Homecoming activities Thursday, Feb. 17

Thursday, Feb. 17

• Leslie Tassell M-TEC employees are invited to a Winter Warm-up presented by the GRCC Human Resources Department. Three kinds of soup will be available as a grab-and-go meal between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at the M-TEC.
• Happy Hour at the GRCC Fountain Hill Brewery – Sponsored by the Golden Raiders, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Fountain Hill Brewery is located in the Wisner-Bottrall Applied Technology Center (ATC), on the corner of Fountain and Ransom Streets.

Parking is available in the garage off of Ransom Ave. below the ATC, and the physical address is 151 Fountain Street NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503.  The Wisner-Bottrall ATC is building 11 on the Campus Map.

Additional information is available at grcc.edu/homecoming.

Together again: ‘Musical Moods’ showcases GRCC student talent, opportunities in performing arts

Grand Rapids Community College’s music students are coming together for the Music Department’s 74^th “Musical Moods” performance, both a celebration of student hard work and talent, and an opportunity to showcase the college’s performing arts opportunities.

The performance is planned for 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 25 at Northview High School’s Max Colley Jr. Performing Arts Center, 4451 Hunsberger Ave NE in Plainfield Township.

“Musical Moods” presents a cross section of all the Music Department’s ensembles and features student soloists and small ensembles, said Kevin Dobreff, GRCC Music Department program director.

Last year’s concert was presented virtually due to the pandemic, and Dobreff said faculty and students are excited to be performing together again.

“The best part is all the student groups being on stage together and getting to see and experience what all the other ensembles are doing,” Dobreff said. “It’s an opportunity for our students, and the community, too, to see the camaraderie and collaboration from our faculty members. It’s an exciting night.”

Presented as a musical collage, the concert will seamlessly flow from one performance to the next. No one performance is longer than six minutes.

“Musical Moods” was started 74 years ago by Albert P. Smith, founder of the music department, at what was then Grand Rapids Junior College.

Dobreff said the department typically presents the show in high schools across the region, taking advantage of larger performing arts centers. But the concert also serves as an opportunity for potential students and families to see the high quality of GRCC’s Music Department instruction and students, and inspire them to attend the college.

The concert will include submissions by student groups including the college orchestra, jazz ensemble, guitar ensemble, string quartet, percussion ensemble, choir, and wind ensemble.  

The college’s Shades of Blue vocal group will perform, as well as students Madilyne Barbrick, Desteny Zuniga Elms, Kathrynn Davis, and Abagail Solomon performing as Cantus Femina. The duo of Hailey Ergang and Anastasia Fiorenzo will be accompanied on piano by Emily Grabinski Conklin. Soloist David Dziuban will perform on guitar.

Tickets are $12 for adults, $6 for students, seniors, veterans, and active military members. GRCC students, and students attending any of the K-12 schools in the Kent Intermediate School District are admitted free with their school identification.

Tickets are available here.

Summer Teaching and Learning Institute: Save the date

Summer Teaching and Learning Institute will be August 10 – August 12, 2022.

If you have input or suggestions, complete this form: Summer Teaching and Learning Institute 2022 – Planning Input

The event will offer a mix of session modalities including in person, virtual and hyflex formats. If you would like to contribute to STLI, please email: cte@grcc.edu

Wellness Champions: On Earth and in space, nutrition is a vital part of wellness

You learn a lot about eating healthy on Earth when you are planning meals for astronauts in space.

GRCC is helping students and employees focus on all areas of health and wellness as we emerge together from the pandemic.

Wellness is a full integration of physical, mental and spiritual health. That includes physical health, but so much more. During the next year we’re also looking at emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, environmental and occupational health, and how we all can work to help ourselves and each other.

There are many resources at GRCC to help all of these types of wellness. Each week, we’ll introduce you to people and places here on campus ready to support you on your wellness journey.

GRCC’s Secchia Institute for Culinary Education is again working with NASA’s HUNCH program, with two students competing to send a meal up to the International Space Station.

It’s the third time GRCC has partnered to field a team, with the first attempt coming in second place. This year, the college is working with students Hannah Walters and Tristyn Ball from the Careerline Tech Center, operated by the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District.

Students are preparing a meal of sous-vide flank steak with ancho pepper barbecue sauce, macaroni and cheese, and a dish they are calling “Cherry Space Fluff” for dessert.

The meals have to meet strict nutritional guidelines to keep astronauts healthy. The students are working with GRCC experts. Chef Werner Absenger, the Secchia Institute’s program director, is a leader in designing a culinary medicine program with Spectrum Health and the Michigan State University Extension Program. Chef Jennifer Struik is a Secchia adjunct professor, and executive chef at Root Farmacy, a Grand Rapids company that focuses on healthy eating.

Among the things that students said they learned: Fiber is really important in a weightless environment, but also while on the ground. You can add ingredients to boost fiber into favorite meals. For example, the mac and cheese they are preparing for the competition will include sweet potatoes and peas. Beans and mushrooms also are good fiber sources that can be added to earth-bound recipes.

Also, while salads are good for you, the leafy greens aren’t the meals you can have while managing weight.

“I’m a wrestler and I know a lot of guys who think they have to starve themselves to cut weight before competition,” Ball said. “We learned there are lot of things you can eat and still be healthy.”

The students next week enter the first phase of the competition, hosting a team from the Saginaw Intermediate School District for spot in the finals which will take place in Houston this spring.

Meanwhile, you can learn about Chef Werner’s culinary medicine program here — https://www.canr.msu.edu/nutrition/ — with all kinds of nutritional information.  

Go with Your Gut session

Our gut health determines so much in our overall well-being: immune system function, energy level, sleep, and even mental/emotional wellness. Join this session to learn how to best care for your belly.

Tuesday, February 22, 9-10 a.m. in 103 Sneden (in person).

Register via the Professional Development tile in the Online Center.

GRCC In the News 02/16/2022

Headlines

2/15/22 Community College Daily (American Association of Community Colleges)

… New carpets, more supports: How Michigan colleges would spend Gov. Whitmer plan

Michigan Bridge

Montcalm Community College would bolster skilled trades training to meet local housing demand. Grand Rapids Community College could fund a program to prepare new students for college life.

The average Michigander drinks 23 gallons of alcohol per year – here’s the breakdown by beer, wine, liquor

2/16/22 MLive

Michigan residents drink more beer than all other types of alcohol combined – but beer is on the decline in recent decades, according to data from the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.

… Michigan’s interest in wine follows a national trend, said Holly VanRyn, assistant professor at Secchia Institute for Culinary Education at Grand Rapids Community College. She teaches classes like “Wines of the world” and “Beer, wine and spirits management.”

Reminder that nominations for the Salute to Women Awards are due Feb. 18

The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) wants to send out a friendly reminder that the Salute to Women Awards is right around the corner.

The deadline for all nomination submissions are due Friday, February 18, 2022.

The award celebrates the accomplishments of women and gender equity advocates who impact the GRCC community.

The award is open to all GRCC stakeholders regardless of gender or gender identity.

The awards recognition ceremony will take place Tuesday, March 29 at 11 a.m. in the ATC 168.

The nomination form is available on the ODEI Salute to Women website.