Archive for August, 2009

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Pellissippi State balloon festival lights Tennessee night sky Sept. 25-26

Monday, August 31st, 2009

Imagine a pond surrounded by glowing hot air balloons, set against the nighttime backdrop of an East Tennessee rolling landscape. That’s one of many attractions spectators will enjoy Friday and Saturday, Sept. 25 and 26, at Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville.

The sixth annual Pellissippi State Hot Air Balloon Festival brings balloonists from across the country to participate in the event, which also features live music and entertainment, children’s activities, food, arts and crafts vendors, and tethered balloon rides. The Southeast Tourism Society has ranked the two-day festival as one of the Top 20 Events in the Southeast for September 2009.

The “balloon glow,” always the most popular activity, lights up the sky beginning at dusk each evening. Tethered balloon rides (weather permitting and for an additional fee) offer a view of the landscape most people have never experienced.

Making a special appearance at this year’s event is the Energizer Bunny Hot Hare Balloon, the tallest hot air balloon in the world. At 166 feet, Hot Hare is 15 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty. The ears alone are 60 feet—that’s as tall as the presidents’ faces on Mount Rushmore and also the height of an entire average-size hot air balloon.

The Hot Hare is touring 20 cities as part of the 20th birthday of the Energizer Bunny, and no other stops are planned in Tennessee.

This year’s festival offers a variety of music choices. Taking the main stage courtesy of sponsor WIVK radio is Fast Ryde, a hot new country duo with a just-released song on Billboard’s Top 40 country singles chart. Band members James Harrison (who has Knoxville ties) and Jody Stevens write and produce their own music.

Fast Ryde performs at 7:15 p.m. on Friday. Additional musical performers during the two days include Homer Hart, J. Luke Cochran, Kata and the Blaze and Dishwater Blonde.

The festival’s non-musical entertainment also is varied—it ranges from local performers familiar to Knoxvillians to out-of-state guests who are sure to be welcomed. Two of the highlights:

• Einstein, the Knoxville Zoo’s African grey parrot who stars in “The Bird Show” at the zoo, shows off her command of more than 200 cues. (Yes, Einstein is a female.) The parrot is featured on Animal Planet’s Web site as one of the “Most Watched Pet Stars.” Einstein and friends perform on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
• The Ultimate Canines, a Missouri-based team of 14 dogs, perform high jumps, agility races, disc catches and, yes, doggy dancing. Owners Tom and Mary Clements, who tour the country with their Ultimutts, describe the performing canines as “dogs found on the streets, rescued from pounds, shelters … not your typical high-breed, high-priced pups.” Due to their popularity, the Ultimate Canines are slated for six shows during the festival.

“This family-oriented event will have something to delight all ages,” said Pat Myers, who as director of Alumni Relations and Foundation events for the Pellissippi State Foundation coordinates the festival. The event is a Foundation fundraiser that supports new programs, technology, equipment and scholarships.

The children’s activities, which Myers says make up a large portion of the festivities, read like a festival in and of themselves. A sampling:

• Knox County firehouse
• Knox County Imagination Library
• Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge
• Army National Guard climbing wall
• Face painting, tattoos and crafts
• Fingerprinting with McGruff the Crime Dog

There’s even a Walgreens Boo Boo Station.

Add food vendors, arts and crafts vendors and, most important, a good cause, and you have a Knoxville event not to be missed.

Admission is $10 for a vehicle pass, per day. Walk-ons will be charged $5 per person. Festival hours for the event, which takes place around the pond on the Pellissippi Campus, 10915 Hardin Valley Road, are 4-9:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25, and noon-9:30 on Saturday, Sept. 26.

For additional information and a complete list of activities, visit www.pstcc.edu/balloons or call (865) 694-6400.

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Phase I renovations almost done at Pellissippi State’s Magnolia Avenue Campus

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

While students work inside, construction crews will be working outside at the Magnolia Avenue Campus of Pellissippi State Community College come fall semester. The payoff will be an updated 1950s Modernist style that features many contemporary design elements.

Fall semester begins Aug. 29.

“I’m excited about the exterior renovations,” said Rosalyn Tillman, assistant dean of the campus. “The upgrade will be an opportunity for this campus to have a more collegiate feel. That’s good for our students and the college as well.”

Thanks to a $1.2 million state-funded budget, replacement windows facing Magnolia Avenue will serve the dual purpose of being attractive and increasing energy efficiency for the building.

The highlight of Phase I, which is scheduled to be complete by the end of October, is a new façade that features staggered zinc panels along with backlit polycarbonate panels. New signage, stairways, ramps to provide accessibility, a video surveillance system and extensive landscaping will round out the improvements, according to Dave Walton, director of Facilities, Safety and Security for the college.

Phase 2, scheduled for next summer, will address the back side of the building, with an emphasis on energy conservation and reduced maintenance costs, Walton says. Windows will be replaced, exterior lighting will be improved and the surveillance system will be enhanced.

The Magnolia Avenue Campus opened in 2000 and has grown to a student population of 400.

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Pellissippi State names spring Academic Achievers

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

Pellissippi State Community College has named 502 part-time students as Academic Achievers for spring 2009. To make the list, 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—

Catrina Adams
Tammy Adams
Amanda Ailey
Amber Albritton
Joshua Alexander
Irina Allen
Robert Allen
Katie Alsup
Christina Ambern
Joshua Anderson (more…)

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Pellissippi State provides free GED preparation

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

The Adult Education Program at Pellissippi State Community College offers free classes to prepare participants to take the GED test.

Day or evening classes are available Monday through Friday, for people ages 18 and over who want to earn a high school equivalency diploma. Individuals who are 17 years old may participate with an attendance waiver from their high school.

The GED program uses small-group or individualized instruction, computer tutorials, videotapes and printed materials to help people achieve their personal, educational and career goals.

The Adult Education Program at Pellissippi State provides three main preparation sites in Knoxville: Northeast, West and Downtown. Classes are scheduled to accommodate the needs of most adults.

In addition to the GED, the college also offers classes to prepare people to take exams for a variety of employment and educational opportunities: the ASVAB to join the military, PRAXIS to become a teacher’s assistant, business/industry-required basic skills exams and college placement exams.

To learn more about the GED classes and upcoming class orientations, please call (865) 539-7109.

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Pellissippi State provides free ESOL classes

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

Interested in improving your English listening, speaking, reading and writing skills?
The Adult Education Program at Pellissippi State Community College offers several free English Speakers of Other Languages classes and preparation for the Test of English as a Foreign Language around the area.

The classes, which run through Dec. 13, are for adults at a beginner to advanced level. To enroll, just come to the class during its meeting time. It is never too late to join.

Locations and other details—unless listed otherwise, locations are in Knoxville:

  • Church Street United Methodist Church, 900 Henley St.; beginner-intermediate level; 7-9 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays (child care available), started July 7.
  • Heart of Knoxville Career and Resource Center, Pellissippi State’s Magnolia Avenue Campus, 1610 E. Magnolia Ave.; intermediate-advanced level; 5-7 p.m. Wednesdays, started July 8.
  • Middlebrook Pike United Methodist Church, 7234 Middlebrook Pike; beginner-intermediate level; 7-9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, starts Sept. 15.
  • Montgomery Village Baptist Church, 4601 Joe Lewis Road; beginner-intermediate level; 9-11 a.m. Wednesdays and Fridays, started July 8.
  • New Vision Fellowship Church, 3343 Dewine Road; beginner-intermediate level; 2-4 p.m. Saturdays, started July 11.
  • Norwood United Methodist Church, 2110 Merchant Dr.; beginner-advanced level; 6:30-8:30 p.m. Sundays, starts Sept. 20.
  • Pellissippi State’s Pellissippi Campus, Educational Resources Center, Room 123, 10915 Hardin Valley Road; intermediate-advanced; 1-3 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays, started July 6.
  • Pellissippi State’s Pellissippi Campus, Educational Resources Center, Room 123, 10915 Hardin Valley Road; advanced-level ESOL/TOEFL prep; 5-8 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, starts Sept. 14.
  • St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 327 Vermont Ave., Oak Ridge; beginner-advanced level; 6-8 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, starts Sept. 14.
  • Virginia Avenue United Methodist Church, 2201 Virginia Ave.; beginner-intermediate level; 10-noon Saturdays (child care available), started July 11.
  • Washington Pike United Methodist Church, 2241 Washington Pike; beginner-intermediate level; 5-7 p.m. Saturdays (child care available), started July 11.

Classes cover conversational English, American culture and traditions, vocabulary development, reading with understanding, English grammar, form completion, message and letter writing, and more.

For more information about the classes, call (865) 539-7109.

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Pellissippi State presents summer dean’s list

Tuesday, August 18th, 2009

Pellissippi State Community College has named 30 top students to the summer dean’s list. To make the list, a student must take a full course load and earn a minimum 3.5 grade point average. Students are eligible for the dean’s list upon the completion of 12 college-level credit hours (per term) of Pellissippi State course work with a minimum 3.5 GPA earned for the semester. The 12 credit hour requirement does not include developmental courses in which a student may have been enrolled and completed.
(more…)

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Pellissippi State sees large increase in enrollment for fall semester

Friday, August 14th, 2009

Pellissippi State Community College’s enrollment for the fall semester is currently up 25 percent compared to this time last year, which could present some issues for students who haven’t yet registered or paid for their classes, according to college officials.

“Many of the classes we’re currently offering are already full,” said Anthony Wise, vice president of Learning. “We’ve begun adding additional sections of classes, but we’re reaching our limit in terms of space and faculty.”

Wise is encouraging students who have already registered to pay their tuition now in order to hold their classes. He also suggests that students do not wait until the deadline to register or they may not get the classes they desire.

The increase in students is not limited to Pellissippi State. Community colleges across Tennessee are reporting a flood of new and returning students looking to bolster their job prospects with degrees.

“The community colleges are absolutely booming. We’re hearing the technical centers are already at capacity as well,” said Richard Rhoda, executive director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. “The economy is down. It’s cause and effect.”

Pellissippi State introduced the Weekend Scholars this semester in anticipation of the crunch. Students who enroll in weekend classes will pay only half the usual cost of tuition.

For more information, visit Pellissippi State’s Web site at www.pstcc.edu or call (865) 694-6400

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Pellissippi State hiring adjunct faculty

Friday, August 14th, 2009

Pellissippi State Community College is looking for individuals to teach developmental courses in math, writing and reading for the fall semester. Qualified applicants must have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in the discipline or a related field.

Positions are also available for adjunct faculty to teach art, college success, economics, English, math (especially statistics), sociology, Spanish and speech communications. These applicants must have a master’s degree with a minimum of 18 graduate hours in the subject field.

Applications are being accepted now. To apply, go to the Pellissippi State Web site at www.pstcc.edu/hr/employment. For more information, call Human Resources at (865) 694-6607.

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Pellissippi State reshapes Engineering Technology to meet community needs

Thursday, August 13th, 2009

Pellissippi State Community College is combining several programs and concentrations and creating one interdisciplinary program—Engineering Technology—to provide broader background knowledge and skills for graduates and to better serve the community.

Effective fall semester, the college will merge its four Engineering Technology programs—Civil, Computer Integrated Drafting and Design, Electrical and Mechanical—and two of MET’s concentrations—Manufacturing and Mechanical—into one Associate of Applied Science degree program with seven concentrations.

“The Engineering Technology redesign was brought about in response to the changing needs of local industries as reflected in surveys and discussions as well as advice from the program’s industrial advisory committees,” said Margaret Ann Jeffries, dean of the Engineering and Media Technologies Department at Pellissippi State.

The new Engineering Technology will offer concentrations in CET, CIDD, EET, MET, Industrial Automation, Industrial Maintenance (“Mechatronics”) and Manufacturing.

All of the concentrations within the new degree program include 9 hours of common core courses. Two of the courses also will be available to high school students in the Dual Enrollment program. Dual enrollment allows high school students to earn high school and college credit simultaneously.

For more information on the Engineering Technology program and its concentrations, visit www.pstcc.edu or contact Margaret Ann Jeffries, mjeffries@pstcc.edu or (865) 539-7084.

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Call goes out to audition for fall’s ‘Good and Plenty’ at Pellissippi State

Thursday, August 13th, 2009

Pellissippi State Community College will host auditions for its fall play production of “Good and Plenty.” Auditions are 7-9 p.m. Sept. 2-3 in the Clayton Performing Arts Center, located on the Pellissippi Campus on Hardin Valley Road.

The play, which is set in the 1970s, is a tour de force acting opportunity, according to Charles Miller, an associate professor of Theatre at the college.

“There are great roles for men,” he said, “all of whom play two or three characters.”
Those auditioning will be asked for prepared pieces, but cold readings also will be accepted. The cast list will be announced on Friday, Sept. 4. Rehearsals begin the next week and are typically scheduled Sunday through Thursday, 7-10 p.m.

The production will compete in the American College Theatre Festival in late January 2010 and will have an opportunity to be staged at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

For more information, contact Miller at cmiller@pstcc.edu or (865) 694-6684.

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