Archive: News Briefs

Tornado ready ... TCC enacted a tornado drill across its campuses on March 17, as part of a statewide initiative from Gov. Timothy Kaine. Students were led to safer interior locations by specified building wardens. TCC Alerts, the college’s emergency notification system, was activated just prior to the drill.

TCC held its first tornado drill last year in March. Here, Marilyn Medley directs students to a safe zone in the student services area, Norfolk Campus.

As part of TCC’s celebration of Women’s History Month, the Women’s Center presented Karin Stamy, attorney with Norfolk Southern Corp. and a member of TCC’s Educational Foundation Board. Stamy got her start at Dutchess Community College, continuing her studies at Cornell University and State University of New York at Buffalo’s law school.

“I started as a researcher for a pharmaceutical company, but decided to make a switch to law,” she recalls. “My success started at a community college, because it allowed me access to a great four-year school.”

Stamy worked at a law firm in New York, before relocating to Hampton Roads to work for Norfolk Southern, a Fortune 300 company. Her job there involves safety and environmental law. “At TCC we say ‘from here, go anywhere’ and it’s true – this is a great place to launch yourself.”        - March 23, 2009

Lit Fest 2009, April 13 - 16 ... Writers as Evidence of Change, the theme of this year’s festival, reflects the work of visiting and resident authors, who wil lread, perform and sign books or CDs on TCC’s four campuses. The guest authors (by order of appearance) are Tim O’Brien, whose short story collection, The Things They Carried, was named by the New York Times as one of the 20 best books of the last quarter century and was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award; Joe Tennis, TCC alumnus, author of From Beach to Bluegrass and award-winning news-features writer; Stephen Katz, winner of the Photographer of the Year award and photographer for The Virginian Pilot; and Yusef Komunyakaa, professor and distinguished senior poet at New York University who debuts his first poetry-to-music CD this month.

TCC faculty will read from their works the second night of the festival. These published authors include Rachel Ankney, Nancy Jolemore, David Kiracofe, Bob Kunzinger, Sylvie Shapero, Doug Thiele, Tom Williams and John Williamson.

Sweets for spring ... TCC culinary arts students whip up treats at Barnes & Noble at TCC in MacArthur Center . . . Chefs-in-the-making in TCC's Culinary Arts program dipped and swirled melted chocolate on fresh strawberries on March 27 in the first of three 1 p.m. demonstrations and tastings at Barnes & Noble at TCC in MacArthur Center. On lookers witnessed how to make these Tuxedo Strawberries and heard about the next two tastings on April 3 - Bananas Foster, a flaming flavorful favorite - and April 17 - Bananas Foster Popcorn Mix, made from a recipe by renowned chef, author and magazine editor Patrick Evans-Hylton, who will sign his latest book, Popcorn, following the TCC demonstration.

TCC celebrates Women’s History Month with life stories shared by successful women in Hampton Roads. The kick-off speaker, Joanne Batson, CEO of the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia, noted her strong work ethic that led to a varied career including starting her own business and a woman’s magazine before moving to non-profits, first the YWCA, then, the American Red Cross, then the American Heart Association before heading up the Foodbank.

Batson urged students to get involved and be a mentor. “Hopefully, what I leave with students is the desire to be a mentor, not just with women, but whenever they can. So many people helped me on my journey, and now it’s my role to give back as much as I can."         

  - March 3, 2009