Pierce College News

Gloria DeGaetano, M.Ed., founder and CEO of the Parent Coaching Institute, will present Countering Media Violence at 7:30 p.m., Jan. 17, in Room L244 of the Brouillet Library/Science Building, Pierce College Puyallup, 1601 39th Ave. SE in the South Hill area. The lecture is free and open to the public. The Stop The Violence Coalition, Pierce College and Good Samaritan Hospital are sponsoring the event. For more information, contact the hospital’s foundation at (253) 848-6661, ext. 1522.

DeGaetano has made child development in the digital age her area of expertise. Her presentation focuses on imperatives for healthy brain development and taking action against media violence by meeting the developmental needs of children and teens in today’s culture. Her newest book is Stop Teaching Our Kids To Kill: A Call to Action Against TV, Movie and Video Game Violence, co-authored with Lt. Col. Dave Grossman.

In addition to 25 years of experience in the classroom, administration, curriculum development and instruction, DeGaetano has been tapped for interviews by national media and writes a monthly column for the Kids Count newspaper. For more information, access www.growsmartbrains.com.

“As I was painting I was thinking, ‘Wow, I’m doing something(to help).’ I kept thinking of all the people who fought to make the loss less for the rest of us. It was great to be able to give back to them and their families.” – Nicole Hoffman, Running Start student, Buckley

Though she doesn’t consider herself an “art person,” Nicole Hoffman certainly spent a lot of time with paint on her fingers this fall. Hoffman was part of the Intro to Art class at Pierce College Puyallup that painted an entire van with patriotic motifs. The van project was a fund-raiser for the firefighters’ relief fund in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

“I did a little bit of everything,” she said. “I was on four or five committees, but I ended up doing a lot of painting.”

The Running Start student from Buckley said the art class ended up taking more time than any of her other classes, but she has no regrets.

“It was definitely and adventure. I learned how a project like this gets done and how many streams have to come together to make it work from certificates to how to get the work done.”

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Chas Rawlings brought his talents to the vanagon project for all the right reasons.

“I never really did anything (after the terrorist attacks) and this was my way of helping out. I thought this would be a good place to put my effort” since the sale of the patriotically painted van will benefit the Twin Towers Firefighters fund.

Rawlings is in another of instructor Elizabeth Sorensen’s art classes at Pierce College Puyallup, but the Sumner High School graduate joined the Intro to Art class to help with the detail work on the van.

“This was an extra big project,” he smiled. “I’ve done one mural before but this took a lot of time.”

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“Elizabeth (Sorensen, instructor) had this great attitude from the beginning,” said Ericka Lindstrom, a nursing student in Sorensen’s Intro to Art class at Pierce College Puyallup. “She helped us keep our confidence up.”
Between Sept. 25 and Nov. 23, Sorensen and her class did an amazing amount of work. In addition to the regular academic work of the Intro to Art class, the 35 students and Sorensen procured a donated VW van, got it in good mechanical shape, designed a patriotic motif, HAND-painted the entire van and unveiled it at the South Hill Mall in Puyallup. The sale of the vehicle is to benefit the Twin Towers Firefighters fund.

“All these little things, like the windshield getting broken and where we were going to work – that was a toughie – but it all just came together,” Lindstrom said. “(Sorensen) was just so sure it would all work out.”

Lindstrom was grateful for the opportunity to work on the van project.

“I didn’t know anyone (affected by the terrorist attacks) and I felt helpless to help. I went to donate blood, but they didn’t really need it. This was just awesome.”

A 1984 VW Vanagon painted with patriotic themes and images is scheduled to go on E-Bay’s Auction for America relief effort Nov. 24. The van is being “redecorated” by the Introduction to Art class at Pierce College Puyallup, a community college, as a response to the terrorist attacks Sept. 11.

The idea was presented to the class by the instructor, Elizabeth Sorenson, as a project in addition to the regular academic work involved in the course. She donated her van and local businesses have donated mechanical and body services to get the vehicle running well.

Themes and images are being submitted by all 35 students, but a smaller design committee will be compiling the ideas the week of Oct. 22. Actual painting will begin the week of Oct. 29.

Other committees in the class have handled supply procurement, repairs and communications. A project manager has been appointed.

Sorenson sees the project as a very useful tool to teach the students about the process of art. There are motivation and communication challenges and impatience with getting to the “fun” part. And all this is taking place alongside the academic work of tests and lecture.

“Bringing an idea to fruition is just part of the artistic process,” she said.

To donate materials or funds to the project, contact Elizabeth Sorenson at (360) 893-5235.

A refurbished 1984 Vanagon painted with patriotic images will be unveiled to the public at 1 p.m., Friday, Nov. 23, at South Hill Mall in Puyallup. (Note: This is a change in date from previous releases.) But the potential buyer of this one-of-a-kind van will need to go online to buy it as a holiday gift. The van will be posted on eBay’s Auction for America fundraiser for victims of the Sept. 11 tragedy.

The idea was presented to Pierce College Puyallup’s Intro to Art class by the instructor, Elizabeth Sorensen. She also donated the van. Themes and images were submitted by all 35 students, but a smaller design committee compiled the ideas. Other committees in the class have handled supply procurement, repairs and communications. A project manager also was appointed. The project team will be available for interview at a luncheon gathering around 2 p.m. at TGI Fridays at the mall.

Sorensen sees the project as a very useful tool to teach the students about the process of art. There are motivation and communication challenges and impatience with getting to the “fun” part. And all this is taking place alongside the academic work of tests and lecture.

Area businesses that have contributed in-kind include Fairweather Masonry (body shop space); Deano’s Automotive, Spanaway (mechanical work); and South Tacoma Auto Glass (windshield). The Eastern Pierce County Chamber of Commerce is helping with the unveiling ceremony at the mall.