Midland College Softball vs. Howard College: Friday, March 30th)

By Forrest AllenAthletic Director

Just a reminder that tomorrow the MC softball team will square off against the Howard College Hawks at the Midland College softball field. Tomorrow's action will be a double-header beginning at 1:00 p.m. The first place Lady Chaps enter this weekend's series with a 31-7 record and 4-0 in conference while the third place Lady Hawks are 26-11 overall and 5-1 in the WJCAC. The weekend's games will feature some of the top offensive talent in the nation as well as two teams with a long history of fierce competition.

This season the Lady Chaps are batting .409 as a team with 57 home runs and 222 RBI while the Hawks are hitting .363 with 46 homers and 272 runs batted in. Offensively MC is led by Debra Lovell (.539 BA, 1.094 Slugging Percentage, 69 hits, 50 runs scored, 16 doubles, two triples and 17 HRs) and Diana de la Paz (.508 BA, .802 Slugging Percentage, 64 hits, 42 runs scored, 19 doubles and six HRs).

Howard College is led by Jazzmin Arrant (.413 BA, .727 Slugging Percentage, 50 hits, 44 runs scored, seven doubles, two triples and nine HRs) and returning NJCAA All-American Olive Naotala (.408 BA, .933 Slugging Percentage, 49 hits, 48 runs scored, seven doubles, one triple and 18 HRs).

The two teams will also play a double-header on Saturday, March 31st @ 1:00 p.m. in Big Spring on the campus of Howard College.

Go Chaps!!

Sweet!

Hearing from Mike Makowsky, the faculty advisor for the International Student Club here, at Your College ... "The International Student Club Spring Dessert Fair is this Wednesday from 11:50 AM - 1:00 PM in the MHAB Atrium. Students will be serving desserts from their native countries to raise funds for the club field trip ... Come early if you can. The desserts won't last long!"

MC partners with Midland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for "Café y Pan Dulce"

Midland College and Midland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce present "Café y Pan Dulce" Wednesday, March 28, 8:00 a.m., Midland College/Scharbauer Student Center/Carrasco Room


Enjoy coffee and pastries while learning about Midland College’s community outreach event, “See MC/Sí, MC”


Wednesday, March 28, the public is invited to enjoy breakfast at Midland College (MC), compliments of the Midland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (MHCC). Café y Pan Dulce is a monthly networking event sponsored by the MHCC. Rachel Stone, MHCC president/CEO states, “The main purpose of the Café y Pan Dulce events is to bring attention to our members. It gives them an opportunity to highlight their business to other members.”


Wednesday’s event will highlight MC’s community outreach event that will be held on Saturday, April 21, entitled “See MC/Sí, MC.” MC President Dr. Steve Thomas explains, “’See MC/Sí, MC’ is a major outreach effort for Midland College to recruit first-generation-to-college students. We are inviting the entire community to visit the campus on that day to find out more about college admissions, MC programs, financial aid and college life. In addition to departmental booths, campus tours and higher education information sessions, we will have children’s activities, live entertainment and free food. The Midland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has been a wonderful partner in helping us plan the event and in supporting our efforts to recruit first-generation-to-college students. We are very appreciative of their efforts to help bring awareness to the business community through the Café y Pan Dulce event.”


At the Wednesday morning session, businesses and local news media will get an opportunity to preview the event and interview event organizers.


For more information, please contact Rebecca Bell, MC dean of community relations and special events, (432) 685-4556, rbell@midland.edu

Early College High School Week: MC and MISD — Partners for Academic Success

Midland organizations help to fund accelerated high school program on the MC campus

By Rebecca Bell
Dean of Community Relations and Special Events

In the fall of 2009, MC joined forces with the Midland Independent School District (MISD) in a bold venture based on the principle that academic rigor, combined with the opportunity to save time and money, is a powerful motivator for students to work hard and meet serious intellectual challenges. The result was the formation of Early College High School (ECHS) at Midland College. Students in the program attend high school and college classes on the MC campus. The rigorous program compresses the time it takes to complete a high school diploma and the first two years of college.

MC Vice President of Instruction Dr. Rex Peebles explains, “Early College High School is designed to give students who either might not go to college or might not have the ability to go to college the chance to do so. ECHS students give up most extracurricular activities and devote a lot of extra time to study in order to succeed. In the end, they can get a high school diploma and a college Associate’s degree when they leave; this is a pretty good opportunity for kids that never may have gone to college at all!”

Each fall since 2009, ECHS at MC has accepted approximately 85 students into the program, which begins at the ninth-grade year. For the past two years ECHS at MC has been rated as an exemplary campus by the Texas Education Agency! There is no cost to the students for college tuition, and the program’s success has prompted several individuals and organizations to help with tuition costs. Between April 2011 and January 2012, the Midland College Foundation has received over $250,000 in donations for ECHS tuition. Among those contributing $20,000 or more include Abell-Hanger Foundation, Inc., COG Operating LLC, Fasken Foundation, Scharbauer Foundation, Inc., The Rea Charitable Trust and Wayne and Jo Ann Moore Charitable Foundation.

The Abell-Hanger Foundation has been a major force behind the fundraising for ECHS at MC. At the January 17, 2012, MC Board of Trustees meeting, MC President Dr. Steve Thomas publicly thanked Abell-Hanger Foundation and its Executive Director David Smith for its $50,000 contribution and for helping to bring awareness of the program to the Midland community.

Smith notes, “The trustees of Abell-Hanger Foundation viewed this unique collaboration between MISD and Midland College as worthy of our funding support and assistance. With all the state reductions in funding, it is vital for the philanthropic and business communities to step up and ensure that this program is preserved. We applaud the courage of both institutions to maintain this new program in the face of economic changes. It is our hope that the community will rise up to provide the funding needed to continue this program.”

5 ways to make the community college transfer easier

By Shannon Dauphin
USA Today College

Enrollment in community colleges has been steadily increasing, according to a study by the American Association of Community Colleges. With more affordable courses, partnerships with local business and industry and enrollment caps at four-year universities, it’s no wonder almost half of all undergraduate students in the United States today are served by community college programs.

CLICK HERE to read Dauphin's complete post

Early College High School Week: Early College High School @ Midland College

By Steve Thomas, Ph.D.
President, Midland College

In the fall of 2009, Midland College (MC) joined forces with the Midland Independent School District (MISD) in a bold venture based on the principle that academic rigor, combined with the opportunity to save time and money, is a powerful motivator for students to work hard and meet serious intellectual challenges. The result was the formation of Early College High School (ECHS) at Midland College. Students in the program attend high school and college classes on the MC campus. The rigorous program compresses the time it takes to complete a high school diploma and the first two years of college.

The school started in August, 2009 with an entering freshman class of 125 students. Since then, ECHS@MC has grown to include high school freshman, sophomores and juniors with a total enrollment of 255 students, and we will add another cohort next year. ECHS@MC was implemented to recruit first-generation college students who might not graduate from high school, much less attend college, and provide them with an academic environment in a culture of high expectations for their success.

The curriculum is designed so that students take primarily high school classes in the first two years and college courses in the junior and senior year. When students complete all four years they will graduate with a high school diploma and an Associate Degree or two years of college credit toward a Bachelor’s Degree. Since extra-curricular activities are limited, students are able to focus on learning, and the results have been impressive. For the past two years ECHS@MC has been rated as an exemplary campus by the Texas Education Agency, and the students consistently score higher than their peers at other high schools on the state-mandated Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS ) test.

ECHS@MC is a unique collaboration among Midland College, Midland Independent School District and the community because students attend at no cost. MISD and MC share expenses for maintenance and operation of the school. Midland College provides classrooms, office space, utilities and security; MISD provides high school faculty, administrative staff, transportation, food service and textbooks. When students reach their junior year, they are integrated into college courses taught by MC faculty, and there is no charge for college tuition.

The program’s accomplishments have prompted several individuals and organizations to help with tuition costs. The ECHS@MC Scholarship Fund has been established with generous support from Abell-Hanger Foundation, Concho Resources, Wells Fargo Bank, Fasken Foundation, The Rea Charitable Trust, Scharbauer Foundation, Inc., and the Wayne & Jo Ann Moore Charitable Foundation. This strong community support is vital to the program’s future success.

When we initiated ECHS at Midland College, our vision was to create the best early college high school in Texas, and we knew that there would be significant start-up and maintenance costs. We also knew that due to Texas’ economic recession, state support would be reduced, and we would have to manage ECHS@MC on strained budgets. Even with the Draconian cuts to public schools and severe cuts to Midland College after the 82nd Legislative Session, we chose to make ECHS@MC a priority because we are convinced that ECHS@MC is a pathway to success and a better life for students who never dreamed that college was within their reach.

MC Sports Week

By Forrest Allen
Midland College Athletic Director

Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Lady Chaparral Softball
@ 1:00 p.m. and approximately 3:00 p.m. (double-header at the MC Softball Field)
Seminole State College, OK (20-5) @ #5 ranked Midland College Lady Chaparrals (26-6)

Friday, March 23, 2012
Lady Chaparral Softball
@ 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. (double-header at the MC Softball Field)
Clarendon College Lady Bulldogs @ Midland College Lady Chaparrals (2012 WJCAC Opener)

Friday, March 23, 2012
Chaparral Baseball
@ 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. (double-header at Christensen Stadium)
Howard College Hawks @ Midland College Chaparrals

Saturday, March 24, 2012
Lady Chaparral Softball
@ 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. (double-header at the MC Softball Field)
Frank Phillips College Lady Plainsmen @ Midland College Lady Chaparrals

'Have you heard what's coming to Your College?' ... Pt. 3

THIS WEEK, The 5 Browns take the stage at Chap Center at part of the Phyllis & Bob Cowan Performing Arts Series at MC. Admission is FREE and NO tickets are required. Here's a preview (linked below) of the talent, and the energy they'll be bringing to the stage. CLICK HERE for more about their concert at Midland College.

A Chance to Share Your Thoughts About Your College

Susanna Karth, Student Speaker
Midland College 38th Commencement
Friday, May, 13, 2011

For the past two years, a graduating MC student has been the speaker at MC's annual commencement ceremony. Having a graduating student as our commencement speaker has been a very nice meaningful addition to this MC tradition.

How about YOU? Would you like an opportunity to step up and share your thoughts about Your College. MC is now accepting applications for student speaker at the 2012 Midland College Commencement, which will tajke place Friday, May 11, 7:00 p.m. in the Al G. Langford Chaparral Center. Eligibility is open to December 2011 graduates or May 2012 prospective graduate who have a 3.20 grade point average or higher as of the end of the fall 2011 semester.

All interested applicants must complete and submit an online application form by this Friday, March 23. CLICK HERE for more information, and the application form.

Making the most of your community college years

By Jay Fortenbury
USA Today College

When Nicole DiAntonio got denied acceptance to the University of Virginia, the only thing standing in the way of her and her dream school was Northern Virginia Community College.

“It was a perfect stepping stone,” DiAntonio said. “By the time I was a sophomore, I was more than ready for UVA.”

To woo UVA, this media studies junior did more than just take a few college classes. If you want to use your community college years wisely before transferring, follow in DiAntonio’s footsteps and consider these tips.

CLICK HERE to read Fortenbury's complete post

'Have you heard what's coming to Your College?' ... Pt. 2

In just over a week, The 5 Browns take the stage at Chap Center at part of the Phyllis & Bob Cowan Performing Arts Series at MC. Admission is FREE and NO tickets are required. Here's a preview (linked below) of the talent, and the energy they'll be bringing to the stage. CLICK HERE for more about their concert at Midland College.

5 reasons to consider a community college

By Owen Sutkowski
USA Today College

Today’s high school student is visiting and applying to several four-year colleges and does not pause for a moment to stop by the community college right down the street. The two-year college is a misunderstood and little explored opportunity for students seeking to start, or continue, their education. It is widely known that community colleges are cost effective, with the yearly tuition commonly being half that of a public four-year college; however, there are several other unique benefits that make considering a community college worth the effort.

CLICK HERE to read Sutkowski's complete post

Human culture and other mid-life passions

"I am not a has-been. I am a will be." Lauren Bacall

By Rebecca Bell

Dean of Community Relations and Special Events

Webster’s Dictionary defines anthropology as (1) the study of humankind, in particular; (2) the comparative study of human societies and cultures and their development. For Dr. Paula Marshall-Gray, anthropology was a passion she discovered in mid-life. However, once she took her first cultural anthropology class as an adult learner returning to school some 20+ years after graduating from Kermit High School, she was hooked!

A West Texas native, Marshall-Gray is proud of her Permian Basin heritage: “My grandfather moved here from West Virginia in the 1930s because of the oil industry, and my family has been here ever since.” In fact, Dr. Marshall-Gray wrote her doctoral dissertation on oilfield worker culture. She interviewed former oilfield workers who lived in Texon, a small unincorporated town in Regan County where oil was discovered in the Permian Basin. “I had a great time interviewing those pioneers!” exclaims Marshall-Gray.

Today, Marshall-Gray is associate professor of history and anthropology at Midland College (MC) and also serves as co-director of the MC Honors Program. Her calm self-assured demeanor and her reputation as one of MC’s most beloved and dedicated teachers, leads one to assume that Dr. Marshall-Gray has been teaching for many years; however, for almost 30 years, she enjoyed a career in the music industry and as an interior designer.

She explains, “I graduated from Kermit High School in 1968 and took some college courses, but then I got married. My husband and I owned some music stores in the Permian Basin. Running a business and raising my son consumed most of my time, so I never finished college as a young adult.”

Eventually, Marshall-Gray moved to Austin and started taking classes in interior design. “At that time, Austin was really booming,” she states. “So, I was hired as an interior designer after only taking a few courses, and once again my career took precedence over higher education.”

Marshall-Gray enjoyed her interior design career, mostly doing commercial work for hospitals and doctors’ offices in the Austin area. In 1985 she moved to Lubbock, where she worked for Studio West as a commercial interior designer. She laughs and says, “I was a cubicle expert!”

While in Lubbock, at the age of 42, Marshall-Gray decided to once again go back to school. She took a cultural anthropology course as a humanities elective toward her baccalaureate degree and loved it! In the mid 1990s she graduated from Texas Tech University (TTU) with a bachelor’s degree in general studies and then immediately started to work on a master’s degree in anthropology. Once she obtained the graduate degree, there was no stopping her, and she went right on to obtain her Ph.D. in history. In approximately 10 years’ time, Marshall-Gray had received three degrees from TTU—not as a young carefree adult, rather as a middle-aged woman with a full-time job and a grown son!

During the time she was working on her graduate degrees, Marshall-Gray used her anthropological skills and worked as an ethnographer for Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. She also taught cultural anthropology at TTU while working toward her doctoral degree.

Marshall-Gray’s eyes light up as she talks about her love of anthropology: “I especially enjoy Native American culture. Even though I’m 1/8 Cherokee, my field of expertise is in the Texas Apaches. Many people don’t realize that in addition to being in New Mexico, the Mescalero Apaches were also in Texas until they were forced to leave and were sent to the Mescalero reservation near Ruidoso, New Mexico.”

Her favorite hobbies include antiquing and collecting Native American Kachina dolls. “Most of my collection comes from the Navajo and Hopi tribes, “explains Marshall-Gray. Many of the Kachinas are displayed in her MC office, and she enjoys sharing the history of the dolls and the Native American culture with her students.

Marshall-Gray was hired at MC in January 2007. At the time, the college was attempting to revive its anthropology program, and Marshall-Gray fit the bill. Not only could she provide instruction in anthropology, but could also fill the much-needed slot of an additional history teacher. Today, she teaches five sections of history, two sections of anthropology and is MC’s archaeology instructor. Her teaching load is not just limited to the fall and spring semesters. She also teaches during the winter and spring interim semesters as well as both summer sessions. “I love teaching!” she says.

However, Marshall-Gray’s MC assignments aren’t just confined to teaching. She co-directs MC’s Honors Program, in which she assumes responsibilities of reviewing student applications, coordinating honors projects with other instructors and planning and leading an Honors Program field trip each spring. Marshall-Gray also coordinates field trips for her archaeology students. Her favorite archaeological field trip is to Paint Rock, Texas. She says, “The ranchers in that area are great when we visit. They give presentations to the students and are so gracious.”

Marshall-Gray’s love of Texas, especially West Texas, is not only apparent in her teaching, but also shows up in her personal life. She enjoys xeriscape gardening, and her yard is filled with native Permian Basin plants. Another of her passions is rescuing pets. She currently shares her home with three cats and four dogs—all of which are rescue pets. Marshall-Gray states, “My favorite breed of dog is poodle. (One of her two current poodles is 20-years-old!) They are so smart! However, I also have a Pomeranian and a Heinz 57—I love them all!”

So, while the homeless pets of West Texas are thankful for Dr. Paula Marshall-Gray, Midland College is also thankful that she has discovered her passion for teaching during the second half of her life. During her short time at MC, she has shared her enthusiasm for anthropology with many of MC students—some of who have gone on to major in the field.

With that gleam in her eyes, Marshall-Gray states, “Anthropology can lead to many careers—marketing, ethnography, linguistics, archaeology and forensics are just a few. We study human culture—both past and present. Every career needs to understand human culture!”

'Have you heard what's coming to Your College?' ... Pt. 1

In just over two weeks, The 5 Browns take the stage at Chap Center at part of the Phyllis & Bob Cowan Performing Arts Series at MC. Admission is FREE and NO tickets are required. Here's a preview (linked below) of the talent, and the energy they'll be bringing to the stage. CLICK HERE for more about their concert at Midland College.

MC Lady Chaps to face Hill College Lady Rebels in opening round of Region V Tournament

By Forrest Allen
MC Athletic Director

The #13 ranked Midland College Lady Chaps (23-7) will play their opening round game of the 2012 NJCAA Region V Tournament on Friday, March 9th @ 12:00 p.m. against the Hill College Lady Rebels (26-4). The Region V Basketball Championships will be held at the Rip Griffin Center on the campus of Lubbock Christian University (March 8-11, 2012).

All tournament games will be live streamed on www.psblive.com, but if you can make it up to Lubbock to support the Lady Chaps, please do.