The Pellissippi Press

by Megan Berry

Student Life will be sending out holiday letters to all those servicemen overseas.

Many soldiers who are serving overseas during the holidays, unfortunately, do not recieve any holiday mail letting them know we are thinking of them and appreciate everything they do. Holiday Mail for Heroes is a chance we have to let them know they are appreciated and hopefully give them some joy during the holiday season.

On Monday Dec. 5 and Wednesday Dec. 7  Gwen Miller encourages everyone to participate and stop by the Goins Rotunda between 11 am and 1 pm to make a card for the heroes that protect our freedom.

For more information contact cosa_p@pstcc.edu.

Pellissippi’s theatre program will be presenting “The Santaland Diaries” a play by well-known comedian David Sedaris.

Pellissippi’s website describes this play as “an adaptation of Sedaris’ adventures working as a Macy’s elf.” The one-man production stars Patrick McCray.

The play will be held Dec. 15-17 at 8 pm and Dec. 18 at 2 pm.  Tickets may be purchased at the door and are $10 for the general public and $5 for students.

Due to adult language and themes, this production is for mature audiences only.

by Lindsey Collins

Preparing for finals is something many students do the week of or even the night before the anticipated test is given.

According to Marilyn Harper, Spanish instructor and head of the Academic Support Programs at Pellissippi, preparation for final exams is more about teaching the brain to understand the information rather than cramming it in all at once. As a practiced tutor, she states, “Some students have been coming throughout the semester for tutoring to prepare for their finals. We’re not necessarily reteaching them what they’ve learned, but filling the void between what they do and do not know.”

Another way Harper suggests learning the material throughout the year is to “rewrite your notes; each time your retrieve the information, you get better at learning it.” She explains the learning process in steps, saying, “The first time you learn [the information], it creates pathways to it. The second time, your brain looks for those pathways to find it, and the third time, your brain finds it right away.”

While the preparation guidelines for any major test usually include getting plenty of rest and eating a healthy breakfast the morning before, Harper includes other interesting ways that might aid in concentration, such as chewing the same gum and wearing the same shirt while studying, while taking the exam. She also emphasizes the importance of drinking water and staying hydrated, stating, “Your brain runs on fluids just as a car runs on gasoline.”

Harper’s experience with students for the past 8 years at Pellissippi as taught her the each student learns and handles certain exams differently. She offered some advice to those who might have difficulty concentrating, saying “If you have ADD, or something like it, use your hands to cover everything on that page except the question, eliminating distraction.”

Harper’s goal for students is to present them with a broader picture of what would be required of them during final exams. Her guidelines have proven to be effective to those who have attended tutoring and practiced her process of learning, seen by Pellissippi’s notable exam scores.

by Blake Hatfield

The music department will perform their annual Holiday Spectacular concert on Dec. 8 in the Clayton Performing Arts Center.

The theme of this year’s performance is “Holiday Memories”.  Bill Brewer, Music Program Coordinator at PSCC, said the show will be fast-paced and very exciting to watch.

The show will be put on at 6 pm and again at 8 pm. Brewer said the concert will last around an hour and twenty minutes.  Brewer also said to arrive early because the shows normally fill up fast.

According to Brewer there will be five instrumental groups playing and three choral groups singing throughout the night. The instrumental groups include Brass Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble, Bluegrass Ensemble, Jazz Band, and Studio Orchestra.  Concert Chorale, Variations, and the Faculty/Staff Choir are the choral groups.

Brewer said the audience can expect to hear holiday music of several genres.  There will be classic holiday music played as well as more contemporary songs.

The stage will be lit up with Christmas lights and decorated with holiday scenery. Brewer said the show will be “visually appealing” to the audience.

The show is free to both students and the general public. There will be donations accepted that will go towards music scholarships for PSCC students.

by Dale Coakley

Communication with students is a top priority for first year President Dr. Anthony Wise.

With a growing  student body at Pellissippi State and the advancement of technology in our society, one on one communication between students and the administration is not as common as it once was. Wise has taken strides to not only communicate with students, but to form personal relationships among scholars.

One way Wise has done this is by sitting in on classes throughout this semester. “I think it’s a good way for me to not only, get an understanding of what some these classes are like, but I can interact with students after class and get their feedback.”

Another way students can interact with Wise is through the President’s Blog. Located on the school’s website, Wise’s blog gives students the opportunity to speak with him first hand. Wise said, “It’s something new we’re trying and I’m expecting it to be beneficial to students.”

Whether it is through the Web, or in person, staying connected with the students is a top priority for Wise, who said, “Of all the ways you can communicate with students these days, students still come up to me and tell me when there struggling in a course and if they need to find a tutor, if they like a course or if they don’t. I think that’s what makes Pellissippi, special.”

By Stephen Horrocks

In the season of giving, it is worth mentioning a group that gives a lot to Pellissippi State’s students and institutions: The Pellissippi State Foundation.

Les Fouts, Director of the Pellissippi Foundation said, “The Pellissippi State Foundation awards approximately 200 scholarships a year. Some scholarships are $350 per semester up to a full scholarship.”

Fouts noted that eligibility varies based on the scholarships available, “For instance, scholarships might require you to major in a specific field (nursing, teacher education, etc.) while others don’t have a major as a requirement.  Fortunately, students complete only one scholarship application and are considered for every scholarship they are eligible.”

The Foundation was chartered in the State of Tennessee in 1982 and is a not-for-profit organization.  On the makeup of the board members for the Foundation, Fouts said, “It is governed by a board of volunteers including representatives of business, education, and industry; community leaders; and donors.”

The Foundation does more than provide funding for scholarships. According to Fouts, “We raised more than $7.2 million during our last major gifts campaign.  This money helped equip the new Blount County Campus, the Bagwell Center for Media and Art, and the college’s new nursing program.  The Foundation has begun to raise money to assist the college in purchasing the new Strawberry Plains Campus which should begin having classes in the fall of 2012.”

Moreover, there is a Donor Scholarship Reception every fall which enables donors and recipients to meet and get to know one another.

More information can be found on the Pellissippi website, http://www.pstcc.edu/foundation/ .

by Haley Hardin

Donate to The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation this Holiday Season at any Pellissippi campus until Dec. 6.

Toys for Tots is a local organization that collects donated gifts to give to children who are less fortunate. The toys are for children of all ages and must be new and unwrapped, said Karen Ghezawi, Technical Clerk.

The Association of Information Technology and the Marine Corps have organized drop boxes around the schools for donations. Local children of the Knoxville area will receive the donated toys. The children’s parents went through a screening process with the Marine Corps to ensure their eligibility of receiving donated gifts.

“Often the children between the ages of 13-16 tend to be forgotten about,” said Ghezawi. Keep this in mind while shopping for your gift to donate.

Drop off locations at the Hardin Valley Campus are Alexander 108, Goins 162; McWherter 149A, 149C, 254 and 329 and ERC entrance.

by Anna Daughtery

Brian Salesky, Knoxville Opera Maestro, will be holding a presentation at the Hardin Valley campus on Tuesday, Nov. 29.

The english department says admission is free and open to the public and will be held at 2 pm in the Goins Building Auditorium.

The presentation will feature interesting facts and opera versions of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Othello. Salesky aims to show how composers turn literary works into incredible music.

The presentation will end with a question and answer session with the Maestro himself.

Don’t miss the opportunity to experience this amazing composer.

By Stephen Horrocks

Pellissippi State seeks to maintain teachers’ freedom to choose the textbooks they use to teach.

In a meeting with the Faculty Senate, Pellissippi President Dr. Anthony Wise said while there are efforts by some college presidents seeking to work with Pearson Publishing, such an agreement would not be sought by Pellissippi.

Wise did say that currently, there is no official proposal by the Tennessee Board of Regents to use Pearson.

The push to use Pearson would potentially create lower cost textbooks for college campuses, but could limit the choices available for faculty members.

by Haley Hardin

Come eat pancakes at Pellissippi’s Annual Breakfast with Santa event on Dec. 3, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Goins cafeteria.

“Kids will have the opportunity to have their photo taken with Santa,” said Gwen Miller. Volunteers will be doing face painting and making balloon animals. There will also be games and music at the event.

This free event is open to the children of Pellssippi students and employees.  It is located at the Hardin Valley Campus.

Volunteers are needed for this event planned by Student Life and will receive a free breakfast with Santa t-shirt. For any questions about volunteering contact Gwen Miller at gfmiller@pstcc.edu, studentlife@pstcc.edu or call the Student Life office at 865-694-6555.