA, urges any one who is interested in attended to visit the organization's web site at http://www.nc-cia.org/, where they can find conference registration information and a tentative schedule. The organization was established in 1994 to meet instructor training needs and to share information about computer technology. The college is expecting between 150-200 attendees from across the state. Also, Kincaid requests that all calls regarding the event be forwarded to either herself at 726.2340 or Betty Jolly at 726.2727.

• This week on Caldwell Connections (Feb. 18–Feb. 24): Public Information Officer Marla Christie interviews CCC&TI personnel about major happenings on campus. Connections airs on Local Access Cable Channel 3, starting 7 a.m. and again at 7 p.m. For more information or to submit story ideas, contact Marla Christie at 726-2202 or e-mail mchristie@cccti.edu.

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Feature Stories

Landscape Gardening Students Return to Southern Spring Home and Garden Show

For the second year in a row, the Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Landscape Gardening students will participate in the Southern Spring Home and Garden Show in Charlotte.

Exhibit from 2004 Garden Show

The Southern Spring Home and Garden Show is the largest garden, indoor and outdoor living show in the South, occupying 220,000 square feet of space at the Charlotte Merchandise Mart. The show begins March 2 and will last until March 6. The show is broken into eight categories which include: the Interiors Showplace, Taste and Travel, the Kitchen and Bath Pavilion, Building and Home Improvement, Decorative Arts and Crafts, the Garden Showplace, the Green Marketplace and an Outdoor Living Marketplace. CCC&TI’s garden will be featured in the Garden Showplace category.

This year, the theme of CCC&TI’s garden is entitled “Spring takes Flight over Grandfather Mountain.” The garden will feature a log cabin with a covered porch. Upon entering the garden, spectators will step onto the covered porch and hear the sound effects of rain hitting the roof. After leaving the porch, spectators will walk along a mountain trail that will feature plant life native to the Grandfather Mountain region and raptors from the Carolina Raptor Center. An educational guide will be on hand to explain the plant life and birds that are located along the trail. The backdrop of the CCC&TI garden will be a mural painting of Grandfather Mountain.

The garden is designed and built by the CCC&TI landscape gardening students. “The students take real ownership of this whole project,” said Debbie Mitchell, director of the Landscape and Gardening program at CCC&TI. Beginning February 23, students will begin a five day construction project to build the garden. “It is a real learning experience for the students,” said Mitchell. The students must learn to force plants to bloom early, they must construct the log cabin that will be in the garden and they must learn about the plant materials that will be featured in the show. Preparations for the Home and Garden show begin as early as August. “It is so worthwhile for students to participate in the show,” said Mitchell.

Grandfather Mountain is the supporting sponsor for CCC&TI in the Home and Garden Show. Specialty Stone of Morganton donated the stone used in the garden, Gwyn’s Landscaping and Water World helped with the water feature and Meadowbrook Nursery donated the native plants used in the garden.

Mitchell invited the Carolina Raptor Center to showcase their birds in the garden. “I thought it would add a lot of life,” said Mitchell. “It will certainly get us more attention,” she said. The Carolina Raptor Center, located in Huntersville, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the environmental education and conservation of birds of prey. Each year, the center receives hundreds of injured or orphaned birds of prey. Many are treated and released back into the wild. Those birds who are not able to be released back into the wild take up permanent residence with the center. Eagles, hawks, owls, vultures and falcons make the Carolina Raptor Center their home. The birds will be an exciting addition to CCC&TI’s garden at the Home and Garden Show.

The Landscape Gardening program at CCC&TI is a two year Associate of Applied Science degree program. Students have the opportunity to transfer to North Carolina A&T State University to obtain a four-year degree in landscape and gardening. Course work includes plant propagation, greenhouse and nursery plant culture, turf management, plant identification, diseases and pests of plants, maintenance and construction.  Students are required to complete three semesters of co-op work experience and one internship in their chosen area of expertise. Many students have interned with the Biltmore House, Hawks Ridge Farms, Shoemaker Landscaping, the City of Lenoir and Cottage Gardens of Morganton, as well as many others. The program provides students with real hands on, practical experience, said Mitchell. For more information on the Landscape Gardening program, contact CCC&TI at 828.726.2200.

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Civic Center hosts Best Little Whorehouse

Join in on some Chicken Ranch Hootinanny

Comedy lovers will get a belated Valentine's Day gift from the J.E. Broyhill Civic Center. The national tour of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas will take to the stage on Saturday, Feb. 26. at 7:30 p.m.

The award-winning production is based on the legendary Texas brothel, Chicken Ranch, which operated from the 1840s until 1973. The musical tells the last days of Chicken Ranch, Miss Mona, the proprietor of Chicken Ranch, and the girls who work for her, while Melvin P. Thorpe, a television broadcaster, tries to shut the establishment down.

The first production of the musical took place in 1977 in New York. Since its opening, the play has enjoyed a run of 1,584 performances before closing in 1982.

Filled with lots of laughs, singing, dancing and innocent fun, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas features such songs as "20 Fans," "Texas Has a Whorehouse in It," "The Side Step," "Good Old Girl," and "Bows."

Don't miss this opportunity to witness this naughty and heartwarming musical. Tickets for Platinum seating are $35.50 ($32.50 for subscribers) and Gold seating tickets are $32.50 ($28.50 for subscribers). To purchase tickets, contact the J.E. Broyhill Center box office at 828.726.2407. Visa, MasterCard and Discover are accepted. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.broyhillcenter.com.

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Get the Most from the CCC&TI Spring Job Fair

The CCC&TI Job Fair is on Wednesday, March 2 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.  in the college gym. The fair is open to all CCC&TI students and recent alumni. The following guide will help you prepare for the fair and make the most of you time while you are there.

Reasons to attend a job fair

Regardless of your major, years in college, or future goals, there are numerous benefits to attending a job fair. You can:

• Investigate positions and career fields you could pursue with your major and background.

• Meet representatives from organizations for whom you are interested in working.

• Get more information about specific companies and organizations.

• Gain valuable interview experience.

• Increase your chances of interviewing with an employer.

• Receive sound job search advice from seasoned company recruiters.

• Develop your network of contacts!

What to expect

Typically, job fairs are comprised of employers from specific geographic regions and/or recruit similar majors for a variety of positions. Employers expect to interact with students seeking job opportunities as well as those simply researching careers and organizations.

Most job fairs are held in one large room – the CCC&TI March 2nd Job Fair will be held in the college gym. Rows of tables are staffed by representatives from the participating organizations and decorated with table-top displays.

Student registration tables are usually located at the entrance to the job fair. Here, you might be asked to sign in, and create a name tag. A list of attending organizations will be available.

Job Fair preparation

Looking the Part: There are benefits to looking professional. Part of staying competitive is portraying an image that co-workers and clients respect. It instills self-confidence.

• Always dress for the job you want, not the one you have.

• You need to dress professionally for every job fair or interview even if the company has a casual dress policy.

Purpose of a Job Fair

Job fairs are not interviews. They are a networking opportunity for you to secure an interview. In addition, attending job fairs can assist you in developing a career path and learning more about the industry in which you plan to work.

Before the Job Fair

• Bring a minimum of 10 copies of your resume to give to recruiters.

• Develop a resume that can be read in less than 1 minute. Preferably one page.

• Dress appropriately! Wear comfortable shoes. Dress as you would for an interview.

• Obtain a list beforehand of companies that will be attending and conduct research on them. A list can be picked up in Career Services located in F Building. Check out their Web pages!

• Prepare a 2 minute introduction before the Job Fair. Be prepared to describe the job opportunities you’re looking for and the skills/experiences that you have to offer. Please practice this before you go to the fair.

At the Job Fair

• Arrive on time and obtain a list of employers.

• Identify 3 to 5 companies that interest you and make a secondary list of employers.

• When meeting a recruiter, be direct. Introduce yourself with a smile and a firm handshake.

• Your goal is to get an interview. Let them know that you’re interested.

• If they don’t ask for it, leave your resume with the employer before leaving the booth.

• Always get a business card from the employer.

• Don’t forget to network with the other participants.

Handling dialogue

You will have a very limited time with employers and will need to make a good impression and gain valuable information quickly. Carefully prepared questions can help you to learn about the company and discuss your skills. For instance:

“What skills and characteristics are you looking for in a staff accountant?”

Once the employer answers the question, follow up by using that information to sell yourself.

“As you can see from my experience, I have…”

• Have a list of 3 to 4 questions that you can ask every employer.

• Have at least one of those questions be specific to that employer.

After the Job Fair

• Follow up with a thank-you letter. If you have changes to your resume, send a revised copy along with your thank-you letter. Try to send the letter within 48 hours.
• If the recruiter has indicated that they would like to interview you, ask them when you should expect to hear from them. If you don’t hear from them by the time they specified, you should contact the recruiter.

Other tips

• Be flexible! If the next company on your list has a long line, go to another one and come back later.
• It is rare for someone to be offered a job on the spot. Understand that the employer will follow up with you if he/she is interested. It’s very important that you follow up with the employer.

— Compiled from various resources by Dana Glenn

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Cobras Take a 'Not So Pretty' Win to Wrap up Season

Caldwell Community College defeated Mayland Community College, 92-73, in its Saturday, Feb. 18 make-up game against the Mountain Lions.
"We played sloppy, but when you can win ugly, you take it," said Head Coach Bill Payne. "Our defense was stretched out all night with their three point shooting, but we still managed to control the inside and win. I hope this game lets us realize we must play hard every game in order to be successful."

This final-game-of-the-season win brings the Cobras season 19-10 finish overall and 9-0 finish in the Tarheel Conference.

The Cobras next vie for another regional title in the Region X Championship Tournament, which CCC&TI is hosting this year. The tournament winner will advance to the District VII Men's Basketball Tournament, Monday, Feb. 28.

Seeding Chart

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Upcoming Scholarship Deadlines

The following scholarship programs are open to CCC&TI students. For more information about qualifications or to obtain an application form, visit the Financial Aid office or call 726.2713 (Caldwell) or 297-5237 (Watauga).

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Spring 2005 Faculty/Staff Training Sessions
What's on tap for this week

The following training sessions are designed for faculty and staff who are interested in professional development. To sign up for sessions, go to  http://www.cccti.edu/FacultyStaff/FacStaffWS/index.htm and complete the online form. Contact Jennifer Setzer or Nancy Risch for more information.

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Continuing Education Occupational Extension Courses

Occupational Extension and Community Service Courses are free to adults 65 years of age or older. Note: No occupational extension class may be taken more than twice within a five-year period unless the student pays full cost of the course. The occupational extension repeat policy does not apply to students taking classes for certification, licensure, or recertification.

Caldwell Campus classes for 2/21 to 2/27

Registration for courses is held every Tuesday between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. in the Continuing Education Office in Beam Hall.

Watauga Campus Classes for 12/14 to 2/20

Registration for courses is held every Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Watauga Continuing Education Center on White Oak Road.

CCC&TI is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
Copyright © 2005, Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute