Photos: “Armen Awards” Top Ten Finalists Announced Yesterday

Yesterday GRCC named the top ten teams in their first annual innovation competition, “The Armen Awards,” a challenge that asks employees and students for a solution to the question: How can we reduce our energy costs so that we can use these savings to benefit programs that support student success?

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The top ten ideas were (not ranked in order):

• Solar panels in Applied Technology Center Atrium – Mark Dodd
• Employee Signs to reduce use of handicap access doors – Albert Dupuy
• Student Green roof water and energy savings plan – Ashley Fannon
• Student Mobile phone app that would encourage employees and students to make small changes in daily activities to conserve resources – Derek DeVries, Szymon Machajewski, Garret Brand, Eric Kunnen and Isaac Davila-Carreon
• Employee Remove lights from vending machines – Renee Gue
• Student Air curtains at all school entry doors – Alan Maillet
• Student Bike share program between campuses – Charlotte Pease
• Employee Rethink Water: Free-standing water filter/dispenser – Joshua Smith
• Student Fruit and veggie stands to replace vending machines – Sheilah Viveros
• Student Mileage reimbursement reductions to encourage carpooling, virtual meetings – Sarah Yob, employee.

Each top ten team received a $100. Each team included at least one student, faculty, and staff person from any GRCC location in Kent and Ottawa County. These teams will be reduced to the top three by April and will win $750, $1500 or $3000. The winning idea will be implemented at GRCC during the 2011-2012 school year.  For more information, visit grcc.edu/innovationchallenge

GRCC in the News: 12/2/10

Fund drive planned for Lincoln Developmental Center playground
Published: Wednesday, December 01, 2010, 9:48 AM | Kym Reinstadler | The Grand Rapids Press

GRAND RAPIDS — Mary Olivarez says her students at Lincoln Developmental Center still look longingly out their classroom window, missing the platform swing structure that used to be there. […] Olivarez and her husband, former Grand Rapids Community College President Juan Olivarez, are leading a fund-raising campaign on behalf of the Lincoln Campus Parents Group to raise $600,000 for an Outdoor Learning Center, which will serve students at the developmental center, Lincoln School and Kent Vocational Options.  (More)

Jingle the holidays in by attending a few of these music events
Published: Wednesday, December 01, 2010, 11:30 AM | On-the-Town staff

5 Songs for the Holiday with the GRCC Choral Ensembles (Music), St. Cecilia Music Center. 3 pm. Free admission. Information: http://www.grcc.edu  (More)

Condolences to Jonathon Russell and Family

Ralph Russell, father of GRCC Visual Arts professor Jonathon Russell passed away on November 28, 2010.  From his obituary:

Ralph Russell, 78 of Monroe passed away Sunday November 28 at Medilodge of Monroe surrounded by his loving family. Born July 15, 1932 in Speedwell, Tennessee he was the son of Ditsy and Hallie (Pierce) Russell. He married Carrie Cornelia Sowder sixty years ago on November 16, 1950 in Middlesboro, Kentucky.

For the rest of the obituary and more information, click here or visit www.ruppfuneralhomeinc.com

Condolences to the Family & Colleagues of GRCC Past President Donald Fink

Donald Fink Ed.D., who served as President of GRCC when it was Grand Rapids Junior College, recently passed away.  His obituary is below:

Donald D. Fink, Ed.D., age 90, of Grand Rapids, passed away Tuesday, November 30, 2010. Dr. Fink is survived by his wife of 67 years, Anne; daughter, Maryanne Rachel (Keith) Hoffman; grandchildren, Nicole (Jay) McCleskey, Danielle (Peter) Enstine, Dr. Suzette (Michael) Szapacs, Rachel (Jason) Holton, Joshua Cleveland; great grandson, Dillon McCleskey and special friends, David and Cheri Seamon. Don served his country in the United States Army during World War II. Dr. Fink spent his professional career in education beginning with teaching junior and senior high vocal music. He went on to serve in numerous positions of higher education leadership including President of Grand Rapids Junior College, founding President of Montcalm Community College and involvement with University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Grand Valley State University, Western Michigan University and Aquinas College. Don was an avid reader and lover of music and was active with the Eastminster Presbyterian Choir and Bethany Reformed Church Choir. His kind and charitable heart also found him serving on the board for the Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan for over 20 years. A memorial service will be held Tuesday, December 7 at 2:00 p.m. at the Porter Hills Meeting House. The family will receive friends on Thursday, December 2 from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. at the Metcalf and Jonkhoff Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made to Eastminster Presbyterian Church or the Porter Hills Benevolent Foundation in memory of Dr. Fink. The family is being served by Metcalf & Jonkhoff Funeral Service. (Published in Grand Rapids Press on December 1, 2010)

Community College Interdisciplinary Research Forum Looking for Papers From GRCC Staff

The Community College Interdisciplinary Research Forum at the University of Michigan is hosting a conference, “Research and Innovation for 21st Century Students: Rethinking Community Colleges in the 2010s,” to explore 21st century research, theory, and practice in community collegesand is looking for graduate students to submit papers. This conference will take place on Monday, May 2, 2011, at the Michigan Union in Ann Arbor. Please find attached the call for proposals and guidelines for submission.  First Deadline February 2, 2011; Second Deadline February 15.

The CCIRF invites current graduate students engaged in the study of community college research, practice, and pedagogy; faculty from two-year and four-year universities; institutional researchers; student services staff; and those exploring overlapping interests in policy, sociology, education, working-class studies, and in the content areas to submit proposals.

Proposals received by our first deadline of February 2 will receive first consideration for acceptance. We will also review proposals received by February 15 for program inclusion as space and format allows.

Please submit proposals by email attachment as a Microsoft Word file to CCIRFconference@umich.edu. Please include the phrase “CCIRF conference proposal” in the subject heading. If you have any questions or are unable to open this attachment, please contact the email above.

More information about CCIRF and our conference can be found on our website at www.bit.ly/CCIRF.

Help the GRCC Foundation Family Grow

Help our family grow…

No Gain No Pain – Maintain your Weight during the Holidays (From the WE Team)

Between Monday, December 6 and Friday, December 10 you will go to one of the locations listed below and weigh yourself. You’ll write your weight on the form provided, seal it in the envelope (also provided), write your name on the front of the envelope and give to the Weigh Master. You will give the Weigh Master $5 (cash only — you’ll understand why later). That’s it for now.

Then between Monday, January 3 and Friday, January 7, 2011 you return to the same weigh station where you weighed yourself in December. The Weigh Master will give you your envelope. You will weigh yourself again and compare your weight to what you wrote down in December. If you maintained your weight (or lost) — no gaining, the Weigh Master will return your $5 to you.

The Weigh Master does NOT need to verify your weight at either weigh in — this is strictly the honor system.

What happens if you gain weight? The Weigh Master keeps your $5. At the end of the second weigh in week, all money not returned will be split between the people who successfully maintained their weight.

To give you a little extra motivation, here are a few food facts (provided by Priority Health) to think about:

During the holidays, Americans on average gain 1-2 pounds.

The typical holiday meal contains 3,000 calories and 229 grams of fat.

• 3500 calories = 1 pound.
• Here’s another way to look at it:
• Eat 2 deviled egg halves (145 calories) and you’ll need to bike for 21 minutes to work if off.
• Eat 1/2 c of green bean casserole (225 calories) and you’ll need to Swim for 36 minutes to work it off.
• Eat 3 pieces of fudge ( 504 calories) and you need to do Yoga for 171 minutes to work it off.
• Drink 1 cup of egg nog (343 calories) and you need to run 37 minutes to work it off.

Weigh Station	Weigh Master
ATC	Alyce Stark
Counseling Area	Marco Trimble
Social/Behavioral Sciences	Stacey Herrick
4th floor CPP	Tracy Payne
Tassell M-TEC	Kristen Seevers
Preschool	Maggie Koron
Employee Professional Development & Enrichment	DeVos Campus, Administration Building

United Way Food Drive

ASLC’s Annual United Way Food Drive is well on it’s way with 11 passionate teams competing to donate the most food to our two worthy beneficiaries: North Kent Service Center and SECOM (South End Community Outreach Ministries).  The following teams have registered for the competition:

• College Park Plaza
• Sneden Hall
• Applied Technology Center
• English Department
• Gerontology Club
• Black Student Union
• Student Congress Budget Committee
• Film Appreciation Association
• Student Gamers Association
• Women’s Issues Now
• Entrepreneurial Growth Organization

Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams who collect the most food by Friday, December 10th. Prizes include a $150 food voucher from Aaron Chew, $100 worth of gift cards to Celebration Cinema, and a $50 gift card to Papa John’s Pizza provided by Student Life. The campaign encourages donations of the items that one would like to receive oneself. Winners will be determined by the pounds of food donated.

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If your team has not registered yet, it’s not too late! To register, please e-mail Kelsey Caverly your Captain’s name and contact information and your team name.