SGA students visit Tallahasee for Rally in Tally

Wade Manns - The Corsair

Twenty-one PJC Student Government Association leaders joined 325 other community college student leaders from across the state April 7-8 to lobby legislators on bills currently being considered.  The annual Rally in Tally, staged by the Florida Junior/Community College Student Government Association, included a rally on the steps of the old capitol building as well as individual meetings with legislators in their districts.

The Pensacola group met with District 2 Rep. Dave Murzin, District 3 Rep. Clay Ford, and District 4 Sen. Don Gaetz. Before the meetings, students were taken on a tour of the new Capitol building, including gallery views of the House of Representatives and the Senate as well as the office of Gov. Charlie Crist, led by PJC Executive Director of Government Relations Larry Bracken.

“I believe that we made an impact on the legislators because they saw a group of college students that have a strong passion for our schools and who care enough to all gather together to fight for what we believe in,” said PJC representative Cody Ray Engle.

The state group lobbied legislators on several issues, according to PJC SGA representative Tremayne Burnett, including: textbook affordability; legislation that would allow undocumented students the right to claim residency for tuition purposes; and no more changes or reductions to Bright Futures, or to the state college system budget.

Burnett said, “We wanted to make the incentive here to afford those foreign students the same opportunity that we have to get an education. This is America.  At some point in time we were all foreigners.”

At the Rally, the state group welcomed Ocala native, 24th District Representative Kurt Kelly, who began the Rally with a speech: “I am now looking into the eyes of leaders. No, not just future leaders, but leaders. You are leaders of people, already… the leaders of the House that are coming up the next couple of years were all presidents of their respective schools… Many of them were involved in student government; they understand what it takes to be a great leader… kindness.”

This was not only an educational opportunity for the students involved, allowing them to get an inside view on politics as it affects them, but was also a great social opportunity, culminating in the awards banquet and a late-night dance party afterwards.

“Being able to come together with other people that believe in the same things as me and fight for what is right made it so much better,” Engle said.

PTK works hard for Habitat

Kimberly Sweetman - Public Relations Officer (PTK Theta Chi)

PTK Theta Chi joined the Robinson Honors program to work at Habitat for Humanity’s Re-Store in Milton.  Nine people showed up for the project which included diverse labor, messy projects, and a whole a lot of fun.

The first thing we had to do was find the Habitat Re-Store.  We had the address, but the sign was not up on the side of the building so many of us passed it and had to be flagged down.  Most of the group arrived around 9 a.m. ready to work for the Habitat Re-Store.

The Habitat for Humanity Re-store is full of interesting items which are donated and then sold to raise money for the many houses built across the city.  Milton had over 70 homes built for them just last year.

Our job on Saturday was to help make the Re-store Green friendly in order to save money on the bills and allow for more money to go into the house-building projects.

We first helped put up dry-wall along the side of the store as well as taped and mudded the dry-wall which a former group had done the weekend before.  I was part of the mudding group.  It was so much fun to slap that mud on the wall.   It had the potential to be messy, and of course we made it messy.  Messy is always more fun anyway.  We had the white paste on our faces and hands by the time we finished.

When we ran out of dry-wall, we were asked to go outside and finish stuccoing the outside wall which a former group had started the weekend before.  In order to reach the higher parts, trucks were backed up near the wall and ladders were placed on the back of them.  Those scared of heights (like me), stuck to handing up the stucco to the people on the ladders and stuccoing on ground level.

Stuccoing proved to be even more messy and fun then mudding.  Those handing up the stucco sometimes had the creamy paste which looked like melted ice-cream falling from the sky onto their arms and heads. We finished that job up quickly, and were then told to put the Habitat Re-Store sign back up on the wall.  Many of us commented to each other that if the sign had been on the building before we definitely would not have gotten lost.  After hanging the huge sign, we decided to clean the trucks.

In true car wash style, we took a water hose and scrub brush and tried our best to get all of the stuck-on stucco off the trucks.  More dry-wall pieces were then found so that we could finish up the job inside.

We truly were the finishers on Saturday.  Whatever job was not finished by the previous group, we were able to accomplish.  We even did extra stuff.  A small group of us unloaded pallets off of a trailer and stacked them up according to size.

Many of the people working that day thanked us for our hard labor, and were amazed at how quickly our small group was able to accomplish so much.

Although they were thankful for our labor, we were even more thankful for the opportunity to help such a great organization.  We may not have built a house directly, but our work helped save money for more houses to be built and that makes us just as happy as if we had built a house with our own hands.

PTK Theta Chi starts out a new semster

Kimberly Sweetman - Public Relations Officer

Hey all,

This is the first post for PTK Theta Chi so I thought I would tell you a little about our organization.  We are a chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society which was founded in 1918.  PTK’s Mission is to “recognize and encourage the academic achievement of two-year college students and provide opportunities for individual growth and development through participation in honors, leadership, service and fellowship programming.”  There are more than 1200 chapters located in all 50 states as well as in other countries around the world. 

Our chapter is called Theta Chi, and it was established in 1956.  There are also other chapters located on the Warrington Campus (Beta Alpha Psi) and Milton Campus (Beta Beta Gamma).

To become a member you must have a 3.5 GPA or higher, have completed 12 credit hours at PJC, and be enrolled in an AA/AS program at PJC either part-time, full-time, or dual enrolled.

There are many great advantages to joining including travel opportunities where you will meet students from around the world, improvement of resume, and involvement in many fun activities.

For more information about joining attend one of our orientations which will be held on

• Thursday, Feb. 4 at 5:30 p.m. in Building 17, Room 1704
• Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 12:00 p.m. in Building 17, Room 1707
• Saturday, Feb. 13 at 10:00 a.m. in Building 17, Room 1707

You can also go to our website at pjc.edu/phithetakappa/.  Our first service project of the semester will be held on Feb. 6.  We are joining with Robinson Honors to work with Habitat for Humanity.  Join PTK Theta Chi and help us make a good impact on our society.

PTK hosts Car Wash at Apple Market

The Theta Chi chapter of Phi Theta Kappa is having a car wash Saturday at Apple Market from 9am-12pm, Donations Only.  The students are raising money to go to the PTK International Convention.  This is a very large meeting that offers our students leadership workshops, world renowned guest speakers, team building activities, and networking with people from across the country and around the world.

The more money the students raise the more students that we can take to the convention.  Come out to support PTK and help our PJC students become leaders in their community!

If you have any questions or would like to make a donation contact the Theta Chi advisors Jeff Wooters, Jwooters@pjc.edu, or Jessica Petersen, Jpetersen@pjc.edu.

BLAST provides getaway during the school day

KELCI PASCOE
The Corsair

College students are constantly being bombarded with information. They have to learn how to juggle the stresses of everyday life with the worries of school. Don’t you ever just wish you could have some way to get away from all of this, a temporary relief? Well now you can!

BLAST is a once per week Bible study program at PJC that offers students a way to hang out, grab some free food, and listen to an encouraging message and relatable student testimony.

Anthony Olesky, head of both UWF and PJC Baptist Collegiate Ministries divisions said, “Everyone is welcome! All denominations and even those who do not have a faith.”

“It is a haven where you can just fellowship,” Tori Clement, a PJC student and an attendee of BLAST, said. “For me, it is a way to get away from school, at school. People who might not normally come to church come to BLAST because it’s so chill and relaxed. They accept everyone!”

Some of the best parts about BLAST are the great music, fellowship, teachings, and free lunch. It’s a great way to meet new people on campus.

“My favorite part is being able to get to know people you don’t know in your classes,” Clement said.

“It is student- planned and student-led,” Olesky said. “No two meetings are exactly alike. First we eat, and then we have a student share a testimony from scripture or their own personal journey with Christ.  Sometimes we will show a video that is student-friendly, we have a time of worship which involves a bible study, musical worship, prayer etc. Our Bible studies are led by the BCM leader, guest speaker or students.”

The group’s mission for PJC is profound.

“Our mission statement is ‘To Know God and Make Him Known,’” Olesky said. “We provide opportunities for students to grow in their faith in Christ and knowledge of the Bible. We also know the importance of friends so we provide a lot of fun activities to build community.”

The preeminent part about BLAST is that they are full of love and accepting of everyone, no matter whom you are or where you come from.

“I love college students and love watching them grow and mature in their faith and as a person and student,” Olesky said. “I love to see them get passionate about something and go out and try to make a difference in the lives of others in and outside our group.”

BLAST meets at noon on Wednesdays in Building 96 room 9663.

Students explore nature through Biology Club

NEIL CLARK
Biology Club Advisor

If you’re into camping and other outdoor activities, like kayaking, canoeing, repelling, hiking, orienteering, bird watching and traveling to interesting and sometimes exotic places, then the PJC Biology Club is for you.

During Spring break of 2008, our club made the trip to Ft. Payne, Ala. for four days and nights of camping, repelling, caving, hiking, and canoeing in the Little River basin with an outdoor adventure company called True Adventure Sports.  A small group went on this trip, but we are trying to recruit more students who have similar interests and would like to experience the natural wonders of the southeast.

The next club meeting is scheduled at 3:30 p.m. Sept. 30 in Building 17, room 1705, until all business is complete. Check out the club Facebook site by typing “Pensacola Junior College Biology Club” into the search engine on the Facebook site. You may also contact club members and officers by e-mail at biologyclub@pjc.edu.

Come to our next meeting prepared to experience the Great Southeast natural world.

Student Government voice of students

KIMBERLY SWEETMAN
The Corsair

Some PJC students may wonder who speaks for them on campus.  Some may wonder how they can make their voice be heard.

The Student Government Association of PJC’s Pensacola campus, which meets every Wednesday at 2 p.m. under the pavilion, is a club devoted to being the voice of the students.

Pensacola’s SGA supports all the athletic teams, helps coordinate the Welcome Back Bash every year, collects food for Manna food bank, and is involved with many other events and community service projects.

“In the meetings we talk about upcoming events, go over applications, introduce new members, and get to know each other,” Wes Partrick, SGA member, said.

There are few requirements to become a member of SGA.  Members must have a 2.0 GPA and be enrolled in at least 3 semester hours at PJC.  Members may become more involved by joining the many executive board positions.

Matthew Lamb, Pensacola’s SGA president, started attending SGA about a year ago.  “They had a sign that said free pizza, and I was like free pizza, cool,” Lamb said.  “After that, even when they didn’t have pizza, I just kept coming.  In the spring, there was an election for president, and I ran for president and got it, but that was how it started:  free pizza.”

According to the SGA Constitution, “The Executive Board shall be selected by a committee of faculty, staff, and student representation on each campus and shall serve two academic semesters with the opportunity for reappointment, but shall not serve more than six academic semesters in the same capacity, excluding summers.”

To become an officer, a member of SGA submits an application and gives a speech.  The members then vote.  Once elected, the officers must maintain a 2.5 GPA in order to stay in office.  Members of the executive board are responsible for the main decisions and are more involved in the many community service projects.

“My favorite thing about SGA would be going out in the community and helping the underprivileged community,” Lamb said.  “We helped build a house once with Habitat for Humanity.  I thought it was a rewarding experience in itself.  Just helping somebody who can’t afford to build a house.”

Pensacola’s SGA is involved with community service projects on and off campus as well as many of the events planned by Student Activities.

Angie Jones, coordinator of Student Leadership and Activities and also the advisor for the Pensacola campus SGA, said, “Any event that we [Student Activities] host, they piggyback off us.  They will eventually start planning their own events and we will piggyback on them.”

Besides doing service projects and helping with events, Pensacola’s SGA also represents the PJC students by reading all of the suggestions from the many suggestion boxes around campus, listening to suggestions of the members, and discussing current issues that are going on with the students such as textbook prices and tuition rates.

A member of the executive board then takes all valid complaints to Dr. James Martin, vice president of Student Services, who does what he can to fix the problems. 

“Once there was a suggestion about smoking on campus.  We took that to Dr. Martin and the next week there was a rule that no one could smoke within 50 feet of a building,” Lamb said.

All students are welcome to attend the meetings and let their voice be heard.

“Just participate,” Jones said.  “You don’t have to necessarily get involved in a club to volunteer in the community.  You can volunteer anywhere.  You can participate in any of the events that are on campus or off campus.   Just get involved.”

S.G.A. first post

Hello everyone, thank you for taking the time to read. This is student government president Matthew Lamb. Let me first start off by thanking the “worst to first” group that came to our school this past Wednesday. They were in the Hagler auditorium giving a presentation of the shocking statistics on how much the state actually spends on education. It was terrible to know that even before the recession hit, Florida was cutting school funds every year since early 2001. We are 42nd in the nation as far as test scores go and have a graduation rate of only sixty percent. Please visit their website to see how you can get involved in helping the community to getting a better education system in our state. http://www.worsttofirst.org/#frameh=304 .The leadership retreat that student activities sponsered friday was a huge success. I attended as well as 20 other students from Milton, Pensacola, and Warrington campus. We did teambuilding activities which enhanced leadership. We also got to meet new people and make new friends! Also, S.G.A. will be starting a survey on financial aid. If you see our tables in the hall, please take a couple of minutes to fill them out. You will be suprised how much your input will actually help us, the students, to succesfully develop a good relationship with the financial aid staff.

Thanks so much for your time,

president,

                Matt

Club Awareness Day

Zoo Animal Technology Program

Jesse Edwards
Pensacola Junior College has provided an associate of science degree program in Zoo Animal Technology since 1996. The course is an interesting amalgamation of animal biology along with hands on work in the field at places such as North West Florida Zoological Park, Botanical Gardens in Gulf Breeze, and other animal facilities.
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Graduation in the program takes only two years along with the Summer in between, after which the graduates are employed locally at zoos and aquariums all over the US.  Many continue on to the UWF Zoo Science program to earn their BS.
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When asked what the program consisted of, Zoo Tech director Joyce Kaplan replied through e-mail, “Students provide service in the nature of their coursework to begin with, as the practical courses include rotations where students are assisting staff with task completion at the zoo, wildlife sanctuary, gulfarium, and other facilities.  Students are assigned major projects at Chehaw such as exhibit openings, animal training or research projects, etc that are completed on their own and are a major service to the facility.  There are also specific assignments in the theory courses such as developing part of a wildlife sanctuary festival, or designing webpages for a conservation group, that combine learning with contributions to the greater community.”
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For those who are in need of recorded community service hours, this is a great way to fill up log books and have a unique experience in the process.
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There are specific requirement in order to join the program. Application packets are posted each year after late January for the following Fall entry.  Up to 28 students are admitted, first-come first-served for “qualified” applicants.  Students must be qualified to enter ENC1101 and MAC1105, have at least a C+ science average, and have animal-related experience to qualify.  Packets are posted on the “applications” section of their website. Last year’s applicant information packet can still be reviewed at: http://itech.pjc.edu/jkaplan/zooschool/
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The required classes of the program consist of 6 general education courses and all the rest are specific to the field.  Two full days per week are spent on campus taking animal/zoo-related theory courses including a course on each animal group, anatomy, breeding, behavior, nutrition, record keeping, visitor relations, conservation, administration, and exhibit design in zoos.  Two other full days per week are spent at field sites, such as the Northwest Florida Zoo for much of the program, learning practical animal husbandry skills which is a course series over the two years called Animal Care Technology.  Towards the end of the program students take a course in exhibit repair and maintenance to learn basic practical skills in building trades, and a veterinary husbandry course.  In the final six weeks of the program, students complete their last Animal Care Technology rotation at Chehaw Wild Animal Park in Albany, Georgia.
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“The hands-on work consists of basic sanitation and nutrition for each animal group, observation skills, safety practices, record-keeping, animal handling or capture and restraint, veterinary care, animal enrichment and training, research, public interaction and educational programming, workplace skills.  The focus may vary during specialty rotations in the second year, which may be at the zoo in different departments or at other facilities such as the Gulfarium, Wildlife Sanctuary, or a veterinary clinic,” Kaplan said through e-mail.

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