Winter - Jefferson Community College

Winter Festival Celebrates 50th AnniversaryOn November 7, 1961, the voters of Jefferson Countypassed a historic referendum that established a localcommunity college. After considering such namesas Thousand Islands Community College, Lansing-Dulles Community College and Black River ValleyCommunity College, the founding board oftrustees selected Jefferson Community Collegeto be the name of the area’s first institution ofhigher education. The first classes began inSeptember of 1963 with 119 full-time students.Fifty years later, Jefferson is providinga high quality educational experienceto record numbers of students in new andinnovative ways. Alumni number 18,000+and more than 90,000 people have takena class or workshop or attended an event atJefferson Community College. The Collegewill celebrate its 50th anniversary with eventsthroughout 2011.On January 29, JCC held its first public celebration to markthe College’s 50th anniversary with a free Winter Festival on campus.Bright sunshine and temperatures in the mid-twenties made for a festiveday as community members of all ages sampled the great outdoors as well as enjoyed several indoor activities.Six teams competed in an amateur snow sculpture competition sponsored by JCC student activities. After seven hours of sculpting, thecampus quad was adorned with a 20-foot long unicorn dragon courtesy of Team Dragon, Spongebob ‘Snowpants’ created by CS & Company,a team comprised of a mother and her two young daughters, a castle built by Team Four, a motorcycle and breast cancer awarenessribbon by the Chrome Divas, a sea goddess by Jonathan Buch, and an Easter Island Moai sculpture by the Royal We team. Student Governmentawarded a total of $1000 in cash prizes with 1st place and $250 awarded to both Team Dragon in the Community Category and TheRoyal We in the JCC Student category.Winter Festival attendees were also treated to the artof professional snow sculpting by Jefferson professoremeritus and world class snow sculptor KlausEbeling. Mr. Ebeling completed his 4’ x 4’x 8’snow portrait of Jefferson’s first president,James E. McVean, which he had begun twodays earlier. (Shown at right)Jefferson Insider Winter 2011 • 4