Athens State University's Phi Theta Kappa to Sponsor Holiday Bazaar

For Further Information

Guy McClure

256-233-8296

Guy.McClure@athens.edu

For immediate release

October 21, 2013

www.athens.edu

Athens State University’s Phi Theta Kappa to Sponsor Holiday Bazaar

               

                ATHENS, Ala. - The Athens State University Phi Theta Kappa Alumni Association is planning a Holiday Bazaar to raise money for the honor society’s scholarships and other civic projects.  The event will be held on Tuesday November 5 from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. and Saturday November 9 from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.  The bazaar will be located in the Sandridge Student Center on the Athens State University campus and is open to the public.

                The Holiday Bazaar will feature vendors offering gift items and baked goods.  The society is currently in search of vendors for the bazaar, those interested should contact Club Sponsor Dr. Kim LaFevor at 256-216-5359 or Chapter President Hannah Kilpatrick at hkilpatr@my.athens.edu. 

                The mission of the Athens State University Phi Theta Kappa Alumni Association is to support the people, programs and priorities of the Phi Theta Kappa Society.  Alumni have valuable contributions to make to Phi Theta Kappa.  Through alumni support, the integrity of the Society’s programs and service will be protected and new programs and services can be developed and offered in the future.

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Calhoun to Host BEST Robotics Competition This Week

October 21, 2013

Calhoun to Host BEST (Boosting Engineering Science and Technology) Robotics Competition this Week

Close to 1000 middle and high school students, teachers and parents representing 13 schools from across north Alabama and Southern Tennessee will descend on the Decatur campus of Calhoun Community College this Saturday, Oct. 26,  2013, to participate in  the Tennessee Valley (TVB) BEST (Boosting Engineering Science and Technology) robotics competition.  The competition kicks off on Saturday morning in Calhoun's Kelley Gym.

Presented by Calhoun and Auburn University and sponsored by Toyota and Decatur Daybreak Rotary, the BEST competition has been described by organizers as being like a basketball game, chess match and science fair all rolled into one day, with cheerleaders, mascots, pep bands, and wildly cheering adults and kids mixed in.

While the actual team competition kicks off at 11:00am on Saturday, a number of activities connected to the event will take place on Thursday and Friday to include the Engineering Notebook, Webpage, and Spirit and Sportsmanship judging and the Marketing presentations.

       Kits for building the competition robots consist of plywood and a box filled with items such as PVC pipe, screws and other hardware, an irrigation valve cover, piano wire, an aluminum paint grid, a bicycle inner tube, and a micro-energy chain system.  Teams have had approximately two months to design a functioning machine which will perform certain specific tasks in three minutes during Saturday's competition.

       "Industry across the state views the BEST robotics competition as an ideal workforce development program because in the process of building their robots, the students learn to identify and analyze design problems, brainstorm solutions for them, and build and test their designs, all in a team-building atmosphere," commented Calhoun President Marilyn Beck.        

        Area schools  participating in this year's competition are the Academy for Science and Foreign Language (Huntsville); Athens Bible School (Athens); Bob Jones High School (Madison); Decatur/Austin High Schools (Decatur); Decatur Heritage Christian Academy (Decatur); Grissom High School (Huntsville); Lincoln County High School Design Drafting Program (Fayetteville, TN); Lindsay Lane Christian Academy (Athens); New Century Technology High School (Huntsville); Randolph High School (Huntsville); Riverside Christian Academy (Fayetteville, TN); Sparkman High School (Madison); St. Peter's Academy (Huntsville); and Way Home Christian School (Huntsville).

BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology) is a national, non-profit, volunteer organization whose mission is to inspire students to pursue careers in engineering, science, and technology through participation in a sports-like, science- and engineering-based robotics competition.  BEST started in 1993 in Dallas, Texas, and has grown to be the second largest robotics competition in the nation.  Calhoun has sponsored the Tennessee Valley BEST competition since 2007.

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ED NOTE:  EVENT SCHEDULE BELOW

<![if !vml]><![endif]>Tennessee Valley BEST 2013

Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology

                                                                                                      

       Sponsored by Toyota and Decatur Daybreak Rotary

Presented by Auburn University and Calhoun Community College, Decatur

Competition Schedule

(Unless noted otherwise, all events at the Kelley Gymnasium at Calhoun Community College, Decatur)

Thursday, October 24

6:00 pm – 9:00 pm      Engineering Notebook Judging                          Noble Russell 109

6:00 pm – 9:00 pm      Web page Judging                                            NR RM 111

6:00 pm – 9:00 pm      CAD judging                                                     NR RM 111      

Friday, October 25

1:00 pm – 8:00 pm      Team Exhibit setup                                            Kelley Gym, 2^nd floor, East

                                                                     

1:30 pm – 2:00 pm      Lunch and Judges Orientation                            Noble Russell RM 150

                                  (Marketing Presentation Judges only)

1:45 pm                      First team Check-in                                            NR RM 111

2:00 pm – 6:00 pm      Marketing Presentations                                                NR RM 150 or RM 151

Saturday, October 26

8:00 am – 5:00 pm      Concessions Open                                           Front Gym Entrance

(Chick-fil-A, Domino's and Pepsi Cola)

7:00 am –   9:00 am   Robot Compliance Check-in*                             Pit

7:00 am –   9:00 am   Team Exhibit setup                                            Kelley Gym, 2^nd floor, East

7:00 am –   9:30 am   Breakfast for judges, volunteers and crew          Kelley Gym, 2^nd floor, West

7:00 am –   9:00 am   Team Registration and Check-in                         First floor entrance

 9:00 am –   9:30 am   Drivers Meeting and Referees Meeting               Pit

9:30 am – 10:30 am    Driving Practice and continued                           Game Floor and Pit

9:30 am – 10:00 am    Judges Orientation                                            Kelley Gym

                                  (Except for Marketing Presentation Judges)

10:00 am – 12 noon    Team Exhibits Judging                                      Kelley Gym, 2^nd floor, East        

10:00 am  - 12 noon    Spirit and Sportsmanship Judging                     Everywhere

11:00 am – 12 noon    Competition begins

12 noon  –  1:00 pm   Pit Closed, Lunch Break

Saturday, October 26

1:00 pm                     Robotics Competition Continues                                    Game Floor

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm     Special Awards Competition Continues              Kelley Gym

1:00 pm -  2:00 pm     Spirit & Sportsmanship Judging Continues         Everywhere

2:00 pm                     Submit Coaches Poll Ballot                               Pit Crew Manager

(All teams)                 

2:00 pm                     Submit Spirit and Sportsmanship                       Pit Crew Manager

                                              (BEST Award teams only)

4:00pm – 4:45 pm       Semi-final matches

5:00 pm – 6:00 pm      Championship Round                                        Game Floor

6:30 pm – 7:00 pm      Awards Ceremony                                             Main Floor

Following awards        Returnables Check-in                                         Pit

                                  Advancing teams -Team Photos                         Main Floor

South's BEST Team Meeting for                                  Judges' Room

     advancing teams

*Note: Each robot must complete and pass Compliance Check-in before being allowed to compete.

            Time scheduled for all are approximate times.

Calhoun VP Selected to Attend Prestigious Executive Leadership Institute

October 21, 2013

Calhoun VP Selected to Attend Prestigious Executive Leadership Institute

        Alicia Taylor, vice president for instruction and student success at Calhoun Community

College, has been selected by a national review panel as one of only 32 community college leaders from around the country and the only one from Alabama to attend the prestigious Executive Leadership Institute, sponsored by the League for Innovation in the Community College.  The 32 participants hold senior-level leadership positions in community colleges throughout the United States.

        Gerardo E. de los Santos, president and CEO of the League for Innovation, said, "The review panel was extremely impressed with the quality of the applicants, which speaks well for the future vitality of the community colleges."

        The Institute, to be held in Phoenix, Arizona, December 8-13, 2013, provides an opportunity for potential community college presidents or those in transition to review their abilities and interests, to refine their skills, and to participate in discussions on leadership with an outstanding array of faculty drawn from among nationally and internationally recognized community college leaders.  These include community college chief executive officers, experts in leadership development, community college trustees, presidential search consultants, members of the League for Innovation board of directors, and other prominent figures.  Dr. Jackson Sasser, former vice president at Calhoun and currently president at Santa Fe College (FL), serves as a member of the faculty for the Institute.

        "I was extremely pleased to hear of Vice President Taylor's selection for this leadership institute," commented Calhoun President Marilyn Beck.  "Through her work here at Calhoun, she has demonstrated her outstanding leadership ability and her commitment to and true understanding of the mission of the community college.  I think she has a very bright and promising future in college leadership, and this institute will help to prepare her for that future," Beck added.

        This is the Executive Leadership Institute's twenty-fifth year preparing senior-level community college administrators to successfully fill the presidential role.

        The League is an international association dedicated since 1968 to catalyzing the community college movement.  The League hosts conferences and institutes; develops web resources; conducts research; produces publications; provides services; and leads projects and initiatives with member colleges, corporate partners, and other agencies in a continuing effort to make a positive difference for students and communities.

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