Pierce College News

The diverse, natural work of two local artists, Gail E. Kelley and William Mitchell, will be featured in “Abstracts of Nature” from June 15 to Aug. 27 at Pierce College’s Fine Arts Gallery.

A public reception celebrating the show and the work of its featured artists will be held at the gallery from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 23. Refreshments will be served. The community is encouraged to attend.

Gail E. Kelley, a Gig Harbor-based artist, has a master’s degree in ceramic sculpture. Her work reflects an intimate, personal relationship with nature and a desire to find connections between daily human life and nature.

“Most of my works are containers, the most ancient of metaphors for the human spirit,” she wrote in her artist’s statement. “My ceramic forms explore the flow of materials and objects through a natural process of transformation.”

Photographer William Mitchell is sharing eight photos that “exhibit real objects in the natural world.” The photos are more abstract, in that they combine form, shape, color, and line to create interest without directly referencing the objects depicted, Mitchell explained.

Mitchell’s work has been shown throughout the northwest and has been published in national advertising campaigns, textbooks, brochures, Backpacker Magazine, and local publications.

The Fine Arts Gallery is located in the Olympic building at Pierce College Fort Steilacoom, 9401 Farwest Drive SW, Lakewood. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to noon Friday. Admission is always free.

For more information, call Gallery Director Jennifer Olson-Rudenko at (253) 964-6535 or visit the Web site at www.pierce.ctc.edu/art.

Pierce College is now making available an online job database, Interfase, designed to make the search for jobs and internships easier and more efficient for students, area job seekers, and employers.

The Interfase system links registered users to a database of approved job and internship opportunities in the region. It is a tool used by the Puget Sound Careers Consortium, a partnership project of Pierce College, Highline and Green River community colleges, and Renton Technical College.

The system is free to both job seekers and employers.

“We’re excited to offer this new resource to our student job seekers and employers,” explained Betty Newson, one of the project leaders at Pierce College. “Finding a job can be very difficult and having a single database available to our students is an invaluable tool.”

For students and community job seekers, the free service allows access to regional career opportunities that have been vetted by the colleges’ workforce program staff. Registered users are able to apply for jobs online, manage multiple resumes and other documents, and access a calendar of regional job fairs. Students and job seekers can register to use the new system by visiting www.myinterfase.com/pierce_ctc/student.

For employers, Interfase offers a simple tool for posting open jobs, internships, and company information. It is free, easy to use, and doesn’t limit job postings by word counts. Employers can register to use the system by visiting www.collegestudents4hire.com .

The Interfase system is also the clearinghouse for all the district’s work study positions. Students eligible for work study use the system to search for jobs, while approved employers use it to post jobs.

For additional information, contact the Pierce College Job Connections office at (253) 964-6265.

Starting the week of June 21, Pierce College will be on a revised summer schedule. All student services offices (including cashiering, financial aid, and admissions) will have longer office hours Mondays through Thursdays, but will be closed Fridays through Sept. 3.

The summer schedule is as follows:

• The week of June 21, student services offices will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 8 a.m. to noon on Friday.

• For the week of June 28 through Sept. 3, student services offices will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Offices will be closed Fridays.

Registration for summer and fall quarters is just around the corner. Keep these important dates in mind:

• Current Pierce College students can begin registering for summer and fall classes on May 24.

• Former students are eligible to begin registering June 2. (Note: Former students must submit a new admissions form prior to registering for classes.)

• New students may begin registering June 3. (Note: New students must also submit an admissions form prior to registering for classes.)

For a current list of summer and fall classes, check out the new eSchedule.

For questions, contact the admissions offices. At Fort Steilacoom, call (253) 964-6501. At Puyallup, call (253) 864-3254.

Celebrate the world’s diverse cultures and people with an evening of music, food, and fashion Thursday, May 20, at Pierce College Puyallup.

The college’s English as a Second Language program has paired with the Office of Student Life to present a Multicultural Fair and Fashion Show. This year’s theme is “Dances of the World” and features traditional music, dancing, and musical instruments. Events are scheduled from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the College Center, 1601 39^th Ave. SE. All activities are free and family-friendly, and the public is welcomed and encouraged to attend.

Throughout the evening, there will be information booths showcasing diverse cultures and dance, as well as musical performances representing cultures of Eastern Europe, Asia, Mexico, Latin America, and the Middle East. One of the highlights of the event will be the fashion show, featuring authentic clothing, including bridal clothing, from a number of different world cultures.

“Come learn about the multitude of cultures, food, celebrations, clothing, and customs our students bring to the college and community,” invited Deb Ramirez, one of the instructors in Pierce’s ESL program. “This is a very special event celebrating diversity and multiculturalism.”

For more information, call (253) 840-8492.

Musicians and those with a passion for jazz are invited to the Pierce College Jazz Expo featuring the Jeff Hamilton Trio, Sunday, May 23 in Tacoma.  Now in its 37th year, the expo features a free master class at the Tacoma School of the Arts, 1118 Commerce Street, from noon to 1 p.m., in addition to an evening concert at Stadium High School Auditorium, 111 N. E St., beginning at 5 p.m.

The Jeff Hamilton Trio

Members of the trio include world-renowned drummer Jeff Hamilton, Israeli-born virtuoso pianist Tamir Hendelman and bassist Cristoph Luty. Early in his career, Hamilton played with the Tommy Dorsey ghost band and played briefly with Lionel Hampton.  Later, he was a member of Monty Alexander’s Trio, Woody Herman’s Orchestra and the L.A. Four, with whom he made six records.  Hamilton is perhaps best known for his work with Ray Brown, Oscar Peterson and Diana Krall.

Evening concert tickets are $20 and may be purchased at the door or by calling (253) 912-3635.  For more information, please visit http://www.pierce.ctc.edu/go/jazzexpo.

Pierce College athletics standouts Tami Kampbell and Aretha Williams, and the entire 1982 Raider softball team will be inducted in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges Hall of Fame on June 3. The banquet and induction ceremony will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Bellevue Red Lion.

“This is a huge honor for our athletes and the entire Raider athletic program,” said Athletic Director Duncan Stevenson. “The NWAACC Hall of Fame is a prestigious group of the best in community college athletics, and these athletes represent Pierce College very well.”

• Tami Kampbell was a three-sport athlete at Pierce. As a freshman in 1982, she led her team to a conference championship in softball and was named the tournament’s most valuable player. The following year, in 1983, she was named to the NWAACC All-Conference All-Star softball team. At the same time, Kampbell was a two-year starter in basketball, leading the Raiders to two appearances at the NWAACC tournament and earning herself top scoring honors and a spot on the regional first team all stars. In 1983, she also was a member of the Raider volleyball team.

• Aretha Williams led the Raiders basketball team to two consecutive NWAACC tournament appearances. In 1992, her team placed fifth; in 1993, it placed fourth. She led the team in scoring and rebounding in both her freshman and sophomore seasons, earning Western Division First Team All-Star honors in 1992 and the Western Division Most Valuable Player award in 1993. In her two seasons, she went 22-4 in league play and 53-10 overall. She finished as the Raiders’ all-time leader in scoring (1,035 points) and rebounding (734). Williams also played a year of volleyball and was selected a Western Division First Team All-Star in 1991.

• The 1982 Raider softball team won the NWAACC championship and boasted one of the most talented group of athletes ever assembled at Pierce College. Of the team’s 13 tournament players, six earn All-Tournament Team honors. They were Teri Kampbell, Jeri Moceri, Julie Schlatter, Debbie Beckwith, Lisa Nordberg, and Tami Kampbell, who was also named tournament MVP. The team’s coach, Michele Johnson, was named Conference Coach of the Year. In addition to their success in softball, eight players also played on the Raiders basketball team that earned a berth to the NWAACC tournament, and three played on the volleyball team that earned a place in the playoffs.

For additional information on any of the Pierce College inductees or programs, contact Duncan Stevenson at (253) 964-6612 or visit the athletics program website at www.pierce.ctc.edu/athletics.