Technology enhanced building 11 dedicated to Hobbs

Kimberly Sweetman
The Corsair

In spite of the rainy day, the Raymond B. and Leila Hobbs Center for Teaching Excellence was dedicated on Dec. 15.  During the ceremony, Sherryl Hobbs Glorioso spoke about the many things her grandparents, Leila and Raymond B. Hobbs, did during their lives after which she joined in cutting the ribbon to officially dedicate the newly renovated Building 11.

According to the dedication program, “Building 11 is now officially named the Raymond B. and Leila Hobbs Center for Teaching Excellence on the PJC main campus.  The name reflects the new mission of the school to serve students in the area with a modern technology-enhanced educational program designed to meet both the non-adult and adult populations.”

Although the building was opened to PJC high school students back in October, the dedication makes the opening and naming of the center after Raymond and Leila Hobbs official.  The Hobbs center is full of new technology from computers to big screen TVs to instructor control consoles.  The Technology Enhanced Academic Laboratory (T.E.A.L. Room) is the main technological room in the Hobbs center, and is available to both PJC college and high school students.

Tom Leonard, the Hobbs Center department head, said, “The Hobbs Center has transformed the high school program into a high tech learning center that will revolutionize the methods of instruction and promote learning in a way that is sure to impact so many students’ lives and futures.”

The Anime and Gaming Club invite students to come and play

 WADE MANNS

 

Pensacola Junior College’s Anime and Gaming club meets on Thursdays from noon to three in the Chadbourne Library on the Pensacola campus. Club members promote the meetings as good social and entertainment opportunities for students to meet and share common interests.

 

Austin Clifford Axtell was the founder of the club, and still actively participates in it. “We’re a club that basically tries to kick back and relax, so between classes in school, we have a way to basically break the ice with our fellow students,” Axtell said.

 

Activities in the club range from playing some of the latest as well as some older video games, to watching anime (Japanese animation), both TV and movies, with the activities switching every week from anime to gaming and back.

 

During the fall semester, the gaming mostly consisted of fighting games, such as the Tekken series, but occasionally included first-person shooters such as Perfect Dark Zero, or even tennis, Sega Superstars Tennis.

 

Anime has consisted of the recently released Miyazaki movie, Ponyo, movies related to the series Death Note, as well as more esoteric offerings.

 

The club sponsor is Cynthia App of the Visual Arts department at PJC. Members of the club borrow an Xbox 360 Arcade from her every week. This particular type of Xbox 360 has no hard drive but a Memory Unit, and comes with a few Xbox LIVE Arcade games.

 

Originally, the club was held in the art building, but has since moved to the library, its current location.

 

Axtell said the anime club may be getting more mainstream, as it introduces computer games, and further styles of anime, as well as other genres of movies. The changes are being considered so that they can attract the most people into the club, Axtell said.

ANGEL creates headaches for students

TIMM SHOWALTER and KAY FORREST

“C’mon! Are you serious?!”  Students all over the Pensacola area have blasted these words, and many others, at computer monitors over the past few months due to PJC’s online course component, ANGEL.

ANGEL is a program that allows students to interact with each other and their teachers as if they were in a digital classroom.  The issue is that it is a piece of technology that requires a good bit of attention, and when it doesn’t receive that attention, problems such as crashes, miscommunications, or failed assignments can arise.

“Distance learning has been around as far back as the 60s, but the U.S. post office was fairly reliable.  Now we are dealing with things that are entirely based on electricity,” said Bill Waters, director of Distributed Learning.

These issues may not seem like a big problem, but the students who get caught up in ANGEL’s kinks walk away with severe disdain for the program. 

“ANGEL sucks,” said former PJC student Nathan Christian. This is the same reaction given by nearly all the students when asked about their feelings towards it

English professor Stacey Albaugh said many students feel that the program is too confusing (keep in mind many PJC students are over 30 years old), but the program provides a great way for students to communicate with their teachers and overall she feels like the system is a good thing.

In fact, one crucial element of ANGEL is the freedom it gives teachers.  “We don’t want to prescribe, ‘this is how you have to teach.’  We want to provide technology that helps them and lets them do the things they want to do more effectively,” ANGEL Vice President, David Mills said.

But, as Waters mentioned, this freedom adds another level of complications to maintaining the program.

He pointed out that the program has only been down approximately “.001 percent” of the time.  But, “that’s not to say that it’s not a major problem if someone takes a test and they get knocked offline. When ANGEL comes back up, that’s not the end of their problem.  Now the instructor has to decide whether the student is going to redo the test; maybe the student can’t make it in.  It’s just a chain reaction.”

So, why does ANGEL go down?

The program is essentially rented from a company by PJC, and is housed on a server.  That server has a capacity, and when that capacity is reached, the server can become overloaded.

For instance, if 25 teachers give an assignment that is due Sunday night and 20 students from each of those classes all log on at once to complete the assignment, a “traffic jam” can occur.  This could ultimately lead to the server crashing.  Waters and his team urge teachers to stagger their assignments in order to prevent this from happening.

According to Waters, lack of manpower is the biggest obstacle when trying to keep the servers up.

Because of budget cuts and a clenching economy, PJC does not have the financial power to keep an eye on ANGEL at all times.  “People on the server management team are making themselves available on weekends, and people are taking calls while they’re in church,” said Waters.

Although teachers seem to feel it is a valuable tool, students sometimes hate it, and administration looks at the crashes as a small percent, other colleges in the area, namely UWF, don’t appear to have the same troubles.

UWF student Chris Edgar said that the school’s eLearning online component has not gone down, unscheduled, once in the two years he’s been there.  He also claims that the support people are easy to get a hold of and there is even a live chat option.  He says that, aside from having “rinky dink” internet connections in the dorms, he has never had an issue with turning in assignments, keeping in touch with teachers, or logging on.

Although UWF may seem advanced with their live-chat support systems, PJC may not be far behind.

Waters stated that the biggest improvement he feels could be made to ANGEL is the implementation of a live chat, along with a webcam. 

“This would allow people to communicate in real-time.  This type of web-conferencing would enable us to have a better picture of what a person is having a problem with on their computer.  It helps us go in and experience what the student is experiencing,” he said.

However, the final chapter of the ANGEL saga may prove to be a dark one.  If students think things are bad now, they may be in for a ride in the near future.

A company known as Blackboard has just recently bought out ANGEL.  “This company is sort of the Microsoft of learning management systems,” said Waters.  He also pointed out how incredibly difficult it is to get any type of customer support from major companies, such as Blackboard.

Right now the major question is how Blackboard is going to handle ANGEL.  Waters wonders if the company is going to just “swallow ANGEL and integrate it into Blackboard or leave it as its own thing.”

Love it or hate it, ANGEL will still be around for quite some time.  Though Waters did hint that the Blackboard buyout could potentially lead to a new type of software on campus; however, he said it wouldn’t be for another two years or so.

PJC students can apply to participate with NASA

WASHINGTON — NASA is offering community and junior college students
from across the country an opportunity to participate in a
semester-long scholars program, culminating in a three-day visit to
NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Students who apply and are chosen for the National Community College
Aerospace Scholars program will interact with NASA engineers and each
other as they learn more about careers in science and engineering.
Program participants will form teams and establish fictitious
companies interested in Mars exploration during the 2010 spring
semester. Each team will be responsible for developing a prototype
rover, designing a line drawing of their rover, and forming a company
infrastructure, including budget, communications and presentations.

Applications are due Dec. 15. To be eligible, students must be U.S.
citizens enrolled at a community or junior college with an interest
in science, technology, engineering, or math. Additionally, students
must have access to the Internet and e-mail and be able to commit to
full participation in the program, including a three-day residence at
Johnson from May 20-22, 2010. NASA will select 45 program
participants to attend the on-site event. NASA will pay their travel
expenses.

“Almost half of post-secondary students are enrolled at community
colleges, and few programs are available to them,” said Linda Smith,
manager of both this program and the Texas Aerospace Scholars program
at Johnson. “NASA is proud to offer students nationwide this career
opportunity to engage in disciplines critical to the nation’s space
exploration.”

The National Community College Aerospace Scholars is a pilot program
based on Texas Aerospace Scholars, a program created by the state of
Texas in partnership with Johnson and the Texas education community.
Both programs are designed to encourage community and junior college
students to enter careers in science and engineering and join the
nation’s high technology workforce.

For more information about NASA’s National Community College Aerospace
Scholars, visit:

 

http://aerospacescholars.jsc.nasa.gov/NCAS
For more information about NASA, visit:

 

http://www.nasa.gov

Merger affects classroom locations starting in spring

Justin Otto

The Corsair

Students will take classes in history and languages in a different building this spring. The History, Language and Philosophy department is in the process of merging with Behavioral Science in building 14.   Because of the merger, faculty are taking on new roles within the campus.

History, Languages and Philosophy Department Head Susan Morgan, is now taking over the position of Department Head of Behavioral Sciences, a position formerly held by Dr. June Linke. Morgan noted that the merge began as of Oct. 1, but it won’t affect students until the spring semester.

”Nobody likes packing,” Morgan said. “But I feel good about it, I mean it’s a lot of work, but I’ve been working on the spring schedule and met with some of the adjuncts that I didn’t know previously and I’ve already met lot of people and learned a lot about the programs.”

“The new department will have probably the largest enrollment at the college, seeing as we are district wide,” said Martin Gonzalez, vice president of Instructional Affairs. “It will probably be the largest enrollment in the campus, because we have dual enrollment students from the high schools and we have three campuses with these courses.”

By merging these programs into building 14, it will free classroom space in building 4 (which will now house the Education Department), giving the option to offer more English and Literature classes as well as providing students with more options and scheduling.

“Students often prefer to have their classes in a very small window of time, and very often what limits the number of sections we can offer is available classrooms. We may have sections available at 2 in the afternoon, but some students don’t want to take classes at 2 in the afternoon, because they are working or whatever. What we find is that most students want their classes between 7:30 a.m. and noon,” Gonzalez said.

It also marks a change in position for Linke, who has been promoted to dean of Curriculum and Assessment after the retirement of the former position holder, Elaine Elledge.

Linke pointed out that the merger will have a positive effect on the way program reviews are handled. They will now be web based instead of paper based. Previously, the programs were on a five year rotation and every year certain programs come up for review to see what changes are needed to be made in programs.

“It is becoming much more automated. Whereas in the past there was lots of paper generated due to program review, now it will just be online reports that will be generated from MIS to the departments, and the department head will form an advisory committee. That part won’t change, but the process and the time that will be consumed conducting the review will be shortened. Which is good, because it gives the department heads and the faculty that are on the review committees more time to interact with students,” Linke said.

Lady Pirate receives FCCAA’s Player of the Week

Gemalie Perez
The Corsair

Every week Florida’s Community College Activities Association (FCCAA) names one athlete as Player of the week. The player of the week for the second week in November was PJC’s Deanna Allen.

“All game stats are reported to FCCAA Scoreboard after each game. The player in Florida with the best stats (points, rebounds, steals, and assists) for the week is chosen the FCCAA Player of the week,” Chanda Rigby, women’s basketball head coach, said.

Allen averaged 26.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 6.0 steals during the week she was chosen for the award.

“I feel very appreciative of this award,” Allen said. “It doesn’t stop here. I will continue to polish my game, because I know my team needs my presence.”

Allen may have received the award for best stats of the week, but her efforts spread farther than any award being received.

“Deana is a player that any coach would love to have as a player. She is very unselfish and puts her teammates first. She works very hard in the classroom, as well as the basketball court,” Rigby said.

Allen currently maintains a 3.4 GPA while staying very active in the community by helping with many of Pensacola’s well known organizations, such as United Way and The Miracle League of Pensacola. She is also one of the most highly recruited women’s basketball players in the nation.

Although this will be Allen’s last year playing for PJC, she plans on helping the Pirates achieve their full potential this season.

“I really wish PJC was a four year university because I would love to stay here and play all four years,” Allen said, while on a phone call with the head coach of North Carolina State.

Allen currently is being scouted by schools such as Rutgers, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, North Carolina State University, and the University of Alabama.

“We will certainly miss her when she is gone, but we are excited about her future, and we are so glad that we could be a part in helping guide her and help her grow toward her potential,” Rigby said.

The other side of Bristol’s life: What he does while off Duty as a Guide Dog

Since this blog is also about my guide dog Bristol, I would like to share with you some of the fun that he has been having since May of this year. I have been really busy with school this semester and Bristol has had some challenges and adventures of his own.

 

Bristol has had to go through quite a few changes since May of this year. First of all, Bristol had to overcome massive ear infections. He also had to lose around eight pounds to regain his health. Now he is a totally different dog. He is happier than he was back in May. He can run and play with me and the other dogs in his life.

 

Speaking of dogs, Bristol has a new roommate now. To add to the chaos of our wolf at home, my sister received her guide dog Beacon back in May. For three months my sister and the new dog were living with us. After a few adjustments, Bristol seems to like Beacon. All three dogs love playing with each other. They will run in and out of the house at top speeds. For my family and I, it is sometimes as if we have three energetic puppies running around us.  

 

Life in my house seems to never be dull with Bristol and his four-legged roommates around. One or more of them are always doing something to make us laugh. For instance, my sister and Beacon are home for Thanksgiving. Beacon is trying to learn a new trick while he is home for the holiday. He is attempting to walk both Bristol and Thunder, the wolf. Amazingly, both dogs let him get away with it. Even though Bristol loves his job as a guide dog, he also enjoys his time with all of his canine friends.

MMA plans in the works for Silva, Pensacola

MADELAIN TIGANO

The Corsair

Mixed Martial Arts is taking charge in popularity all over the world, and Desiree Cicale believes “Pensacola is going to produce fighters like nowhere else.”

Cicale and her partner, Alex Silva Ruas, own a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, MMA, and Muay Thai training camp on West Gregory Street in downtown Pensacola. As of now, their 1,500 square foot training building is lacking enough space for the growing sport, which is why they have, in blueprints, a newly designed 10,000 square foot training facility and a possible merger with former World Champion, Wanderlei Silva.

“We are hoping to partner with Wanderlei Silva,” Cicale said. “There are just a lot of things that have to be fined tuned, but I really feel confident.”

Ruas, 33, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is a fourth degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. His life has consisted of 27 years in the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and 15 years teaching it.

“Jiu Jitsu, explained in Thai, is where a smaller person can get a bigger person on the ground and submit them,” Ruas said. Submission is known in MMA as making the opponent give up on the fight or tap out.

“No matter how good you are, you have to have ground game. Ninety percent of fights always end on the ground,” Ruas said. His training is for men and women of all ages to gain the confidence to be able to defend themselves, when necessary, against a bigger and stronger adversary.

Ruas and Cicale feel the south is 10 years behind, and want to “bring the south up to par with this sport.” They plan on training their athletes for competitions throughout the U.S., and are eager to ship those, who are ready, to move forward more professionally in Las Vegas.

Ruas encourages people seeking training to find a teacher with experience and not someone who makes their students pay for their belts.

“I believe a belt is a gift from the instructor to his students; they have to earn it,” Ruas said. “The biggest role in our camp, Desiree and I, are protecting our athletes. Students have to train with us for six months before they can enter a competition.”

Ruas knows the business as a trainer. He understands that if a student loses a match then it will look bad on him, but if a student wins then he or she gains the recognition.

“Every tournament I can get into I will go,” Jamie Delarosa said. “I take my rage out on mats, instead of the streets.”

Delarosa is a two striped white belt in Ruas and Cicale’s training camp. There are six colored belts associated with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu; they are in ranked lowest to highest: white, blue, purple, brown, black, and red. Each belt has four levels or stripes, except black, which has 10.

Delarosa is also a student at PJC who is studying to be a physical therapy assistant. He says that physically participating with other people helped him with his classes, and he is the only person in his family that doesn’t take medication for anxiety. “If you exercise your body then you exercise your mind,” Delarosa said.

Cicale and Ruas want to offer a future step program for the community. Cicale has been teaching education for 30 years and takes the opportunity to push kids to make good grades for the exchange of free classes.

“My dream is to teach Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to the city of Pensacola for free,” Ruas said. “I believe that if you get the kids off the street and put them in a gym with practice, training, learning the philosophy and the art of respect… you can change the DNA of the system.”

For more information and to contact Ruas and Cicale’s training camp call Brandon Mendez at (850) 377-2019.

Simmons found competent to stand trail

 ASHLEY THOMPSON

The Corsair

After spending the last three months in Florida State Hospital, Jaworski Lee Simmons was found competent to stand trial during a hearing yesterday in Pensacola.

 Simmons faces charges of battery, sexual assault and kidnapping/false imprisonment after he allegedly forced a female student into PJC’s Pensacola campus restroom stall and strained sexual contact last April.
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Judge Terry Terrell set Simmons’ bond at $100,000 and his trial date for Feb. 16.