Pellissippi State offers “Navigating the Healthcare Landscape”

March 18th, 2010

Does the thought of healthcare reform make you feel uneasy because you’re not sure what it could mean for you?

“Navigating the Healthcare Landscape” is a new non-credit class offered through Pellissippi State Community College’s Business and Community Services that will answer many of your questions.

Tina Minnick, director of business development for the TeamHealth Medical Call Center, will conduct four one-day seminars. Participants can choose which session they’d like to attend: March 20, 9-11 a.m., April 6, 6-8 p.m., April 17, 9-11 a.m. or May 6, 6-8 p.m.

Healthcare reform trends mean that the patient will have more responsibility and accountability for their own healthcare, Minnick says. To help patients become better self-advocates, Minnick will discuss the latest news on healthcare reform and will provide information to help participants make informed decisions about their healthcare. Additionally, she will give tips and tools to help communicate with medical professionals and will introduce Web sites comparing doctors and hospitals in the Knoxville area.

The seminars will be held on the Pellissippi Campus on Hardin Valley Road. The cost is $39 per person or $49 per couple. Register by calling Business and Community Services at (865) 539-7167.

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“I Thought You’d Never Ask” to be presented at Pellissippi State

March 17th, 2010

Toni McDaniel says she was sitting at a fundraising dinner when a man in his fifties “went off like a Roman candle.”

That was about 25 years ago when she was a graduate student. But McDaniel, now a history professor at Pellissippi State Community College, still remembers the dinner conversation.

“When he found out that I was a graduate student teaching Western Civilization, he became very irate. He was still incensed that he’d had to take Western Civilization as a college student. I never really got to respond to him,” she said.

Twenty-five years later, McDaniel will finally be able to have her say. As part of the Pellissippi State’s Faculty Lecture Series, McDaniel will give a talk on history that is largely an answer to the question posed to her so many years ago: Why do I need to take Western Civilization?

McDaniel will present “I Thought You’d Never Ask: Historical Oddities, Trivialities and Absurdities” March 18 from 12:15 to 1:15 in the Goins Building Auditorium at the Pellissippi Campus on Hardin Valley Road. The community is invited to attend the free event. She says she will reveal many weird facts in history.

“I’ll be telling the real stories. For instance, George Washington did not have wooden teeth. The truth is a lot more interesting,” says McDaniel. ‘I’ll tell the story of how masking tape brought down a presidency and how a telephone operator changed the course of women’s history.

“I want the audience to be inspired, intrigued and maybe even shocked by history,” she said. “If you read enough history, you’ll find things that will make you gasp, make you laugh, make you cry, inspire you.”

The next lecture in the series is “Connection, Perception and Collaboration:  The Neurobiology of Being Human,” by Ron Bridges, associate professor, Natural and Behavioral Sciences, 12:30 -1:30 p.m., April 15, in the same location.

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‘Affrilachian Experience’ at Pellissippi State set for March 17

March 16th, 2010

When you think of Appalachians, what comes to mind? Probably not African-Americans, says Jesse Williams Jr.

Williams is scheduled to speak at Pellissippi State Community College on Wednesday, March 17. In his presentation, “The Affrilachian Experience,” he will relate his experiences growing up black in Appalachia, concluding with a question-and-answer session. The word “Affrilachian” was coined by poet Frank X Walker to describe people of African descent from the Appalachian region.

The event, originally set for Feb. 15, is 10:50-11:50 a.m. in the Goins Building Auditorium on the Pellissippi Campus, 10915 Hardin Valley Road.

The discussion is part of a series of the college’s Common Academic Experience activities, which this academic year revolve around “Storming Heaven,” by Denise Giardina. The historical novel of the coal-mining wars in Appalachia is the Common Book choice for the academic year.

Williams is a 2002 Pellissippi State graduate. He is an assistant professor of English at Roane State Community College and the coordinator of Roane State’s Learning Center at the Oak Ridge Branch Campus.

As a teenager attending Bearden High School, Williams began writing poems in his spare time. He received his bachelor’s degree from East Tennessee State University. He then enrolled in graduate school at Hollins University in Virginia, where he earned a master’s degree in screenwriting and film studies in 2005 and an M.F.A. in screenwriting in 2006. Recently, Williams began coursework for a Ph.D. in English from Middle Tennessee State University.

“I have always resided in some part of the ‘cultural region’ of Appalachia,” he said.

“I often found myself the only minority student in my English classes, especially graduate school classes. It’s an area that people don’t normally identify a young black male with.”

For more information, contact Ed Francisco, Pellissippi State’s writer-in-residence, at (865) 694-6744.

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Career Fair scheduled for March 24

March 15th, 2010

Pellissippi State’s annual career fair for students will be held Wednesday, March 24, from 9 a.m. to noon in the College Center on the Pellissippi Campus. Dozens of employers will be on hand to network with and collect resumes from soon-to-be graduates who are looking for full-time employment in their chosen field and from students seeking part-time jobs or internships.

To ensure students make the best possible impression at the career fair, a series of workshops on writing cover letters and resumes and making a professional impression are planned for Monday, March 15, from 2-3 p.m. Each 25-minute workshop will be offered twice, but space is limited, so please email Lisa Bogaty at lbogaty@pstcc.edu to register. There is no cost to attend.

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Pellissippi State offers free films about Appalachia

March 13th, 2010

Pellissippi State Community College invites the community to view two free films about Appalachia as part of this year’s Common Academic Experience, which is based around the book “Storming Heaven” by Denise Giardina.

“Country Boys” parts I and II will be shown March 18 and March 25, respectively. In the film, acclaimed producer David Sutherland tells an epic tale of two boys coming of age in Kentucky’s Appalachian hills, documenting their struggles to overcome hardship and poverty and find meaning in their lives.

“Harlan County, U.S.A.” will be shown April 8. This film documents the coal miners’ strike at the Brookside Mine in Harlan County, Kentucky in the early 1970s. The film won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Director Barbara Kopple puts the strike in perspective by giving background on the plight of the miners and on the history and role of the United mine Workers of America.

The movies will be shown at both 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. in the Goins Building Auditorium on the Pellissippi Campus on Hardin Valley Road. For more information, contact Patricia Zingg at (865) 694-6679.

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2009 Fall Academic Achievers

March 12th, 2010

Pellissippi State Community College has named 561 part-time students to the list of “Academic Achievers” for fall 2009. To be included, a student must earn a grade point average of 3.50-4.00, be degree-seeking and have completed 6 to 11 college-level hours per term of Pellissippi State coursework. Honorees include—

Kacie Abbott
Janet Abrahamson
Catrina Adams
Katie Adcock
Stephanie Ader
Karen Akins
Joshua Alexander
Angela Allen
Irina Allen
Bethany Allen
Thomas Aloisi
Christina Ambern
Trudy Anderson
Jean Andrews
Vanessa Angel
Theresa Applegate
Amy Arwood
Richard Atherton
Stephanie Atkins
Erin Bailey
Jessica Bailey
Patricia Baker
Norman Ballard
Megan Banker
Philip Barnes
James Barnt
Kheri Batal
Laymon Bates
Maseena Battles
Floyd Bays
John Bean
Jillian Beeler
Noelle Bell
Rebecca Bell
Reginald Bell
Mohamed Ben Ayara
John Berggren
Mark Bernhard
Angela Berry
Rebecca Berry
Brandon Best
Andrea Bianco
Christa Bibbs
Carol Blaha
Susan Blaine
Jennifer Blankenship
Scott Blind
Rocky Blue
Karen Boots
Traci Borden
David Boruff
Lainie Boruff
Anita Bowden
Laura Bowles
Tasha Boyd
Kimberly Brach
James Brady
Rebecca Bragg
Dustin Breeden
Rachael Bridget
Alexander Briggs
Edward Briggs
Sara Briggs
Susan Brilliant
Gary Brinkley
Bradley Brisson
Ashley Brooks
John Brown
Liam Brown
Nicholas Brown
Ryan Broyles
Tiffany Brummitt
Amy Bryson
Joshua Buchanan
Jeremy Buck
Bonnie Buffaloe
Steven Bumpus
Suhair Burbar
Schuylar Burgess
Paula Burkhart
Stephanie Burress
Rosalie Burris
Israel Burton
Gwen Butler
Kasie Cagle
Aron Caldwell
Cynthia Campbell
Darby Campbell
James Campbell
Whitney Cantillo
Erin Captain
Megan Captain
Amy Cardwell
Roger Carico
Kristen Carney
Timothy Carpenter
Daniel Carter
Brett Castilaw
Ginger Chandler
Tara Chandler
Seong Chung
Simon Ciptadi
Erin Clark
Rachel Clark
Michael Clemmons
Stephanie Clifton
James Cole
Tasha Cole
Joshua Combs
Felicia Cook
Barbara Cooper
Christopher Coves
Amy Cox
Ian Cox
Laura Cox
Lori Craig
Barbara Crane
Jessie Crane
Matthew Crescenzi
Adam Cross
Leah Croxton
Michelle Crumpley
Erin Cupp
Shani Cutler
Lee Cutshaw
Kandace Dalton
Abigail Davis
George Davis
Joseph Davis
Daryl Decosta
Adrienne Diaz
Jerrica Dickenson
Danielle Dixon
Deidra Dixon
Dawn Dobbelaer
Brianna Dockins
Kierstan Donaldson
Ryan Dorman
David Draper
David Driver
Jana Ducharme
Kristy Duff
Brian Duncan
Jill Dunn
Jordan Durkee
Kelly Duvall
Ralph Dyer
John Eastman
Robert Edmonds
Jeffrey Epperson
Heather Everett
Alicia Fain
Kimberly Fain
Ibukun Fakoya
Jada Fanning
David Farmer
Stephanie Farrar
Briane Farrell
Charles Fielder
Kevin Fillers
Kenneth Finnell
Christopher Flanagan
Nichole Fletcher
Christie Ford
James Ford
Emily Foster
Bryan Fox
Justin Fraser
Seth Frazee
Donna Free
Tonya Freels
Blakely Gallagher
Kara Galyon
Nicole Gann
Margaret Gardner
Candice Garrison
Erin Garty
Jackson Gaskin
Jeanne Geissberger
Savannah Gentry
Courtney Gerringer
Mary Gonzalez
Julie Goodfellow
Tammie Goodin
Jeffrey Gowin
Mary Graff
Adam Graham
Chrystal Graham
Michael Graham
Asia Graves
Connie Gredig
Amy Green
Seth Green
Carrie Greene
Tovah Greenwood
Stephanie Griffin
Sarah Grissom
Jeffrey Grissom
Rodney Grugin
Paisley Gunter
Justin Guy
Melissa Guzman
Matthew Haines
J. N. Hancock
Kari Hancock
Tammy Hancock
Elizabeth Handlon
Emil Harbin
Melissa Hardin
Jodi Hardybala
Daniel Harmon
Melody Harrington
Chelsea Hassell
Heather Haston
Jesse Hawkins
Jessica Hawkins
Michael Hayden
Katherine Hayes
Michael Haynes
Joy Heavilon
Adam Hedrick
Jonathan Hedrick
Angelia Hembree
Bryan Henderson
Joshua Henegar
Vanessa Hensley
Thomas Hesseling
Jessica Heywood
Karmen Hickey
Christopher Hickman
Christy Hickman
Jan Hill
Russell Hill
Alexandra Hinton
Heather Holbrook
Dustin Hollis
Kimberly Holloway
Ragan Holloway
Harlan Holmes
Julia Homan
Adam Hookman
Jessica Hopkins
Stephen Horrocks
Jarred Horton
Seth Horton
Holly Hosford
Casey Housewright
Christopher Howard
Jamie Human
Kacey Hunt
Rachel Hunt
Samantha Hutcheson
Laura Hutson
Rachel Hutton
Carla Huxtable
Sandra Hyatt
Aaron Hyde
Robert Irving
Russell Ivey
Sara Jacobs
Leanne Jakubowski
Yvon Jean Baptiste
Anastasha Jett
Kathryn Johnson
Liliya Johnson
Michael Johnson
Mollie Johnson
Monique Johnson
Robert Jones
Jacqueline Joyner
Jeremy Kashif
Zachary Keith
Hanna Kelley
Ava Kelly
Kathryn Kennard
Joequetta Kennedy
Sadia Khan
Jessie Kidwell
Patrick Killeen
Andrew King
Barry King
Natasha King
Kayla Kitchin
Stephanie Kite
Douglas Klaras
Tracy Klenke
Patricia Kopinski
Thomas Kroll
Ashley Krupka
Rachel Kuchar
Candice Kyle
Jeffrey Lakey
Bryan Landenberger
Amy Lane
Brandon Lane
Jason Lane
Teresa Larmoyeux
Greg Larson
Christopher Lassen
Pamela Lau
Ginger Lau
Christopher Lawless
Kelly Ledford
Alexis Leeper
Chad Lehmann
Matthew Lewis
Filippo Limandri
James Locke
Gregory Lollar
Jeremiah Long
Megan Loveland
Bryce Loveless
Jessica Lowe
Trevor Lowe
Heather Lowery
Stacy Loy
Clinton Luna
Patrick Macdonald
Steve Mangham
Sandra Marine
Emily Martin
Alexandria Mash
Laura Matthews
Tara Maxwell
James McClane
Quinton McCroskey
Ryan McCuen
Christopher McDaniel
Evan McDonald
Christina McElyea
Stephanie McKenzie
Michael McLeod
Marc Messer
Phillip Michael II
Elizabeth Middleton
Shellie Middleton
Vanessa Mieloch
Allison Miller
Amanda Miller
Connie Miller
Elizabeth Miller
Kathryn Miller
Travis Miller
Daniel Mills
Chelsea Miraglia
David Mitchell
Katherine Mitchell
Michael Mitchell
Laura Mohr
Kelly Moore
Enterria Moore-Faulkner
Kenneth Moorhouse
Holly Morin
Stephen Morris
Steven Morris
James Morrison
Tara Morrison
Asya Mounger
Jacquelyn Mullins
Andrew Murray
Robin Nettles
Yen Nguyen
Bradley Nicole
Mackenzie Nix
Simon Njoroge
Sharon Noble
Farhaz Nooralli
Justin Nupp
Joshua O’Banion
Kimberly Olsen
Jayson Ownsby
Benjamin Painter
Ashley Palmer
Elizabeth Parks
Kenneth Parrott
Joshua Patterson
Philip Payne
Christopher Pearson
Benjamin Pemberton
Constance Perkins
Christopher Perryman
Heather Petree
Travis Phibbs
Jada Phifer
Nicholas Phillips
Matthew Pih
Stefanie Pilkay
Ashley Pilkington
Matthew Poe
Angela Porter
Jordan Potts
Kathryn Pratt
Stacy Price
Hannah Proffitt
Jason Raby
Niloo RanJan
William Randolph
Jason Rathburn
Willard Ratliff
Tonya Ray
Jason Reed
Ryan Reuss
Chesney Reynolds
Taylor Rhea
Jenna Rhodes
Jason Richards
Diana Roberts
Jason Roberts
Stephen Roberts
Jula Robertson
April Robinson
Julie Robinson
Iriani Rodriguez
Wesle Roedersheimer
Steven Rogers
Kimberly Rop
Lauren Roper
Tiffany Rose
Saundra Rosenbalm
Quella Ruble
Sarah Rueff
Natalie Rule
Kyle Russell
Phillip Ruth
Yaneth Ryion
Amanda Samsel
Renee Sanabria
Michelle Sanders
Jessica Sanderson
Krista Sapp
Scott Saulpaw
Rayleana Schenkenfelder
Danny Schrimsher
Kelly Scott
Jessica Scrudder
Jennifer Seagraves
Jennifer Sebek
Becky Seepe
Sarah Sexton
Melissa Shaw
Aaron Shealy
Christina Shelley
Debra Shepard
Kristina Shermer
Sheena Shoopman
Nicole Shuey
Sandra Sila-Massengill
Jonathan Simonian
Whitney Simpson
Amber Slaterbeck
Josh Sluder
Deborah Smallwood
Aaron Smith
Brianne Smith
Ivan Smith
James Smith
Jona Smith
Blair Spath
Brooke Spath
Sharon Splane
Tonya Stanley
Ryan Stansbury
Joshua Stephens
Daniel Stewart
Yvette Stilwell
Michael Stokes
Christopher Strickland
Kimberly Stringfellow
Dustin Stutts
Nancy Sutton
Tim Tallent
Amanda Tallent
Jerrett Tate
Celisa Tate
Cheri Taylor
Kurt Taylor
Mark Taylor
Scott Teasley
Sean Templin
Robyn-Lanae Thames
Stephani Thornton
Anna Threlkeld
Lauren Tidwell
Shawn Tisdale
Amanda Titlow
Debbie Tran
Gregory Trinkle
Melissa Trinkle
Daniel Tucker
Tiffany Tweed
Yoko Umezawa
Peggy Underwood
Robert Upchurch
Jodi Vance
Eric Vess
Morgan Vetter
Eric Vidal
Jeffrey Voliton
Kristen Von Clef
Denise Wade
Justin Walden
Buffie Walker
Robert Walker
Thomas Walker
April Walker
Rebekah Wallace
Corwin Walls
Christopher Walton
Chooi-Ping Wan
William Warden
Cassandra Warner
Matthe Warnick
Samuel Warwick
Melissa Waters
Kathryn Watson
Julie Watson
Michael Weatherly
Rusty Webb
Ursula Weiland
Gillian Weir
Sarah Wells
Zachary Wells
Ruby West
Sherry West
Mary Wheeler
Megan White
Benny Whitehead
Iris Whitehead
Kim Whitlock
Julia Widby
Wojciech Wiktor
James Wilkerson
Tammy Wilkerson
Mason Willet
Adam Williams
Anghelica Williams
Chan Williams
Kyle Williams
Olivia Williams
Ryan Williamson
Bridgett Wilson
Donald Wilson
Sandra Wilson
Cody Windeknecht
Katrina Winebrenner
Ronda Winn
Jessica Winston
Carl Wisecaver
David Witucki
Danielle Wolcott
Nathaniel Wood
Juliette Wood
Leslee Wood
Susan Woody
Leslie Wortman
Stephanie Yager
Emily Yancey
Stephen Yeager
Denise Yeo
Ricardo Zapata
Ryan Zotz

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Pellissippi State invites public to March 22 discussion about coal mining

March 11th, 2010

Coal. It’s a four-letter word for some and bread on the table for others.

Monday, March 22, Pellissippi State Community College is hosting a free panel discussion on the topic that features faculty and staff. “Appalachian Coal Families” is 11:50 a.m.-12:45 p.m. in the Goins Building Auditorium on the Pellissippi Campus, 10915 Hardin Valley Road.

Panelists with a background in coal mining will recount their personal experiences, then open the floor to the audience. The discussion is part of a series of Common Academic Experience activities that revolve around “Storming Heaven,” by Denise Giardina. The historical novel of the coal-mining wars in Appalachia is the college’s Common Book choice for the academic year.

“We’re going to talk about coal mining and the coal industry and our families’ experiences with that and how something so destructive is still people’s livelihoods,” said Denise Reed, an assistant professor at Pellissippi State and the event organizer.

The next presentation in the series is a talk by George Brosi, editor of Appalachian Heritage, a literary journal published by Berea College in Kentucky.

For more information on the panel discussion, contact Pellissippi State’s English Department at (865) 694-6708.

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Irish Heritage Month celebrated with bands, dancers

March 10th, 2010
Red-Haired Mary

Red-Haired Mary

If your last name is Smith, Johnson, Williams, Brown or Jones, you probably have some Irish ancestors to thank, says Wikipedia. As a matter of fact, more than 11 percent of all Americans are of Irish descent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Pellissippi State Community College celebrates Irish Heritage Month on March 16 with Celtic music and highland dancing. The community is invited to join students, faculty and staff for the free festivities from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Goins Building Auditorium at the Pellissippi Campus on Hardin Valley Road.

Red-Haired Mary will perform traditional and contemporary Irish and Celtic songs, sometimes in Irish and often in four-part harmony, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The Knoxville-based group uses instruments some in the audience may never heard: the tin whistle, bones, bouzouki (similar to a mandolin), and a bodhran (an Irish drum).

East Tennessee Highland Dancers

Following Red-Haired Mary, the Sevierville-based Tuatha Dea Drum Nation presents an eclectic mix of Scotch-Irish music. The group does its own “punkish” renditions of such classics as “Whiskey in a Jar” and “Loch Lomond.” The performance is 12:45-1:45 p.m.

The East Tennessee Highland Dancers round out the celebration by performing 2-3 p.m. The Oak Ridge-based group is made up of young dancers of mostly Celtic descent, led by instructor Tracey Rast. The dancers present original, choreographed pieces as well as traditional highland dances, including a Scottish version of the Irish jig. Rast and her daughter, Taylor, a student at Pellissippi State, will perform with the troupe.

For more information, contact Gayle Wood at (865) 539-7160 or gwood@pstcc.edu.

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Pellissippi State offers free ESOL, TOEFL, citizenship classes

March 3rd, 2010

The Adult Education Program at Pellissippi State Community College is offering free English Speakers of Other Languages and Test of English as a Foreign Language classes at the following locations in and around Knoxville:

Oak Ridge/West Knox

  • St. Mary’s Catholic Church
    327 Vermont Ave. (Oak Ridge)
    ESOL Beginner-Advanced
    Mondays and Wednesdays 6-8 p.m.
    Childcare is available.
  • Pellissippi Campus
    10915 Hardin Valley Road
    Room 330, Educational Resources Center
    Advanced ESOL/TOEFL Prep
    Mondays and Wednesdays 5-8 p.m.

    ESOL Intermediate-Advanced
    Mondays and Thursdays 1-3 p.m.

  • Middlebrook Pike United Methodist Church
    7234 Middlebrook Pike
    ESOL Beginner- Intermediate
    Wednesdays and Thursdays, 7-9 p.m.

Downtown Knoxville

  • Church Street United Methodist Church
    900 Henley Street
    ESOL Beginner-Intermediate
    Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7 -9 p.m.
    Childcare is available.

East/North Knoxville

  • Norwood United Methodist Church
    2110 Merchant Drive
    ESOL Beginner-Intermediate
    Classes: Sundays 6-8 p.m.
  • Washington Pike United Methodist Church
    2241 Washington Pike
    ESOL Beginner – Intermediate
    Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 9 – 11 a.m.

South Knoxville

  • Montgomery Village Baptist Church
    4601 Joe Lewis Road
    ESOL Beginner-Intermediate
    Wednesdays and Fridays, 9 – 11 a.m.

Students should show up at class to register. Call 865-539-7109 for more information.

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Pellissippi State offers free adult education programs

March 2nd, 2010

Is it time to make some changes in your life? What better way than to improve your basic skills and/or earn your GED?

The Adult Education Program at Pellissippi State Community College is here to help. We offer free basic skills and GED preparation using a variety of teaching strategies, including small-group instruction, one-on-one tutoring, computer tutorials, and written materials.

Students can work at their own pace, and with the help of dedicated, caring teachers, many reach their goals or significantly improve their basic skills or get their GED after only a few weeks of study.

The Adult Education Program is offered at two locations, the Pellissippi Campus on Hardin Valley Road in West Knoxville and the Heart of Knoxville Career and Resource Center at the Magnolia Avenue Campus in East Knoxville. Day and evening hours are available to accommodate the working and family needs of our adult students.

“Improving your education is a great gift to give yourself that often results in opening doors to a brighter and more satisfying future,” said Joan Newman, Adult Education supervisor. Come take the first step–call the Adult Education Program at (865) 539-7109 to schedule an appointment or find out more.

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