Winter - Jefferson Community College

Aspiring Student Writers Pen 4 Novels in 30 DaysIn November, four JCC students were surprised to learn just howfar they could take their writing in one month. Each wrote a novelcontaining 50,000 words or more within 30-days in accordance withthe National Novel Writing Month challenge.“Students always surprise me,” says Stacy Pratt, English instructor atJCC. “I have four student novels on my bookshelf right now, and itis amazing to realize that not even a month ago, these stories werejust ideas in their brilliant minds.”“It (the writing challenge) also teaches you time management,” saysPratt. “If you can find time to write a 50,000-word novel manuscriptin a month, it is hard to make excuses for not reaching other goals.You learn that you can find time for anything if you love it enough!”Novels and their respective student authors are “Liberty’s Plague” byMichelle L. De Jesus-Reyes; “The Mystery of the Irish Lass” by Corie V.LaSalle; “Relentless” by Brittany C. Kuszio; and “Aether: The Reckoning”by Joseph Ryan Soluri. Several English department faculty alsocompleted novels including Joshua Dickinson with “The AscensionGambit”, Brandon Maxam with “Halfway Home” and Stacy Pratt with“Sabbatical.”Animal Management Students Intern at Phoenix ZooLions and tigers and Thomson’s gazelles, oh my! Lions and tigersand…wait. Thomson’s gazelles? Yes. Thomson’s gazelles, herbivoresnative to Africa, are just one of the many unique animals that JCCstudents Kimberly Apger and Tammy Zurawa worked with duringtheir summer internship at the Phoenix Zoo in Arizona. The twoanimal management program students completed more than 600hours of volunteer service at the Phoenix Zoo during the state’smonsoon season in temperatures reaching as high as 118 degrees.“It was a challenge but we learned how to work in extreme conditions,”said Apgar. “And we really got a feel for what being a zookeeper is like.” Tammy noted how their experience provided themwith more than just observation. She said, “We were trained just likestaff and left alone a lot to do different projects.” Classroom instructionto “double check and triple check locks” became second natureworking independently around so many animals.Other JCC students who completed summer internships includeStephanie Green - DEC Fishery Station in Cape Vincent; Alicia Quattropani- Great Swamp Conservancy in Canastota and Miller LakeNature Preserve in Peterboro ; and Michaela Moskevitz - Aquariumof Niagara in Niagara Falls.Paramedic Students Finish 1st / 3rd in EMS CompetitionJCC paramedic students had the opportunity to apply what they’velearned in the classroom at the Baldwinsville EMS competition forall emergency medical service personnel held in September. JCC’sEMS club, the only student team competing, took first place in thebasic life support category, third place in the advanced life supportcategory and brought home a trophy to raise the bar for futureparamedic majors at JCC. Kudos to students Ryan J. LaFex, Tracie L.Mason, Maricia L. Astafan, Dana M. Stenhouse and Michael A. Day, Jr.Jeannine Gomiela, JCC paramedic program coordinator, is the EMSclub advisor.Upcoming Academic EventsLate Session, 8-Wk Classes Begin ........................................March 21Nursing Career Fair.......................................................................... April 8Student Awards Ceremony........................................................April 28Nursing Info. Session....................................................................... May 5Nurse Pinning Ceremony.............................................................May 1947 Annual Commencement.......................................................May 20A Look BackTechnological Changes! A secretarial science (since renamed officetechnologies) class circa 1970s.Summer internships became a requirement of the JCC animalmanagement program in September 2009. Students choose wherethey conduct internships and are required to complete a minimumof 180 hours of service. “The internships far exceeded my expectations,”says Mark D. Irwin, D.V.M., animal management program directorand assistant professor of biology. “I am amazed at how muchthe students grew and learned from this experience.”Then and Now 1963 Now*Enrollment 315 3,861Gender 69% Men 61% WomenFull-time Faculty 8 78Annual Tuition $300 $3,480Average cost of books $50 $570Programs of study: 4 21*Fall 2010 SemesterStudent Tammy Zurawa works with an African Ankole-Watusi cow during heranimal management internship at the Phoenix Zoo.Jefferson Insider Winter 2011 • 13