Amarillo College’s police academy is set to conduct its 100th graduation ceremony Wednesday. The program was started in 1968, and since then more than 2,000 students have passed through its doors and completed the program.
Local schools working to prevent obesity
For the past decade, childhood obesity numbers have skyrocketed to new limits. In response, several local organizations are stepping up to the plate to fight the increasing numbers.
Amarillo College, in conjunction with the Amarillo Economic Development Corp., is redoubling efforts to respond to the needs of the area business community by forming a Rapid Response Team.
Motivator speaks to students, faculty of sex, marriage
Students were given a little over an hour’s worth of free relationship advice Monday. Hasani Pettiford, a motivational speaker and relationship expert, visited the Washington Street Campus, where he spoke to students and faculty members.
Last week, Amarillo College was thrust into the spotlight when it played host to the Region VI Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. The event drew hundreds of people from 47 colleges and universities representing six states. They attended workshops, contests, performances and the Irene Ryan Scholarship auditions.
“We did have over 700 students, instructors, respondents, presenters, regional committee members and national committee members show up,” said Monty Downs, one of the event’s coordinators and theatre instructor...
Charlie Clark was the grand prize winner of the 12th annual Writers’ Roundup Feb. 20 hosted by the Amarillo College English department...
Athletes, coaches recognized at ceremony for performance
The Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame welcomed three new members Sunday in its 52nd annual ceremony at Ordway Auditorium.
Tod Mayfield is the 149th member, Gene O. “Buddy” Cockrell is the 150th and Martha Sutton Pool is the 151st.
According to a news release, the ceremony is dedicated to recognizing sports achievement by active and retired athletes and coaches with Texas Panhandle roots.
After graduating from Panhandle High School, Mayfield went on to play football at West Texas A&M. He set 21 school passing records and led WT to win the Lone Star Conference title in 1986. Mayfield threw a career total of 7,424 yards and 55 touchdowns.
Cockrell is known for his talents in rodeo, football and boxing. At the Texas High School Rodeo Association’s finals in 1953, he was named all-around cowboy. The Pampa graduate also was the top lineman in the Texas-Oklahoma Oil Bowl Classic.
Cockrell played for the University of Oklahoma and later played in the Canadian Football League, for the Cleveland Browns and for the New York Titans...
Amarillo High School 19th and 20th century art exhibited at AMoA
The Amarillo Museum of Art is displaying a collection from Amarillo High School.
The works that normally line the halls of AHS are featured as “An Uncommon Dream: The Amarillo High School Collection of 19th and 20th Century Art.”
The school started the collection in 1945.
R.B. Norman, the principal at the time, wanted his students to be exposed to artwork even though they were miles away from museums, said Erin Holland, a staff designer.
The collection has 91 works.
It has been growing over the years and even survived a fire in March 1970 that consumed the former Amarillo High School building. The collection was saved by fast-acting students and teachers, Holland said...
The Moore County Campus just celebrated its 10-year anniversary.
MCC offers opportunities for students and their families who may not have other options for college.
Planning for MCC started almost two years before the campus opened.
Moore County voters approved the campus with 70 percent in favor.
“The establishment of the MCC has been mentioned by many citizens and leaders in our county as one of the all-time significant contributions in making Moore County a better place to live,” said Larry Appel, a math instructor.
About 100 people were present at the Jan. 21 celebration. From when the campus opened on Jan. 19, 2000, to this semester, the number of students attending MCC has almost tripled. The facility itself has grown as well...
Inspires students, community
The “Iron Man” of baseball added yet another credential Tuesday night to his already impressive resume: Distinguished Lecturer of the Year.
Not that playing 2,632 straight games in the major leagues, all for the same team, is a small feat, but this series allowed Cal Ripken Jr. to flex his mental muscles in front of a packed house of Amarillo College students, staff and members of the community.
The Student Government Association has been bringing noted individuals to share their wisdom with Amarillo for 23 years.
SGA President Tyler Adams said the SGA donates the money raised after covering expenses to scholarships that benefit AC students.
Last year alone, more than 20 scholarships were given out due in part to the funds raised by the Distinguished Lecturer series. While many know Ripken for his long and successful career as a major league baseball player, the man also has a strong commitment to his own personal set of values – as well as a deep affection for his family that could be heard every time he spoke of them during his lecture at the Amarillo Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts.
Ripken spoke of how he has been able to persevere when so many others have not.
He attributes it to a core set of eight values that include a love of competition and conviction.
While a full house of fans watched, Ripken showed a human side of himself, sharing stories from his childhood and even calling on several members of the audience to allow them to talk about baseball....
Amarillo College is working to put a new emergency intercom system in all campus classrooms.
Along with the system are new locks that will allow classrooms to be locked from the inside.
The system’s main focus is in the case of a shooting incident.
“The average shooting happens in seven minutes or less,” said Rusty Cornelius, director of the emergency management department. “When a shooting happens, you have about 10 seconds before it hits your class.”
The original idea for the system was to use phones in classrooms.
Two main problems with the phones were that if you have to make a call, you have to wait for someone to answer the phone, and it would cost more money having to pay for the line usage.
Lee Colaw, dean of informational systems and technology, thought of the idea for the new system by using a similar intercom system used in the Amarillo public school system, updated with Internet protocols.
The system will have four buttons to go along with the intercom. The buttons will reach the AC police department, facilities management, the help desk and the AskAC phone bank.
“Knowing that you have the availability of reaching the AC police if there is an incident is reassuring,” said Jesse Holguin, a general studies major.
The Amarillo College Math Outreach Center has been awarded a Texas Higher Education Star Award for its service of math tutoring and development on the Washington Street Campus.
Located in room 104 of the engineering building, the MOC aims to help students better understand math concepts as well as build on existing knowledge.
Rita Salazar, a criminal justice major, came to the center when she was unable to understand concepts discussed in her class.
She said her math skills have improved greatly since attending. “I would be lost,” she said.
The center, which started in 2005, has grown from helping on average 1,000 students to assisting almost 14,000 in 2008-2009 alone, and the growth is expected to continue.
The center offers free tutoring for math students.
“We have seen retention grow, and most students have seen their grades raised at least two letter grades,” said Dr. Edie Carter, the developmental math program coordinator.
Students also are eligible to apply to become a paid tutor at the center.
On Jan. 21, the Washington Street Campus had a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the dedication of Amarillo College’s new science laboratory building. Construction on the building began in November 2007 and was completed last December. The project cost $9.3 million.
Faculty and students continue to be impressed by the facility.
Not only is the building beautiful, but it offers twice as many laboratories as before, said Dr. Robert Bauman, a biology professor.
“There’s still some bugs to work out, some things that are not quite right in the laboratories, but we hope to get them all fixed,” Bauman said...
A winter snowstorm hit the Texas Panhandle early Jan. 28, resulting in Amarillo College closing down all Amarillo campuses as well as the Hereford Campus for the rest of the week and weekend.
The Moore County Campus canceled all classes scheduled after noon on Friday.
The storm left cars and roads covered. For many, the task of getting the car ready to drive and on the road proved to be the most time-consuming.
Daniel Garcia, a psychology major, said he was not able to leave his house for two days because he could not get his car out...
Dr. Paul Matney has started this semester by creating the dean of career and technical education position for Amarillo College’s East Campus. The East Campus was the only campus that did not have a dean.
“I look forward to all of us working together to advance the cause and the place of Amarillo College in this community,” Matney said.
Filling the position is Dr. Shawn Fouts, who previously served as a corporate development consultant for the Workforce Development Division.
“I am beyond excited,” Fouts said. “I feel incredibly blessed to work at AC and honored to be in this new role as dean of CTE.”
Matney said he sees the new position as a way to provide leadership and support for the programs on the East Campus...
Ranger, AC Current positions filled
The Ranger and AC Current staffs for spring 2010 have been selected. The staff rosters are: The Ranger: Editor - AJ McCormick Opinion Editor - Andrea Godoy News Editor - Sarah Clark The Other News Editor - Joshua Lanpher Arts & Entertainment Edito
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