Daily Archives: January 24, 2017

GRCC In the News, 1-24-17

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College opens $7.2M learning lab downtown

Jan. 23, 2017; Grand Rapids Business Journal

A local college has opened a 24,000-square-foot facility downtown that aims to meet the needs of its child development students and preschoolers.

Grand Rapids Community College opened the Phyllis Fratzke Early Childhood Learning Laboratory at 210 Lyon St. NE on Saturday.

College approves $300K bond to train glass maker’s workers

Jan. 23, 2017; Grand Rapids Business Journal

A local college has approved $300,000 in funding to help train workers at a growing manufacturing facility in the region.

Grand Rapids Community College’s Board of Trustees last month agreed to link funds from diverted State of Michigan income tax to support training for 33 newly created positions at Engineered Glass in Holland Township.

Morning News

Jan. 24, 2017; WZZM

Imagine what it would feel like to walk across the stage at your high school graduation and leave with no one but two diplomas. That will soon be the reality for dozens of students here at Ottawa Hills. The program is called early middle college. It is the latest partnership between Grand Rapids Public Schools and Grand Rapids Community College.

Downtown restaurant appoints chef

Jan. 23, 2017; Grand Rapids Business Journal

A downtown restaurant is getting a new chef.

… (Stephan) VanHeulen, who attended the GRCC Secchia Culinary Institute, began his career at AHC+Hospitality, cooking for restaurants within the groups portfolio in Grand Rapids, which includes Cygnus27.

Kozminski remembered as hero at fundraiser for memorial

Jan. 23, 2017; WOOD TV

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Dozens turned out to Celebration! Cinema North Monday for a screening of the movie “Patriots Day” as part of a years-long push to raise money for a memorial to fallen Grand Rapids police officers.

… $35,000 of the money raised will go toward the scholarship fund that pays for one year of tuition at Grand Rapids Community College for a student who hopes to work in law enforcement. Kozminski’s parents choose the recipient of that scholarship.

The City of Grand Rapids Looking For Your Help to Make Our Neighborhoods Better

Jan. 23, 2017; 104.9 FM

The City of Grand Rapids is looking to get residents, neighborhood associations, businesses, non-profits, and government officials together, to help build stronger neighborhoods in Grand Rapids. They’re holding the Third Annual Grand Rapids Neighborhood Summit on Saturday, March 4th, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. And it’s free!

… There will be childcare available if you register in advance, and GR Public Schools will also be offering free neighborhood transportation to and from the event! Bicycle racks, and discounted parking in the GRCC Bostwick Parking Ramp will also be available. There will also be Spanish-English translation services.

Secchia Institute for Culinary Education faculty judge chili cook-off

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On Jan. 21, several Secchia Institute for Culinary Education faculty members — Wilfredo Barajas, Sasha Ahmed, Luba Petrash, Mike Whitman, Charlie Olawsky, Holly VanRyn and Audrey Heckwolf judged the annual Fenn Valley Winery Chili Cook-Off.

Wilfredo Barajas, Sasha Ahmed, Luba Petrash, Mike Whitman, Charlie Olawsky, Holly VanRyn and Audrey Heckwolf stand in the Fenn Valley Winery.

From left: Wilfredo Barajas, Sasha Ahmed, Luba Petrash, Mike Whitman, Charlie Olawsky, Holly VanRyn and Audrey Heckwolf.

Adjunct Steve Harris to lead Mathematics Seminar on Jan. 25

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The Grand Rapids Community College Mathematics Department is pleased to announce that it will host its first Mathematics Seminar of 2017 on Wednesday, January 25, 3:00-4:00 PM in 101 Cook.  Our speaker, GRCC mathematics adjunct Steve Harris, will discuss the Central Limit Theorem.  His title and abstract are below.

In 1920 the Hungarian-born mathematician George Pólya first used the name Central Limit Theorem to describe the result that has become so important in the study of probability and statistics.  Usefulness is not fully appreciated without understanding, and Steve’s presentation is designed to give participants a visual comprehension of the meaning of the Central Limit Theorem.  Some background in statistics would be helpful, but it is not required.  As always, everyone is welcome to our mathematics seminars.

Pop and cookies will be served at 2:45 PM.

Why People Trust Statistics

Many students in an introductory Statistics course sail along fine until “Distribution of a Sample Mean” sinks their boat.  After failing to find an illustration that explained the concept in a way I could use with both math-oriented and non-math-oriented students, I built my own.  The result is an Excel spreadsheet that visually demonstrates the power of the Central Limit Theorem.