It's About Education ... and Compassion

World AIDS Day, observed December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. It is common to hold memorials to honor persons who have died from HIV/AIDS on this day. Government and health officials also observe the event, often with speeches or forums on the AIDS topics.

The same will be happening right here, in the Tall City.

The MC Student Government Association, Midland/Odessa Area AIDS Support (MAAS) and the Texas Department of State Health Services will host a ceremony honoring those who have lost their lives to AIDS, and those who are dealing with AIDS on Tuesday, November 30, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the F. Marie Hall Academic Building, Rooms 110/111. The ceremony will also include the reading of an official proclamation by Midland Mayor Wes Perry. The public is invited to attend.

On Wednesday, in observance of World AIDS Day, these same groups will offer FREE HIV/AIDS testing and 10-minute counseling sessions from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the F. Marie Hall Academic Building, Room 110/111.

For more information, please contact Stephanie VanCuren at (432) 685-4543.

According to reports prepared by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), AIDS has killed more than 25 million people between 1981 and 2007, and an estimated 33.2 million people worldwide live with HIV as of 2007, making it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history. UNAIDS goes on to report that, despite recent, improved access to antiretroviral treatment and care in many regions of the world, the AIDS epidemic claimed an estimated 2 million lives in 2007, of which about 270,000 were children.

A Colorful Walk Around the Campus of Your College

I took these shots today, during a walk around the mall, at the heart of MC's main campus. I hope you enjoy them. If you have some time during the long holiday weekend that kicks-off tomorrow, you and yours might want to come up here yourselves, walk around, and enjoy the fall colors ... my pictures really don't do them justice.

I'll leave these with you as my final post for the week, as MC closes in observance of Thanksgiving. College offices, services and classes will resume normal hours on Monday, November 29. Have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving, everyone!

The Legacy Scholarship Program is a collaborative funding partnership between the Abell-Hanger Foundation, the Helen Greathouse Charitable Trust, and the Chaparral Foundation that creates educational opportunities at Midland College for high school graduates in Midland County. A key eligibility requirement for the Legacy Scholarship includes the students' performance of forty (40) hours of community service per academic year at an approved Legacy Volunteer Service Agency.

Each semester, the Abell-Hanger Foundation sponsors an essay contest to honor students’ community service and to let the students tell their stories of how community service has enriched their lives. Five of those students receive additional $500 scholarships for essays written about that community service.

TGIF

I must say by the time Friday rolls around, I'm thankful it's the weekend!! It's not that my classes are so incredibly hard or anything, it's just that having a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday class starting at 9:00 in the morning kills me! I am not, nor have I ever been a morning person, and 9:00 is still WAY too early for those of us who need caffeine shots just to get out of bed. It all works out though, for the most part. After a busy week of classes, working, homework, and studying it's nice to know I've earned my Saturday sleep in day. Waking up feeling fresh and rejuvenated gets me ready for a fun night of Saturday fun. Some people chose to stay in on their Saturday's, but my friends and I LOVE to go out. Whether it be movies, bowling, clubbing, and just plain driving around. It's so much fun just to go out and play with friends after a hard week of work. Talking and laughing for hours, like girls are known for doing, fill my Saturday nights. But before we all know it, it's back to the books and the week starts again with that dreaded Monday. Of course looking foward to those good ole Saturday's.

Congrats, Lady Chaps!

From MC's Athletics Director, Forrest Allen, comes the reminder that MC's Lady Chaparral Volleyball squad is headed for the NJCAA Region V West Tournament, Saturday, November 6 in Roswell, NM (Cahoon Armory on the New Mexico Military Institute campus).

The tournament schedule is as follows:
November 6 @ 10:00 a.m. (MST)/11:00 a.m. (CST)
#1 seed Midland College (31-5) vs. #4 seed Western Texas College (19-15)
November 6 @ 12:00 p.m. (MST)/1:00 p.m. (CST)
#2 seed Frank Phillips College (29-5) vs. #3 seed New Mexico Military Institute (17-16)
November 6 @ 5:00 p.m. (MST)/6:00 p.m. (CST)
Region V Tournament Finals

The winner of the tournament will advance to the 2010 NJCAA National Volleyball Championships in West Plains, Misssouri, November 18-20.

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Forrest goes on to write ... The Midland College volleyball team earned a share for the WJCAC title, its first since 2005, with a 25-13, 25-17, 25-12 victory over Western Texas College Monday evening in the Chaparral Center. The match was the final home competition of the season advancing the Lady Chaps to the top seed in this weekend's NJCAA Region V West Tournament.

Midland College improved its season record to 31-5 and its WJCAC record to 7-1. MC tied Frank Phillips College for the conference title with each team winning on their own home court. The Lady Chaps earned the top seed in the upcoming regional tournament by defeating FPC 3-0 in Midland. Frank Phillips defeated Midland 3-1 in Borger. The sweep in Midland gave the Lady Chaparrals the tie-breaker.

The contest was the final home appearance in the Midland College career's of seven members of the Lady Chap team. Marta Machos, Marcella Braz, Gabby Garcia, Jordan Latham, Karolina Sawaniewicz, Sawyer Schaedig and Dorrian McKnight, each sophomores, played their final match at the Al G. Langford Chaparral Center on Monday evening. Over their two seasons these seven Lady Chaps won 54 matches and lost 19.

It was also the final home appearance for Midland College head volleyball coach Kimberly Boone. Boone, who is engaged to be married, is relocating to the Fort Worth (TX) area in the near future. Coach Boone has led the Lady Chap volleyball team to a 108-47 (.697) record over her four-seasons as coach. However the season is far from over as she, assistant coach Tammie Jimenez, and the Lady Chaparrals make preparations for the post-season.

Lyrical Lunch Break

Here's how I spent part of my lunch hour this past Friday, listening to soprano Rebecca Lien sing "Some Things Are Meant To Be" - from the Musical "Little Women" by Sutton Foster - during an MC Student Music Recital, on the stage of Wagner & Brown Auditorium, Allison Fine Arts Center at Midland College. You are cordially invited to take a lyrical break of your own in the weeks ahead, with more MC Student Music Recitals set for November 19 and December 3. Admission is free ... won't you join us?

Getting Ready for Winter, and Spring

As if Your College wasn't busy enough dealing with the present, we must also keep an eye on the future, as well. Even now, in the midst of a great Fall Semester, we are already hard at work preparing for what lies ahead ... Winter Interim Session 2010, and Spring Semester 2011. They'll be here before you know it ... and we'll be ready.

Earlier this week, I uploaded the Credit Course Schedule for the Winter Interim and Spring semesters. It's in a downloadable, printable Adobe .pdf format. Hard copies of the course schedule should be hitting the racks very soon.

By the way, the Course Schedules Index Page also has links to lots of the information you'll need become a part of Your College. These include ...
● Academic Calendar
● Campus Connect
● Find Your Textbooks
● Location Legend
● Registration Information
● Tuition and Fees
● Application For Admission

... there's also MC's College Survival Online, a great resource for potential students AND their parents.

You can also contact MC's Admissions Office by phone at (432) 685-6426, or by e-mail at admission@midland.edu

Online Registration for the Winter Interim 2010 and Spring 2011 semesters begins Monday, November 15.