Pierce College News

January 20, 2005

Pierce College to present film on Patriot Act Jan. 24

Filed under: News releases — Pierce College at 4:06 pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media contacts: Nancy Butterfield, (253) 964-7331 or nbutterfield@pierce.ctc.edu;
Dale Stowell, (253) 964-6780 or dstowell@pierce.ctc.edu

The film “Unconstitutional: The War on Civil Liberties,” about the controversial “Patriot Act,” will be presented at noon Monday, Jan. 24, in Dining Bay F at Pierce College Fort Steilacoom, 9401 Farwest Drive S.W., Lakewood. A discussion of the film will follow. The event is free and open to the public.

The movie, which is sponsored by the American Civil Liberties Union, presents one side of the argument on the controversial law that Congress passed after the terrorist attacks on the United States Sept. 11, 2001. The Patriot Act has allowed the U.S. government to do things that were not permitted before its passage. Congress will be revisiting some of the provisions of this law in the current session.

Persons with disabilities who require accommodation may contact the Disability Support Services Office at least 48 hours in advance: (253) 964-6527 (voice), (253) 964-6228 (TTY) or bnewson@pierce.ctc.edu.

A Sabbatical Well Spent

Filed under: General — Pierce College at 3:01 pm

photo: Steve Jaech with Port Rexton in the backgroundPierce College English faculty member Steve Jaech drove 13 days to find a distant retreat to reflect and write. But after arriving in a remote Newfoundland outport, getting away from it all was more challenging than he imagined.

“We were trying to get away from people, but it turned out to be very hard,” Jaech said during an afternoon presentation about his sabbatical trip. “Even through there weren’t many people around, they all were your friends.”

Jaech and his wife spent last November to May in Port Rexton, a marvelously self-sufficient coastal community where residents look after one another and anonymity is not an option.

Their immediate acceptance into the community — and the warmth and helping spirit that came with it — was an incredible gift, Jaech said, though it did take some getting used to.

“People would knock on the door, say hello, and then they were in your house,” he said. “It seemed like this would be a perfect place to get away from people, but someone was always dropping over with moose burgers or cherry cakes … And if you locked your door, the neighbors would think something was wrong and probably would call the police.”

But Jaech did find time to reflect and write. He read journal entries about the rugged beauty of his surroundings, the unaccustomed silence broken by the audible wing beats of a distant eagle, the rescue of a couple whose car stuck in the snow and was buried in a deep drift, and other topics.

He showed slides of the lane that he and his wife walked, of the pristine and craggy coastline they visited often, the sites of Port Rexton, the ocean view from their windows, and the fence-top-deep snow that stranded them indoors and drifted so high that snowmobilers were warned to stay alert to avoid running into power lines.

When it was time to leave, it was difficult to disappear from a community that they had become part of, Jaech said. It was like finding another home.

“We’ll definitely go back,” he said.

Dr. Drew to speak at Pierce College Puyallup Feb. 3

Filed under: News releases — Pierce College at 11:14 am

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media contacts: Nancy Butterfield, (253) 964-7331 or nbutterfield@pierce.ctc.edu;
Dale Stowell, (253) 964-6780 or dstowell@pierce.ctc.edu

Dr. Drew Pinsky, best known as co-host of the syndicated radio show and popular MTV program “Loveline,” will speak on “Getting Through the Tough Years” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 3, at the College Center, Pierce College Puyallup. Admission is $15 general/$7 students. Pierce College Puyallup is at 1601 39th Ave. S.E.

Dr. Drew’s appearance is part of Pierce Presents, the artists and speakers series presented by Pierce College and sponsored by Pierce College Puyallup Student Programs, The News Tribune and KPLU 88.5 FM.

Known widely as “Dr. Drew,” Pinsky has become a trusted counselor for millions of young adults across the country. He has spent some 20 years speaking to parents and teenagers about the adolescent experience and the pressures that accompany it. His presentations are honest, timely and to the point.

A graduate of the University of Southern California School of Medicine, Pinsky is a board-certified internist and addictionologist. He appears often on numerous national television programs, including Good Morning, America, Politically Incorrect, The View and Larry King Live.

Dr. Drew is the medical director for the Department of Chemical Dependency Services and the Chief of Service in the Department of Medicine at Las Encinas Hospital in Pasadena. He continues to operate a private clinical medicine practice and recently was named Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Los Angeles Children’s Hospital. He is co-author, with Adam Corolla, of the 1998 book “The Dr. Drew and Adam Book: A Survival Guide to Life and Love.”

Upcoming events in the Pierce Puyallup Presents series include:

Naked in Baghdad: The Iraq War as seen by NPR Correspondent Anne Garrels
7 p.m. Thursday, March 3
Admission: $20 general/$10 students
College Center. Book signing and reception immediately following.
A benefit dinner supporting the Pierce College Foundation will be at 5 p.m. at the Blue Olive Martini Bar & Restaurant, 1715e Dock St. Tickets are $75 for the dinner and lecture, and space is limited. For reservations call (253) 840-8495.

“MiddleSex” with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jeffrey Eugenides
7 p.m. Thursday, April 7, 2005
Admission: $15 general/$10 students
College Center

For tickets or information visit the ticket office in Room A120 at Pierce College Puyallup; call (253) 840-8416 or contact any Ticketmaster location. Tickets purchased through the college will not include a service fee.

Persons with disabilities who require accommodation may contact the Disability Support Services Office at least 48 hours in advance of the event: (253) 840-8443 (voice), (253) 840-8474 (TTY) or kewing@pierce.ctc.edu.

January 13, 2005

Pierce College Puyallup offers late winter ABE/GED and ESL classes

Filed under: News releases — Pierce College at 1:29 pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media contacts: Nancy Butterfield, (253) 964-7331 or nbutterfield@pierce.ctc.edu;
Dale Stowell, (253) 964-6780 or dstowell@pierce.ctc.edu

Students wanting to attend Adult Basic Education, General Equivalency Diploma, or English as a Second Language classes at Pierce College Puyallup may call to be placed on a waiting list. Intake testing and orientation will be offered at the end of January for possible openings this quarter. Please call (253) 840-8463 for ABE/GED and (253) 840-8328 for ESL. These test sessions are about 3 hours in length and are required for entry to the program.

Classes for ABE/GED include reading, writing and math, and ESL classes include reading, writing, speaking and listening. A computer class also is offered four hours a week.

People with disabilities who require accommodation may contact the Disability Support Services Office at least 48 hours in advance: (253) 840-8443 (voice), (253) 840-8474 (TTY) or kewing@pierce.ctc.edu.

January 7, 2005

Planned downtime for SOS and Library catalog

Filed under: General — Pierce College at 4:53 pm

The services of the Student Online Services, along with the library catalog, will be unavailable on Friday, January 14, 2005 from 5 p.m. until 6 p.m.

These systems will be offline so needed upgrades can be made by the Center for Information Services, which provides them for Pierce College and Washington state’s other community and technical colleges.

Thank you for your patience.

January 6, 2005

College seeks input on chancellor and president positions

Filed under: News releases — Pierce College at 12:27 pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media contacts: Nancy Butterfield, (253) 964-7331 or nbutterfield@pierce.ctc.edu;
Dale Stowell, (253) 964-6780 or dstowell@pierce.ctc.edu

Pierce College will host community forums on Tuesday, January 11, to solicit input on the qualities it should seek in the people to be hired this summer as district chancellor and president of Pierce College Puyallup.

Pierce board of trustees member Jim Dawson, who chairs the search process, and executive search consultant Don Hunter of Hockaday-Hunter & Associates will be leading discussions at both Pierce College Fort Steilacoom and Pierce College Puyallup.

Although separate meetings are scheduled for employees and community members, everyone is invited to attend any of the meetings that better fits their schedules. People who would like to provide input but who are unable to attend the meeting can submit e-mail comments to Chancellor-Search@pierce.ctc.edu or President-Search@pierce.ctc.edu.

The forums, all on Tuesday, January 11, are scheduled for noon to 1:15 p.m. for Pierce College employees and 1:15 to 2 p.m. for community members, at the board room at Pierce College Fort Steilacoom, 9401 Farwest Drive, Lakewood; and 3 to 4:15 p.m. for Pierce College employees and 4:15 to 5 p.m. for community members at L-244 (lecture hall), Pierce College Puyallup, 1601 39th Ave. S.E., Puyallup.

Pierce College’s Board of Trustees will use the information gathered to build a profile of desirable characteristics for each position. The profiles will be used in recruitment ads and brochures and as direction to the screening committees, which will be appointed in February.

Steve Wall, who is currently the district chancellor and president of Pierce College Puyallup, will retire June 30, ending a 26-year career at the college.

Any person with a disability who requires accommodation should please contact the Disability Support Services Office at least 48 hours in advance of the event: Fort Steilacoom (253) 964-6527 (voice), (253) 964-6228 (TTY), bnewson@pierce.ctc.edu; or
Puyallup: (253) 840-8443 (voice) or (253) 840-8474 (TTY) or kewing@pierce.ctc.edu.

In case of bad weather

Filed under: General — Pierce College at 10:05 am

Pierce College classes may be canceled or delayed in case of snow, extreme cold or other emergency. When possible, this information will be posted on the home page of our Web site.

We participate in the statewide public schools emergency disclosure system. Information provided through this system is available on the system’s Web site.

Schoolreport.org also releases this information to a variety of local news outlets, or you can subscribe to email alerts through their Web site.

We make an effort to decide whether to cancel or postpose classes as early as possible, based on the conditions of the roads and/or college parking lots. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

January 4, 2005

Updated maps

Filed under: General — Pierce College at 11:09 am

With all the building going on, we’ve had lots of changes! Check out the updated building and parking maps for both Fort Steilacoom and Puyallup. (College Center map coming soon.)