wallace state mane issue - may 2009

Remember those lazy days of summer? How we thought they would never end.

The Mane IssueThe Mane IssueMay/June 2009Volume 6, Issue 6

In This Issue:In This Issue:

Student SubmissionsStudent Submissions Artwork, Poetry, and, Creative WritingArtwork, Poetry, and, Creative Writing

Graduation NewsGraduation News Campus NewsCampus News Sporting NewsSporting News

Awards Night Pictures and moreAwards Night Pictures and more

Picture By Ashley LeCroy

Wallace State’s Student Newspaper

Summer Arts and Culture 2009

Monday, June 15

STEM Camp

Girls Basketball Camp

9:30am Campus Ministry's Food Closet

Tuesday, June 16

STEM Camp, Jun 15 – 19 2009



Wednesday, June 17

STEM Camp»


Last Day to withdraw from Mini I


Thursday, June 18

STEM Camp

Lion's Pride Orientation


Monday, June 22

Last Day to Apply for a Summer 2009

Loan

Last Day to charge on Stafford Loan at

Bookstore

Summer Graduation Applications Due


Tuesday, June 23


Wednesday, June 24


Thursday, June 25


Monday, June 29


Tuesday, June 30

8am First Stafford Loan Disbursement


Wednesday, July 1

DEADLINE FOR FINANCIAL AID-

FALL 2009

End of Mini Term I

Registration Mini Term ll


Thursday, July 2


Friday, July 3

All day Independence Day - College

Closed

Monday, July 6

Last Day to withdraw 7 Week Term

Late Registration, Drop/Add Begins

Mini Term II

Mini Term II Begins


Tuesday, July 7


Wednesday, July 8

60% Withdrawal Date for Summer

Semester

8am Mid-Point Stafford Loan

Disbursement


Thursday, July 9


Monday, July 13


Tuesday, July 14


Wednesday, July 15


Thursday, July 16

Last Day to withdraw Regular and Mini

II Terms


Monday, July 20

Early Registration for Fall 2009 begins

Tuesday, July 21

End of 7 Week Term


Wednesday, July 22


Thursday, July 23


Monday, July 27


Tuesday, July 28


Wednesday, July 29


Thursday, July 30

Final Exams


Friday, July 31

All day Final Exams

More calendar items can be found at

www.wallacestate.edu.

Upcoming Events

Sponsored by the Wallace State Communications and Marketing Department, KristenHolmes. Ph: 256/352-8118, JBC 11 Floor, [email protected]

MissionIt is the mission of the Wallace State Student Newspaper to inform the Wallace State

student body of campus news and events.

ParticipationThe newspaper always welcomes new staff members. If you are interested in participat-ing on the newspaper staff, please contact Kristen Holmes. or a staff member for info.

Submissions and SuggestionsIf you have a story idea or would like to make a submission to the Wallace State StudentNewspaper, please send an email to [email protected]. All submissions mustinclude the author’s name and contact information. The WSCC Student Newspaperreserves the right to reject any submissions and to edit all published material.

It is the policy of the Alabama State Board of Education and Wallace State Community College, a postsecondary institution

under its control, that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability or age, be excluded

from participation in, be denied benefit of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program, activity or employ-

ment.Wallace State Community College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges

and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097. Ph: 404-679-4501).

Wallace State StudentNewspaper Staff.

Sam Rolley, Editor

Andrew Hill

Andre Caldwell

Aldo Amato

Bethany Petty

Heather Mortensen

Cameron Thomas

Elisabethe Dorning

Jasmine Hall

Tycheria Woods

Ashley Lecroy

Editor’s NotesAhh, sweet summertime. There is nothing comprable to

those lazy summer days spent at the pool with friends, on the

beach, or simply lying around happy to have nothing scheduled.

Quite a sweet dream isn’t it? I know that you are reading this either

thinking that my life is too easy or that I am simply a bum. I’m not,

for I know that these summer months are some of the busiest of

the entire year--as students catch up on credits in summer classes

while maintaining treacherous work schedules. Those lazy sum-

mers ended with the high school graduations that we all wished

would come as quickly as possible.

Even as our scedules are packed full, we--as students of

Wallace State--don’t have it so badly. The college has closed on

Fridays to conserve energy throughout the hot summer months.

That means that students have no classes on Fridays, which

means that every weekend is a bit of a holiday. Classes during the

summer aren’t so bad either, just a way for each of us to reach our

fullest potential more quickly. So I say those of you enrolled in

summer courses are charging headlong into the wind until you are

able to achieve your dreams. I respect that greatly.

This issue of our student publication is focused around the

celebration of student achievements at Wallace State. Whether the

achievements be academic, artistic, intellectual, or very personal in

nature we are a college that is glowing with the light of student suc-

cess. On behalf of “The Mane Issue’s” staff, have a wonderful sum-

mer, keep up the hard work, and enjoy our publication.

Thank you for reading,

Sam Rolley

Editor

THE MANE ISSUENEEDS YOU!

WRITERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS,GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

For information about “The Mane Issue” orto join the staff please contact us by e-mail

[email protected]

May/June 2009

Art On Campus

Picture by Sara Rebecca Boyd

Picture By Ashley LeCroy

Eco-Friendly Artistic

ExpressionBy: Sam Rolley

Adrian Scott’s art classes dis-

played enviromentally artistic creations

in honor of this years Earth Day celebra-

tion.

This is not the only focus on the

enviroment that students and faculty

members may have noticed on the cam-

pus of Wallace State, as many new and

exciting initiatives to protect our planet

are in the making. A commitie has been

formed on campus--Wallace State’s very

own “Green Team”-- to develope plans

to make our campus more friendly to the

enviroment.

Projects under discussion include

the implimentation of a campus wide

recycling program, plans that would

reduce the use of paper on campus, and

many more.

As our readers know, “The Mane

Issue'” has taken a great interest in

keeping the Earth clean and humbly

asks each student, faculty, and staff

member to do his or her part.

Student PhotographyAuthor Dennis Covington Visits

CampusBy Heather Mortensen

As a member of the Sigma Kappa Delta English honor soci-

ety, several other students and I were invited to have breakfast with

Mr. Dennis

Covington before

the student forum.

Early on, I was

recruited as

greeter, my

responsibilities

including welcom-

ing guests and

making sure that

they signed in.

After standing for

long moments, I

heard Mrs. Hopper

and Dr. Bownes-Johnson down the hall, introducing themselves to

the famed author. Anticipation set in.

Here we were, the lot of us dressed in our best “business”

attire, skirts and suits abounded, and Dennis Covington rounded

the corner in jeans and a denim jacket, books cradled in his arms

and a coffee in his right hand. Once inside, we were all introduced

and posed for a few shots with the man who had handled snakes

and lived to tell about it. His attitude was very uplifting, and pretty

soon he had us all laughing. He discussed with Austin Monk, our

president, his recent venture to learn Spanish He even asked us all

Covington, continued on p. 11

Student PoetryOver-grown Roots

By Violet WoodsI come from the South,

Just like the wind.

Often you will feel me,

grazing you from the West.

With feather-like kisses

on your grit-like skin.

Life has hindered me through multiple

dilemmas,

But, with my winsome demeanor and true

southern art,

I will trade in my wilted petals and

over-grown roots.

For a wide open space in which my soul will

freely fly,

far from the time machine that has

imprisoned my mind.

All the while,

pollinating for the rest of the world to bloom

with various bright colors,

that result from virtual seeds that my very

being has spread.

For, I AM prevailing.

A Memory

By Kyle Davenport

Just standing there now, looking back at the

days and

Seeing somehow they all slipped away.

My fate is so new, and my path is unknown;

Here I am again... yet alone.

Given few chances and not enough of time

Blaming you for my thoughts, but in reality,

they’re mine.

Picking out the choices I wish I would have

made,

Deciding on the ones and wanting to fade.

They call me amazing and they call me the

best, but

Deep down inside, I’m just like the rest.

You look up to me, and I look at you,

Holding each other, and I ask, “Is this true?”

Your love is forever, I surely do hope.

All i ask is don't leave me broke.

Remember all the people that I’ve met on

the way,

Each with their stories and problems astray.

I've taken the memories that have gotten me

this far

And tucked them beside me.

A Memory is all I have to left share.

With the thoughts of you still remaining ,why

should I even care?

Wanting to know myself...

In a way such A Memory can describe

With the rambling of thoughts, that have

nowhere to hide

So when the day is over and all is at rest,

I just sit back and think of only the best...of

A Memory

Pull Me Up

By Brittny Wilson

It is infelicitous.

The idea, the glimpses.

Everytime I close my eyes,

I see that verboten image.

Pitting guilt doesn't stop the

ingraining,

Nor does it stop the clashing of

Sapphire and emerald.

When do joshings transform,

Molding into a palpable presence?

Maybe when you sink so low,

You start grasping at any tossed rope.

Pull me up.

Slowly--one inch at a time.

I needed that as much as

I need a mulligan.

Is this it?

Is there something more?

No.

Not really.

That subtle rasping

Whispers of an exchange of nothing

For everything.

Smile--you're wearing a mask.

Maybe next time.

A flash of mirrored ivory and

Water droplets are running down the

Contours of a leaf.

The images cease,

And you're down in the pit again,

Without a rope.

I'm tired.

I'm sorry.

Today, you will only wonder

Just what those empty promises

Could have filled.

But by tomorrow, there will be a new

rope--

An old, frayed one to latch on to.

It won't fill the cracks on the ground,

But at least the foundation is solid.

Pull me up.

Losing all my Blooms

By: Violet Woods

I am born a true southern breed,

My flesh and bones were risen in the

Lone Star state.

By nature my heart and soul, belong to Dixie

with infinity and beyond.

Words color my knowledge, just as

assorted titles line the walls of

an avid readers den.

What roots do these walls have?

Which tales go unread?

Some words, like people, are forever

untouched, never seen,

While others are visited and taken to

heart, thus leading to their

exploration elsewhere.

Words alone are harmless,

However, join them with society and

the damages are done

Like bridges that are often long,

narrow, and swaying at frightful

heights.

Words too can leave us wondering if

we can bear the walk.

I want to taste the sweet smell of

honeysuckle vines

As I feel the cool, moist sand and seaweed

sink beneath my feet.

My blood feels as if it were ironweights

As I inhale the unforgettable burning of

ocean water through my nasal

Amongst the divers’ place I notice

One eye sees as I do, while the other

sees only the media’s view

Just as I feel like I am losing all my blooms

The retching chills subside to reveal that the

fallen blossoms have created a

masterpiece, after all

Love is the Slowest form

of Suicide

Anonymous

“They say that love is the slowest form of

suicide,

So if you left, I would die.

Just because I wouldn’t have you by my

side…

To wipe every single tear that I cry.

Because love is the slowest form of suicide.”

May/June 2009

If you would like to

submit your work to

The Mane Issue,

please e-mail us at

newspaper@

Nearly 600 students at Wallace State

Community College crossed the graduation

stage to collect their diplomas the evening of

May 15 as a full house at Tom Drake Coliseum

celebrated their accomplishments.

These participants are among more than

1,000 graduates conferred degrees and certifi-

cates from Wallace State this year.

“This has been a banner year for

Wallace State,” said President Dr. Vicki

Hawsey. “We’ve celebrated a national champi-

onship softball team, nine of whom are gradu-

ates that are not with us tonight because they

are in Utah defending that championship. We

have prided ourselves on having Alabama’s

New Century Scholar in Austin Monk. And we

have commended the many honors and distinc-

tions earned by our outstanding student body

and faculty.”

Rod Risley, executive director of Phi

Theta Kappa, the international honor society for

community colleges, provided the graduation

address and commended the class on their out-

standing accomplishments.

The Wallace State chapter of Phi Theta

Kappa has been recognized as a 5-Star

Chapter,

the highest

level of

attainment,

for its large

member-

ship, num-

bering 552,

and wide

variety of

programs

and service

learning

activities it

offers to participants. Graduating members of

this group were asked to stand and be recog-

nized during the ceremony.

In her remarks to the graduating class,

Hawsey highlighted the accomplishments of

these students, whose stories are special yet

represent the accomplishments of so many in

this class: Joey Foster, a two-time winner of

the Skills USA state welding competition and a

favorite to win the national competition in

Missouri this summer; Beverly Malone, an ele-

mentary education major who found her calling

in missionary work in Honduras last summer;

Jeanna Blicker a military mom who served

three tours in the Middle East with the Army

National Guard; Sonya Hart, a single mother

who has persevered through college and been

an inspiration to others following a debilitating

car accident; and Melissa Harbison, a six-

tysomething graduate in the Human Services

program who proves that age is no barrier to

education.

Hawsey also awarded two posthumous

degrees to Timothy Dockery, who would have

received an associate in science degree in

criminal justice and an associate in applied sci-

ence degree in forensic investigation. Dockery,

a Magna Cum Laude graduate who was a

member of Phi Theta Kappa and received regu-

lar recognition on the

Dean’s and President’s

Lists, passed away last

week. His son Zachary

Dockery, a marine in the

Force Recon Special

Forces Unit serving in

Iraq, and now with the

Marine reserves and the

Morgan County Sheriff’s

Department, was present

to accept the diplomas

on his father’s behalf.

Graduation awards also were presented

to SGA President and New Century Scholar

Austin Monk for the Presidential Award for

Academic Excellence, to automotive student

Amanda Aldana for the Presidential Award for

Technical Excellence, and to nursing class

president Byron Price for the Presidential Award

for Health Excellence. Heather Childers

received the

James B.

Allen Award

for outstand-

ing service

and scholar-

ship.

As presi-

dent of the

Student

Government

Association,

Monk provid-

ed the invocation and benediction. English and

speech instructor Ramona Hopper served as

Mistress of Ceremonies. Music was preformed

by the Wallace State band and choir.

May/June 2009

2009 GRADUATIONWallace State celebrates

banner year for

student success

May/June 2009

Softball team finishes 2nd in nationSpecial to The Mane Issue.Reprinted with permissionfrom The Cullman Times.

ST. GEORGE, Utah — A

second straight champi-

onship was so close,

Wallace State’s softball

team could practically feel it.

After taking an early

1-0 lead Saturday in the

National Junior College

Athletic Association tourna-

ment’s if-needed game,

Wallace was just counting

down the outs.

Nine outs to go. Six

outs, five …

… And that’s when it hap-

pened.

Yavapai catcher

Brittany Tucker smacked a

one-out, two-run homer to

right off Wallace starter

Kelsey Dennis in the bottom

of the sixth inning, sending

the Rough Riders (60-8) to

a 2-1 win and their first

national championship in

school history.

The Lions (63-10)

won the first championship

game 3-1 behind a dominat-

ing performance by Dennis.

But even though the

game-winning homer in

game two came off Dennis,

it’s hard to fault Wallace’s

freshman lefty.

After picking up a

win in relief in an elimination

game against Seminole

State (Fla.), Dennis quieted

Yavapai’s bats in the first

championship game. In the

if-needed game, the left-

hander took a shutout into

the sixth before giving up

the homer to Tucker.

“She just took the

outside pitch and went with

it,” said Dennis, who ended

the year with a 35-4 record.

“It was what we’ve been

getting them on all day.”

Wallace won its first

national championship last

season in Plant City, Fla.,

and returned to the event

this year despite losing 11

sophomores to graduation a

year ago.

The Lions won their

first two games at the

Canyons Complex before

losing the winner’s bracket

final 1-0 Friday night

against the Rough Riders.

Though her team came up

one win short, Wallace

coach Jayne Clem said she

has no regrets.

“We played a great

game,” she said. “We beat

the national champonship

team once … I wouldn’t

trade my girls for theirs any

day. They did everything we

asked them to, and we’ll be

back.”

Dennis agreed.

“It was great to be

able to have these last cou-

ple games with our sopho-

moress and to have this

experience,” she said. “We

didn’t come out on top, but

we’re going to take this

experience and learn from it

and be better next year.”

Wallace took a 1-0

lead in the first inning on

Stephanie Needham’s solo

homer to left field.

Dennis made it hold

up until the sixth, giving up

just three hits. The fresh-

man ended up allowing six

hits and one walk while

striking out eight.

Needham, Allison

Reynolds and Caitlyn

Williams had the only hits

for Wallace. Sallie Beth

Burch and Needham added

one walk each.

Wallace State 3,

Yavapai 1: Wallace forced

an if-needed game thanks

to a dominating perform-

ance by Dennis.

The freshman starter

allowed one run on three

hits while striking out six to

pick up the win. Dennis’

only run allowed came in

the fifth inning, when Alyssa

Rhodes scored on a sacri-

fice fly by Caitlin Stangl.

The Lions took an

early 3-0 lead with one run

in the third and two more in

the fourth.

Needham hit an RBI

single in the third to score

Natalie Harrison. One inning

later, Williams hit a run-

scoring triple and Van Kirk

added an RBI single.

Van Kirk, Needham,

Smith and Williams finished

with two hits apiece to lead

Wallace, which recorded

nine hits. Harrison added

one hit.

Wallace State 4,

Seminole State 2: Dennis

picked up the win in relief in

Wallace’s first game

Saturday, an elimination

bracket victory over

Seminole State (Fla.).

Dennis struck out

three and gave up one hit

over three innings in relief of

starter Kristen Skinner, who

allowed two runs on seven

hits in four innings.

Entering the seventh

tied 2-2, Harrison scored

Bonham on a fielder’s

choice for a 3-2 lead.

Williams scored one batter

later when Van Kirk reached

on an error.

Williams finished

with two hits to pace

Wallace, while Needham,

Burch and Smith added one

apiece.

Alabaster - It’s a three-peat for Wallace State’s

softball team.

The Lady Lions (58-8) are Alabama

Community College Conference champions

again under head coach Jayne Clem.

Freshman Stephanie Needham was 4-

for-4 with a two-run homer and six RBIs en route

to Tournament MVP honors; Kelsey Dennis

tossed a one-hitter, striking out seven; and third-

ranked Wallace State rolled to a 10-1 victory

over Jeff State in the ACCC Softball Tournament

finals at Alabaster’s Veteran’s Park.

“The girls did what they had to do. They

were focused on their job the whole time,” said

Clem, who also earned her eighth ACCC Coach

of the Year honor in 10 seasons. “Winning anoth-

er state championship was their goal at the first

of the year. Now, they’ve got one more goal and

that’s to defend their national championship.”

Wallace State win ensured the team a

berth in the National Junior College Athletic

Association Softball Tournament in St. George,

Utah that began May 14.

Wallace State strolled through the com-

petition in Alabaster, finishing a perfect 4-0. The

Lady Lions defeated Alabama Southern, Jeff

Davis, Faulkner State and Jeff State and limited

their opponents to just three runs in 28 innings.

Dennis put the lid on the domination. The fresh-

man lefty surrendered just one hit and one walk

to Jeff State as she improved to 31-2 on the sea-

son.

After the game, the Pelham native was

named the NJCAA Region XXII Softball Player of

the Year, which automatically placed her on the

1st-team All-Region. She was also named to the

All-Tournament Team.

“Winning a state championship feels

amazing. I’ve never been a part of one,” Dennis

said. “It took all of us to win it. All of the fresh-

men knew we had a lot of big shoes to fill, but

we knew we could do it. The sophomores helped

us a lot in buying into the program. We knew

what we had to do and it feels great to accom-

plish it.”

Wallace State faced a 1-0 deficit in the

first inning, but answered with a five-run first of

its own to grab a 5-1 advantage. The Lady Lions

added three more runs in the second and two in

the sixth.

Needham, a freshman from Hewitt-Trussville,

had a hand in every rally. She had a two-run

double in the first, a two-run single in the sec-

ond, and capped the afternoon with a two-run

blast to left in the sixth.

Clem hasn’t been surprised at the consis-

tent freshman production like she received from

Needham and Dennis in the title game.

“They’ve been in big games before in

high school and travel ball. They’ve played in

some big games before,” Clem said. “They knew

we needed them to step up.”

LaRae Womack had two singles and a

pair of sacrifice flies for Wallace State, Natalie

Harrison had two hits and Sallie Van Kirk and

Sallie Beth Burch each had a hit and scored two

runs.

Wallace State had four players make the

All-Region XXII Team: Dennis, Van Kirk,

Needham and Kristen Skinner.

Allison Reynolds, Burch and Harrison

were named to the 2nd All-Region XXII Team.

Van Kirk, Reynolds, Skinner, Dennis and MVP

Needham were all named to the All-Tournament

Team.

Lady Lions capture 3rd straight ACCC title

Wallace State baseball endsseason with 38-13 record

Wallace State’s strong

season, which started at 19-2,

cooled off at the end of the year.

The Lions closed the season at

38-13, finishing with a suprisingly

quick exit in the Alabama

Community College Conference

Tournament on May 12.

The Lions were eliminated

by Chattahoochee Valley, 5-3,

after earning a No. 2 seed as the

host team.

Wallace State was victim-

ized by a grand slam in its open-

ing-round loss to Faulkner State

and a second grand slam elimi-

nated the Lions from the tourna-

ment and spoiled a spectacular

outing from Wes Holley.

Holley had a no-hitter

working against Chattahoochee

Valley heading into the bottom of

the seventh inning.

With one out, CVCC’s

Donte Williams ended Holley’s

no-hit bid with a homer to left

field to trim Wallace State’s lead

to 3-1.

The Pirates (37-18) didn’t

let up.

Holley was lifted after Nick

Stephens followed with a single

and Wallace State’s Chris Fisher

loaded the bases with a walk and

a hit batsman.

Wallace State closer

Carlton Paris inherited the bases-

loaded jam and surrendered a

grand slam to CVCC’s Bo Foster.

It was Foster’s 14th homer

of the season.

“After we got the first hit in

the seventh, we just took it from

there. We finally had some

momentum. I came up with the

bases loaded, and that was the

chance I wanted,” said Foster

who was pulled on the mound

after allowing three earned runs

in only 1 2/3 innings. “I somehow

had to make up for my bad out-

ing, so I did it at the plate.”

Derek Varnadore struck

out eight and yielded only three

hits in 6 1/3 innings of relief for

the Pirates to tally the win.

Johnny Gunter tossed a score-

less ninth for the save.

Fisher was charged with

the loss for Wallace State after

Holley went 6 1/3 innings and

allowed two runs on two hits.

He recorded 10 strikeouts

and walked five.

Williams had the only

multi-hit game for CVCC.

Hayes Orton was 3-for-5

including an RBI triple for Wallace

State. Dustin Lawley and Gil

Walker added RBIs for a team

which was nationally ranked the

entire season.

“In both games (in the

tournament) we gave up a grand

slam. You’ve just got to credit the

hitter for getting the big hit,” said

Wallace State coach Randy

Putman. “We were climbing a

mountain all year to get back to

where we were in our first 19

games. We just never could get

back to that caliber of play, and to

win the tournament, I thought we

had to get back to that caliber of

play. And we never did.”

Wallace State’s sopho-

mores include Ryan Davis, Zac

Taylor, Hayes Orton, Marty

Stewart, Dustin Lawley, Tyler

Hannah, Will Rankin, Chris Cain

and Andrew Brook.

HUNTSVILLE--The Wallace State

golf team wrapped up play in the

NJCAA National Tournament in

Huntsville last week with a 12th

place overall finish and individual

honors for sophomore Andrew

Freeman.

The Lions co-hosted the

tournament with Central Alabama

Community College at the Hampton

Cove River Course of the Robert

Trent Jones Golf Trail. The best 120

golfers and 24 Division 1 junior col-

lege teams in the nation were fea-

tured over four rounds that began

May 19.

As a team the Lions

improved by six strokes on the final

day to post their best score of the

tournament, an 11-over par 299.

Their four-day team total was 65-

over par 1217 (305, 308, 305, 299).

Wallace State Coach Dan

York said he was pleased with the

way his team finished. “I hoped we

would break into the top 10

because we have the talent to be

there,” he said. “We had a decent

final round, and

Andrew had a

solid tourna-

ment.”

Freeman

earned All-

American and

All-Tournament

honors following

his finish at 8-

over par (77, 71,

77, 71, 296),

which placed him

in a tie for ninth

place overall.

He

recorded five birdies in the final

round, recovering from a pair of

bogeys and a double bogey on the

front nine, his only scorecard blem-

ishes, to end the day at 1-under

par.

Brad Story posted an eagle

three on the opening par five 556-

yard first hole in the final round. He

holed three birdies and seven

bogies on the way

to a plus-2 round.

Story finished the

tournament tied for

19th place at 12-

over par (76, 77,

73, 74, 300).

Matt Cook

shot four-over par

76, including five

birdies, in the final

round to end in a tie

for 37th place (77,

75, 77, 76, 305).

Patrick Brown

finished with a 316

four-day total (75, 85, 78, 78), and

Grant Fancher finished at 329 (82,

85, 83, 79).

Midland College’s (Tex.)

Tommy Sikes was the best player of

the week by three strokes, finishing

at 3-under par 285 (69, 75, 72, 69).

His team finished in third place at

1195 (+43).

McLennan Community

College (Tex.), won the tournament

in a sudden death playoff against

New Mexico Junior College. Both

teams finished regulation play with

a score of 1185 (+33).

Eighteen of the 24 teams

competing were returning to the

course for the second year.

“We learned some things in

our first year hosting the tourna-

ment that we were able to improve

this year,” said York. “The coaches,

especially those who have been to

other national tournaments, were

very complimentary. All the players

seemed to have a good time.”

“We’re looking forward to

one more year,” York said.

The tournament unveiled

live web stats this year, and scores

from each round may be found at

golfstat.com. For more information

about Wallace State golf, visit

www.wallacestate.edu.

WSCC golf finishes 12th in National Tourney; Freeman earns

individual award

May/June 2009

May/June 2009

Wallace State Awards Night Features College’sOutstanding Students

Wallace State students were recognized for their achieve-

ments at the college’s recent Awards Night Ceremony. Awards for

campus leadership, scholastic achievement, transfer scholar-

ships, and division honors were among those presented at the

ceremony, which honored students enrolled during the 2008-2009

academic year.

“I am so proud of each and every one of you,” said

Wallace State President Dr. Vicki Hawsey to the group. “You have

distinguished yourself here. Remember, we are not placed on

this earth ‘to live unto ourselves,’ but to make a difference. Go

and make a difference.”

For a list of Awards Night honorees, see photograph cap-

tions.

Who’s Who 1 (L-R):

Front Row: Haley Alcorn, Altoona; Kaylea Brewer, Pulaski, TN; Erin Cantrell, Anderson; Heather Childers, Eva;

Hallie Drake, Falkville; Easton Eubanks, Falkville; Jennifer Gay, Vinemont; Debra Stanulevich, Cullman

Middle Row: Emily Bagwell, Jasper-- Dustin Baldwin, Section; Jeff Blankenship, Arab; Stephen Carter, Cullman;

Sherry Clark, Hanceville; Jessica Escobar, Cullman; Sabrina Gilbreath, Vinemont; Stacey Glasgow, Millport

Back Row: Matt Ambrose, Cullman; Joseph Foster, Remlap; Barry Haisting, Haleyville; Shaun Smith, Huntsville;

Andrew Hull, Decatur; Lucas Johnson, Falkville; Phillip Jester, Cullman; Kenneth LeBlanc, Cullman

Who’s Who 2 (L-R):

Front Row: Kelly Goggans, Jasper; Latasha Goodwin, Cullman; Leslie Graves, Danville; Haley Mabrey, Holly

Pond; Jamie South, Vinemont; Elaina Helms, Oneonta; Linda Johnson, Cullman; Laura Wallace, Warrior; Sallie

Van Kirk, Athens

Middle Row: Hannah Thomas, Oneonta; Amy MacDonald, New Hope; Traci Hite, Crane Hill; Theresa Tucker,

Kansas; Elizabeth Hughes, Cullman; Juli Davis, Pinson; Irene Kijem, Cullman; Caitlin Williams, Somerville; Kelly

Keith, Cullman

Back Row: Patricia Malone, Huntsville; Morgan Wolf, Eva; Carolyn McCune, Hartselle; Amy Moore, Oneonta;

Paranavkumar Patel, Hanceville; Emma Reeves, Arab; Jennifer Prybyla, Cullman; Traci Schanck, Hayden;

Austin Monk, Cullman; Heather Schuler, Cullman; Sallie Burch, Moulton

Who’s Who (not pitcured): Alyssa Budasalich, Mt. Olive; Conner Cappelletti, Madison; Cherri Carr, Cullman;

Renee Chism, Cullman; Kali Cienkus, Logan; Sherry Clark, Hanceville; Micah Coker, Union Grove; Amie

Compton, Hanceville; DeAna Crews, Cullman; Jessica Croft, Oneonta; John Fickbohm, Florence; Andrew

Freeman, Jasper; Tracey Gilley, Cullman; Latasha Goodwin, Cullman; Grace Graham, Warrior; Jennifer Gray,

Hartselle; Kalah Green, Hanceville; Ashley Hall, Cullman; Jordan Hammock, Warrior; Cassandra Henderson,

Oneonta; Shay Isbell, Cullman; Jenna Kirk, Hanceville; Derek Knop, Hanceville; Joybeth Lane, Russellville;

Shannon Lee, Hartselle; Sedena Leipert, Cullman; Kimberly Martin, Morris; Brooke McCain, Addison; Mareth

McGee, Sheffield; Tammy McMichael, Pinson; Pamela McQueary, Rogersville; Margaret Mitchell, Jasper;

Pamela Morgan, Hayden; Rebecca Nix, Jasper; Kerry Paris, Vinemont; Zachary Payne, Warrior; Christen

Pontius, Huntsville; Byron Covington, Dora; Christy Price, Warrior; Allison Reynolds, Birmingham; Cassie

Screws, Hayden; Donna Shelnut, Cullman; Stephanie Sims, Empire; Jean Sisson, Lynnville, TN; Ashley Smith,

Helena; Brandy Smith, Baileyton; Leslie Smith, Hartselle; Kimberly Starnes, Cullman; Brad Story, Huntsville; Eve

Sypniewski, Blountsville; Kelly Teaque, Altoona; Sharon Thomas, Cullman; Megan Van Kirk, Arab; Stephanie

West, Somerville; Sheree Wood, Somerville

Who’s Who

President’s

Award

L-R: Austin Monk,

Cullman; and Sallie Van

Kirk, Athens, with Dr.

Vicki Hawsey

All Alabama

Academic

Team

L-R: Austin Monk,

Cullman; and Haley

Mabrey, Holly Pond with

Dr. Hawsey

Star

Achiever

Star Achiever nominee

Lucas Johnson, Falkville,

with Dr. Hawsey. Not

Pictured: Nominee Myra

Darnell, Hanceville; winner

Kayla Carden, Addison.

Jack Kent Cook

Scholarship

Nominees

L-R: Felicia Morris,

Cullman and Kathy Dyer,

Vinemont with Dr. Hawsey

4.0

G

P

A

Leadership

Front Row: Honor Scholar: Haley Mabrey, Holly Pond; Saxophone Quartet:

Hallie Drake, Falkville; Phi Theta Kappa: Heather Childers, Eva; Miss Wallace

State: Ashley Garcia, DeFuniak Springs, FL; Student OTA Association: Stacy

Glasgow, Millport; Human Services Club: Asia Whitaker, Hanceville; Student

Support Services: Tawanna Salters, Vernon

Back Row: Jazz Band: Wesley Frydendahl, Kimberly; Pep Band: Chris Jones,

Danville; Lambda Beta Society: Stephen Carter, Cullman; WSCC Mascot:

Andrew Brymer, Birmingham; Talking Hands Club: Adam Schrimsher,

Hartselle; Campus Ministries: Britney Shubert, Birmingham; Computer Science

Club: Kenneth LeBlanc, Cullman; Jessica Escobar, Cullman

Not pictured: Not Pictured: Homecoming Queen: Taylor Carpenter, Cullman;

Math and Physics Club: Andrea Crawford, Somerville; Medical Assistants Club:

Cheryl Hargrove, Hartselle; Concert Band: Zachary Payne, Warrior; The Mane

Issue: Sam Rolley, Cullman; Student Physical Therapy Association: Shaun

Smith, Huntsville

Front Row: Traci Schanck, Hayden; Jeanna Blicker, Cullman; Sallie Van Kirk, Athens; Morgan Wolf, Eva;

Amanda Harris, Albertville; Cheri Meyer, Hartselle; Tosha Williams, Cullman

Middle Row: Kitty Thomas, Hartselle; Daniel Watson, Hanceville; Kody Baswell, Cullman; Kenneth

LeBlanc, Cullman; Erin Loggins, Trafford; Wendy Stelzer, Vinemont

Back Row: Joshua Brown, Hanceville; John Coey, Hanceville; William Mathis, Double Springs; Matt

Ambrose, Cullman; Hobart Wilson, Hanceville; Andrew Hull, Decatur

Not pictured: James Allen, Cullman; Mallory Barnes, Hoover; Emily Belue, Anderson; Charlene Blanchard,

Oneonta; Lauren Bowling, Hanceville; Kaylea Brewer, Pulaski, Tenn,; Michael Campbell, Cullman; Patricia

Cantrell, Cullman; Naomi Capp, Holly Pond; Lamona Collier, Jasper; Haley Daneker, Hanceville; Megan

Dotson, Cullman; Janet Forsythe, Florence; Lisa Freeman, Empire; Jordan Hammock, Warrior; Natalie

Harrison, Athens; Melissa Hice, Vinemont; Jordon Hock, Cleveland; Samantha Hopson, Blountsville;

Joshua Huddleston, Cullman; Robin Humphrey, Gadsden; Tyler Knight, Madison; Christian Laster, Moulton;

Shannon Lee, Hartselle; Tamitha McAlpine, Cleveland; Crystal Montgomery, Town Creek; Osmar Morris,

Cullman; Kyle Murrah, Arley; Phillip Pearson, Oneonta; Sarah Ritchie, Russellville; Mannon Rodgers,

Sheffield; Tasha Roland, Decatur; Joseph Rooker, Warrior; Ashley Smith, Helena; Shaun Smith, Huntsville;

Martin Stewart, Childersburg.

Program Awards

Front Row: Respiratory Therapy: Erin Cantrell, Anderson; Dental Hygiene:

Ashley Amos, Boaz; Cosmetology: April Miller, Cullman; Nursing: Kelly

Keith, Cullman; Business Administration: Jamie South, Vinemont

Back Row: Agribusiness: Steve Grund, Hanceville; Upholstery: Edward

Hall, Hanceville; Welding: Joseph Foster, Remlap; Business Management:

Matt Ambrose, Cullman; Business Education: Hallie Drake, Falkville

Not Pictured: Business Education: Marie Guzman, Vinemont; Computer

Science: Hiram Harbison, Crane Hill; Dental Assistant: Charlene Blanchard,

Oneonta; Practical Nursing: Jennifer Borden, Falkville; Health Information

Technology: Lamona Collier, Jasper; Sonography: Katherine Cunningham,

Pinson; Human Services: Melissa Harbison, Logan; Pharmacy Tech:

Rebecca Powell, Addison; Nursing: Byron Price, Dora; Physical Therapy:

Shaun Smith, Huntsville; Medical Assistant: Kimberly Tubbs, Hanceville;

Occupational Therapy Assistant: Morgan Wolf, Eva; Electronic Technology:

Landon Buckelew, Eva; Machine Tool Tech/ CNC: David Campbell, Bremen;

Drafting and Design: Jonathon Hendrix, Blountville; Automotive Service

Tech: Ethan Oden, Union Grove; Collision Repair: Mathew Palmer, Oneonta

Front Row: JSU: Heather Schuler, Cullman; JSU: Skylar Tatro, Hanceville;

University of Montevallo: Brooke Kinney, Falkville; West Alabama: Christine

Patterson, Cullman

Back Row: UAH: Luke Graves, Blountsville; UAB: Haley Mabrey, Holly Pond;

UAB: Sallie Van Kirk, Athens; University of Alabama: Hallie Drake, Falkville

Not Pictured: West Alabama: Caitlyn Bonham, Springville; JSU: Sallie Beth

Burch, Moulton; UAB: Jessica Escobar, Cullman; UAB: Allison Reynolds,

Birmingham; JSU: Meagan Wimbs, Cullman (This list includes only those

scholarships reported at the time of the ceremony.)

Tr

r

a

n

s

f

e

r

S

c

h

o

l

a

r

s

May/June 2009

By Sam Rolley

In an age of boundless technology and

increasingly competitive job markets, a knack for

creativity is oftentimes a college student’s most

valuable asset. Due to heavy course loads and

tight schedules many find it difficult to find time for

pursuits outside of the classroom--even as an

achievement in one’s future career-field adds

value to the college experience as a whole. Many

times employers prefer for a bit of experi-

ence to be coupled with training received in

college.

Kenneth LeBlanc, a Wallace State

Computer Science Major, is an ideal exam-

ple of a student that has taken his learning

experience far beyond the classroom with

much success. Despite a rigorous class

schedule and his graduation from Wallace

this May, LeBlanc, who is a home-school

graduate from Biloxi, Miss., has used the

skills acquired in classes to show the world

his creative side in video game design.

“I had kicked around game design

before and even considered it as a career

choice,” LeBlanc said. “It is a very competi-

tive market but it’s also fun, which makes it

an ideal hobby as well.”

Since childhood LeBlanc has been inter-

ested in videogames in the same way that many

youth are—growing up playing “classics” such as

Donkey Kong and the Mario series on gaming

systems that are nearly obsolete. The games that

this student has designed are mostly featured as

“freeware” (which means they can be downloaded

and played on the computer for free) on his web

site kenginegaming.com.

LeBlanc was recently notified that one of

his games would be published and featured in a

video game magazine called “Level Magazine”,

which, oddly enough, is distributed in the Czech

Republic.

Of his publication in another country

LeBlanc said, “I am excited that one of my works

is out there, even if it is somewhere in Russia and

I can’t get a copy of the magazine.” He added,. “I

just want people to be able to enjoy my work.

Game design is a form of

art to me—art is meant to

be enjoyed. It doesn’t

matter who is enjoying it

just as long as it is out

there.”

The game, titled

“Puck,” is what LeBlanc

describes as a puzzler—

the object being to navi-

gate a small object simi-

lar to a hockey puck

through a series of intri-

cate maze-like levels.

One of his more polished

games, LeBlanc

remarked that he had

heard positive feedback about “Puck” through

commentary on internet forums.

“My idea for “Puck” just sort of happened,

like many of them do,” LeBlanc said, “It is really

funny because coming up with the ideas for

games can either be extremely easy or extremely

hard, just like any other form of art.”

According to Cheryl Grimmet, an instructor

in Wallace State’s Computer Science department,

the publication of his game is a valuable asset to

a student like LeBlanc.

“There is so much to be learned in our

field,” Grimmet said. “We could never teach stu-

dents every single thing they need to know. We

can only prepare them for their chosen careers.

Students with a drive that sets them apart like

Kenneth are those that will excel.”

LeBlanc hopes to do just that, as his grad-

uation from Wallace State will be the beginning

the journey of his career. Although he plans to

seek employment in his field immediately, he has

also considered continuing his education through

the Computer Science program offered at UAH.

“I feel like I am ready, like Wallace has

prepared me for what I want to do now—but

things are always changing and I am not ruling

out the possibility of attaining a bachelors degree

in Computer Science in the future.”

LeBlanc’s older brother, a graduate of

Wallace State, was one of the main contributors to

his decision to attend the college. He and his fam-

ily were very impressed with the education that

Wallace provided. Both LeBlanc and his brother

have achieved a great deal of success at the col-

lege even as they admit that the transition from

home-schooling to sitting in a college classroom

is an adjustment. As LeBlanc’s graduation draws

near, he is in for more life changes and the deter-

mination and skill that he has exhibited through-

out his years in college will surely prove to be

only the beginning of his successes.

To check out some of the games that

LeBlanc has designed visit kenginegaming.com.

For more information about Computer Science at

Wallace State contact Cheryl Grimmet at 256/352-

8158 or go to wallacestate.edu.

Wallace Student Publishes Video Game

LeBlanc graduated from WSCC this May.

By: Sam Rolley

Wallace State dental hygiene student

Patricia Phillips is not your typical college student.

Phillips’ story began in Columbia, as she

finished school with much success and began to

ponder what she wanted to do

with her life. As she explored pos-

sible career choices the young

student finally decided that den-

tistry would be her passion and

enrolled in classes. Both of her

siblings had chosen healthcare

professions--she has a brother

who is a doctor and a sister who is

a practicing dentist in Spain--and

Phillips’ loved the idea of being

able to help people. In 1993

Phillips completed her education

at the University of Cartagena and

became a certified dentist in

Columbia. For eight years she was a practicing

dentist in her native country, where she made a

very good living and was well-known for her

expert work.

“It is different here than in Columbia,”

Phillips said. “If you have a good job in Columbia,

you are able to afford luxuries like housekeepers.

I was doing very well, but I welcomed the

changes that were to come in my life.”

Phillips’ life changed when she met the

man that she would marry while on vacation in

the United States. Over the course of a year they

dated--despite the distance, he would fly to

Columbia every two months to visit. When they

married, Phillips’ came to the realization that she

would be moving to the United States, as her hus-

band was unable to leave his mechanical engi-

neering job at NASA in Huntsville. The career

challenges that she would face were only realized

after seeking recerti-

fication as a dentist

in the United States.

There are only a

few, very competi-

tive, and very

expensive programs

in the United States

for recertification in

dentistry. Because

of her husband’s

job, Phillips was, at

the time, unable to

travel to any of the

select states

throughout the country where the program is

offered.

It was time to find a job, especially

after the birth of her daughter who is now two

years old. She began working as a dental assis-

tant, so that she was at least able to work in the

career field in which she was trained.

“It was hard for me to work as a dental

assistant.” Phillips explained, “I am a trained den-

tist. I was used to having my own office and here I

was running errands and cleaning tools. I wasn’t

very fond of my new pay scale either.”

After working as a dental assistant for a

few months, she decided that it was time for a

change. The hard work and low pay in a field that

Phillips was already an expert in convinced her

that there was surely a better option. After survey-

ing many different possibilities she discovered

Wallace State’s dental hygiene program.

“I am excited about Wallace and the den-

tal hygiene program here; I travel from Huntsville

to school every day because I know that this is a

great opportunity,” said Pihillips.

For Phillips, the program has been a won-

der. Even as she is a trained and experienced

dentist, she is learning new skills that will allow

her to work in the field she loves. Her path to suc-

cess in the United States has not come without

challenges—she attends class each day while

balancing the tasks involved in running her house-

hold and raising her two year old daughter.

“It is hard at times,” Phillips said. “I love it

though. Most of the students in the classes are

very young, just starting out, and here I am re-

learning a great deal of material for dentistry.

Often I am thrilled when I can help some of the

less experienced students to understand bits of

the material.”

As she works towards a degree in dental

hygiene and comes closer every day to her goal

of finding a good job in the field she loves, this

student has not lost sight of her future. After she

is able to obtain her degree and find a good job

Phillips will seek admission to a dentistry certifica-

tion program. She epitomizes the ways in which

community colleges across the nation are helping

people every day to achieve the American dream.

Coming to America: The story of a Columbian dentist who

is reworking her life with the help of Wallace State

Phillips is a well respected dentist in Columbia

May/June 2009

The Black Dog :

Part 1 of 4By Heather Mortensen

Cleo kicked off her canary yellow heels beneath the wooden poker table

to alleviate the pain in her feet. She had spent most of the night dancing, letting

loose and doing the Charleston shamelessly into the wee hours, but by this time,

she was too sore to do anything but gamble. When she did either of those two

things that she loved, it was always with the most attractive men in the club.

At that moment, she gambled in the jazz club by the river that sported a staff of

handsome young Haitians. The building was outwardly dingy,

and on the inside, it smelled of the fat cigars that men liked to

smoke and the free-flowing illegal booze that everyone liked to

drink. The man sitting opposite her, however, wasn't a fixture

of this, Cleo's favorite place.

She first met him at a fancier speakeasy further into

town where there was a pool table that didn't sag. He was

obviously rich, because he always smoked the most expensive

cigars, waving them about and blowing their extra fragrant

smoke into the faces of others as if bragging without words.

To her, he seemed both repulsively arrogant and incredibly

beautiful.

She touched her bobbed blonde hair and leaned for-

ward to speak to him. Her lashes lowered and her glossed

lips parted demurely, but she was cut off by the sudden loss of

electricity throughout the edifice. Cleo was inwardly frightened

but hid it well, for she knew how her so very yellow outfit must stand out as a

more sickly shade in the dark.

And then she was there, under the spotlight, with skin as pale as milk, lips

as red as rubies, and bobbed hair as black as the night. The eyes of the man

across the table shimmered and lit up, leaving Cleo wondering whether it was

from the influx of light or the fiery gaze of the woman. Her dress was as blue as

her eyes, which resembled the ocean at its deepest point, and covered with beads

and sequins that glinted and shone in a way that rivaled the brightest of stars.

Then she sang... and it was breathtaking.

Her voice was warm and sensual, as if she were spoon-feeding the crowd

honey. She sang the saddest blues song in the world, but Cleo could never again

recall the words after it ended. The man to her right mumbled lowly about her

name being Dora or something to that effect.

After the clapping had died down for the most part, she felt it safe to

speak to the fellow across from her, but when she turned around, she found him

missing. Nervous that her words may go unheard by the handsome gentleman,

she twisted in her chair to look about. Her eyes scanned the crowd as the lights

returned, but he was nowhere to be found.

This made her very angry, for she wasn't accustomed to men leaving

when she went to address them. She put down her cards to move in search of

the man, and she promptly noticed that she was alone at the table. It was then

that she realized that all the men were crowded around the singing diva at the bar,

flirting and choking her with the heavy smoke cloud that seemed to travel with

groups of men. Her friend was closest to the singer, waving his cigar obnoxiously

in the woman's face.

Cleo puffed up with jealousy like a little girl holding her breath for cookies.

She wouldn't stick around this dive just to be ignored.

She put on her shoes and stomped toward the exit to retrieve her fur from

the doorman. He handed it to her, and she snatched it violently, scratching the

back of his hand. He recoiled, clutching his hand to his breast but said nothing as

she wrapped the stole about herself.

When sufficiently draped by mink, she stormed out into the night, heading

for her home that was but a mile away.

After walking for some time, she could see the crossroads in the distance

that marked the halfway point, and it was a welcome sight. Her feet burned from

the bones outward, but her home was only a bit further along the left-hand path.

Between one of the forks was the same old oak tree with its directional signs

nailed into its aged trunk, but something was wrong with it.

The bundle of roots at its base was so much blacker than the rest of the

scene, and it appeared someone had dropped something shiny among the tangle.

Fancying she had happened upon a bit of emerald jewelry, she

rushed forward with renewed vigor, her rage temporarily forgot-

ten. But as she got closer, she realized that what she had

taken as very black roots was actually the fur covered body of a

great, raven-colored dog! Its eyes were so green, they might

have been made of the jewels she had mistaken them for, and

they watched her, intent and unblinking.

Cleo was paralyzed by fear, for she had never before

seen a canine as unnaturally large as this one. The night was

terribly dark, but she could see him well as he rose to his feet

because he was so much blacker. He was easily the height of

a table when standing, which frightened her even more.

The creature approached her, and she found herself unable to

flee. Her legs refused to work, and she somehow knew the

beast was behind the trick. It came within inches of her legs

before stopping to speak, "I give to you, and you give to me."

Unable to rationalize and scream, Cleo replied, "Excuse me?"

The dog took on an expression of serenity and patience, "I give to you,

and you give to me."

Cleo still didn't understand, but she assumed as best she could. Perhaps

the animal meant that it wanted to be petted in return for sparing her life, so she

reacted by extending her hand to touch his head. Her palm came into contact

with fur that was so much softer than her mink, but at the same time, it was wiry

like pig bristles. Calming, she took a fist full of its neck fur and let her fingers slide

through it. Surely she must have imagined speech coming from a dog's lips,

unable to form words like a person can.

Laughing to herself, she removed her hand and began to walk the other

half-mile to her home, but the dog followed loyally, looking serious as ever. She

replaced her hand, and then, as if through telepathy, she knew the dog must have

wanted her to make a wish, "Oh, dog, I wish I could sing like Dora so that all the

men would give me their attention."

The dog looked up at her without blinking (had it blinked at all this whole

time?), "I can do that, but you'll have to give me your stole. I give to you, and you

give to me."

Horrified, yet intrigued, she removed her fur and draped it over the ani-

mal's back. The dog's lips curled back into a snarling smile and raucous laughter

erupted from him. Cleo backed away, giving her a clear view when the dog com-

pletely vanished like a light going out.

Look for further installments of Mortensen’s work in future issues of “TheMane Issue.”

It's June. It's warm outside, and you're

probably away from campus. You may

be working a job during the summer,

or reading this far from campus on

vacation...school is probably the last

thing on your mind.

So why spend 10 minutes

reading the June issue of Student

Health 101?

First, you can enter win one of

FIVE iPods - and a nice new iPod

would be great for the tunes of sum-

mer.

Second, in just a few minutes,

here's what you'll learn in the June

issue of Student Health 101..

.

Thinking of ink?

If you're thinking about body art, the

June issue has some great advice

from students around the country

about things to consider before you

make the leap.

See you in September?

The summer break can be a big

impact on a relationship, from poten-

tially being apart, or maybe reconnect-

ing with a previous romance at home.

Learn some great tips about handling

summer relationships today!

Staying safe in the Summer...

For most students, the summer is fun,

sun, and a great break from studying.

But what are the best tips to stay safe

during the summer? Thousands of stu-

dents have shared their best advice -

learn their secrets today.

Handling summertime blues...

Summer can also be a time of uncer-

tainty, especially from missing campus

friends and worries about a job or

money. Learn some great tips for han-

dling summertime blues in this great

article.

Find a link to the html version of this

newsletter by in your Wallace State

email, or view a textonly version at

http://www.studenthealth101.com/-

0609_0.html

Student Health 101 features stories on Body Art and

Summertime Sponsored by Heads Up!

Congratulations Veronica! And

thank you for becoming Wallace State’s 2,000th

facebook friend. A t-shirt is on its way to you.

Response to the Wallace State facebook site,

which was established just about a year ago as a

place for current and prospective students to meet

friends and learn more about the college, has been

tremendous.

Who will be number 2,500? Friend Wallace State

on facebook today!

May/June 2009

Petition for a Secretary of

the ArtsBy Heather Mortensen

In a radio interview in November 2008,

Quincy Jones said, “The next conversation I have

with President elect Barack Obama is to beg for a

Secretary of the Arts.” The United States is one of the

few western democracies that does not have a high-

er cabinet level minister or secretary in charge of the

arts or cultural affairs. Other countries, such as

France, Germany, and Finland, have such an official.

Jamie Austria, a bass player with the New

York Opera, and Peter Weitzner, also a bassist, took

Jones’ message to heart. Inspired by his statement,

the two New York musicians started an online petition

that supports the plea for a Secretary of the Arts.

Jones, who by his count has been supporting

the idea for 10 years, said that he has specific

responsibilities in mind for the position. According to

the Washington Post, he wants an education system

that teaches the history and personalities of the arts,

particularly music.

“I have traveled

all over the world all the

time for 54 years. The

people abroad know more

about our culture than we

do,” said Quincy. “A

month ago at my high

school in Seattle, I asked

a student if he knew who

Louis Armstrong was. He

said he had heard his

name. I asked him about

Duke Ellington and John

Coltrane. He didn’t even know their names. That

hurts me a lot.”

Jones finds the reaction to the petition so far

encouraging: “It tells me that we are on the right

path.”

As of the publishing of this article, the petition has

over 241,000 signatures. Everyone reading this arti-

cle is encouraged to sign the petition themselves.

Just go to the petition website,

www.petitiononline.com/esnyc-

/petition.html, and enter your name and e-mail

address to have your signature counted.

Changing the World

One Purchase at a TimeBy Heather Mortensen

When visiting

the Nest web site,

www.buildanest.com,

customers are met not

only with high quality,

handmade products from

around the world, they

are met with the touch-

ing stories of the women

who made them.

Nest, according

to its mission statement, is a nonprofit organization

dedicated to changing the lives of women in develop-

ing countries. It helps women artists and artisans in

the developing parts of the world by providing them

with micro-credit loans for use in the purchase of the

supplies and materials necessary to create sustain-

able entrepreneurial businesses. Banks are often

unwilling to give loans to these women, who usually

have no credit history or collateral and lack a steady

income. Nest generates funding for the loans by sell-

ing a unique line of merchandise designed just for

the organization by a group of artists and designers.

In addition to these products, the recipients of the

micro-credit loans make their crafts available to Nest

as repayment for the loans. In this way, Nest draws

together artists from across the globe with a similar

mission and desire.

On the home page, you can navigate to a

page that allows you to “meet the loan recipients.”

Pictured with this article is Specioza Brown, who

stands with her beautiful baskets and hand carved

statues. Specioza is from Rwanda, a place that was

torn by civil war and genocide in 1959. Her parents

ran away to Tanzania, where she grew up and went

to school. While she was in Tanzania, she was one

of the founders and leaders of the Tanzania

Association of Women Entrepreneurs (TAWE) until

2003.

Specioza returned to Rwanda in 2003 after

her country was liberated from genocide. She started

her craft business in 2004. Her business works with

women’s handcrafts groups, poor women with skills,

and trains unskilled women. It also helps find markets

for the women’s products. By doing this, Brown

enables herself and these women to earn a living

income.

You too can get involved and help Nest. You

can host your own trunk show, for which Nest will

send you a package for easy setup. All the profits

will be used to fund a Nest loan. Something espe-

cially for students is the Student Ambassador

Program that they offer. Through this, you can host

your own trunk shows on behalf of loan recipients

and raise money for their mission of helping women

out of poverty through the school.

If that all sounds like too much, don’t fret.

You can simply donate to help women buy material

for making jewelry and lead-free pottery, ultimately

creating a livelihood for themselves and their fami-

lies.

Covington, continued from p. 3about what we thought the best thing about

Wallace is. There were many responses, but an

overwhelming number of members agreed that

it’s the friendly atmosphere of the school. He

expressed to us that he was surprised when he

came to Wallace. It wasn’t what he had been

expecting. He seemed to be most taken aback

by the fact that we are such a large school.

After he signed a few books, we all

moved on to the student forum. Plenty of peo-

ple showed up, and it was a thoroughly enjoy-

able experience. He started off by reading a

chapter from his award winning book, “Salvation

on Sand Mountain.” It deals with the dead

South; the South of the past that never will be

again. The new South scared the people in the

Appalachians into taking up the serpents. He

then went on to discuss his first handling experi-

ence. It was captivating, to be sure.

He also read us a bit of his Afterward,

which is to be published in the upcoming 15th

anniversary edition of the book:

“My brief journey among the handlers of theAppalachians ended 15 years ago. The story endedexactly the way the book was… [I’ve been] askedhow it came about and why… I cannot speak for thehandlers, and I’m sure they have their own story totell.

“[I was reading] my editor stories that mightinterest him. This was low on the list. [I thought thatit might] support stereotypes of Southerners as back-water. [However, when he saw it, he said], “That’s theone we want.”

“I was terrified that I would make a mess of itor miss the deadline, but with Paul’s (the editor) help,[I finished]…

“Don (a publisher) happened to read the arti-cle over breakfast. [He called and asked that I] sub-mit a proposal for a nonfiction book about the South.[He had been] bitten on a playground by a copper-head as a child. [He found snakes] terrifying and fas-cinating. [He wanted it to include sections about] alli-gator wrestling, moonshining, and ConfederateGhosts.

“After spending time [on the project], I beganto visualize a novel,… my role as observer. [I want-ed it to be something like the novel] Hiroshima.”

Of course, there was much more to the new

afterward than that, but you’ll just have to pick up the

special new edition to read the rest. Here, studentsand teachers were allowed to ask questions.

Q: How did your spiritual life change?

A: I find it difficult to sit in the pew in Birmingham

without wanting to get up and shout…

Q: Would you ever go back?

A: Once seven years ago, I went back because an

actor had a film option on the book. It was a mixed

blessing. The handlers thought the actor was Baptist

and that I had made money off of my book. For some

reason, they really don’t like Baptists. But afterwards,

I visited the McGlokins. [Mr. McGlokin] anointed me

with his tears. I’ve never had that happen before. It

was like someone draped a blanket of water on me.

It was like I was in the River Jordan.

Q: How did Vicki (his wife) feel about the services?

A: She would always say, “At least he’s not in El

Salvador.” She never handled a snake. She kept her

own council. In the book, as I was writing that I’d

never handle snakes again, she said, “Your family

and friends couldn’t be happier.” It was a spiritual

journey for both of us.

“It was the book I was born to write. It’s my greatestachievement. I feel like I was just a vehicle.”

After concluding his talk about “Salvation

on Sand Mountain,” he gave a sneak peak of

the newest book he’s been working on.It takes

place in the summer of 1960, the year during

which the main character turns 18. She was a

freshman, just starting college… on the day that

a sniper climbed the University of Texas tower

and opened fire. This was the first of the school

shootings. This was the first time in America that

someone opened fire on people he didn’t know.

Mr. Covington read the first chapter aloud. I

have a feeling it’s going to be a bestseller.

GREASEREVIEWBy: Elisabethe DorningI went to see Wallace State’s production

of “Grease” with high expectations and I

came back only slightly disappointed.

The director, Lauren Cantrell, selected a

great cast for the production. Kate

Mullaney and Nick Wrightson did fabu-

lous jobs as Sandy and Danny. And my

personal favorites, Kenickie and Doody,

played by Adrien Bird and Daniel Lappert, were the highlight of the show for me with their

antics. However, despite the great cast and awesome choreography, the show seemed to

water down the talent that it had. The storyline seemed to revolve more around Kenickie

and Rizzo than Sandy and Danny. But, as I said before, the cast did a wonderful job I just

think it could’ve been even better with such great talent available.

Photo By Ashley LeCroy

May/June 2009

The Adventures of Recycle Man By: Ashley LeCroy

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