The theater, the theater, what’s happened to the theater? Even though Danny Kaye in “White Christmas” doesn’t know, I do. It’s strong and thriving. Northwest Vista College just had a magical two weeks of theater. We performed short plays written by five local play wrights. Yes, for full disclosure I admit performing in one of the plays. If you attended any of the shows, you would know me by the line “There is magic in the world.”

All plays were set in a diner. The diner was odd because in one play it would fade and exhibit magical qualities. In another, it was similar to a bus station for dead people waiting to get on with the afterlife, and for the other three it was set in various parts of Texas. Though the diner was interesting to watch change during the shows, the people who inhabited the diner during were far more varied and colorful than any change seen in the diner.

There’s a diner owner who’s allergic to cedars in a town where a big cedar festival is held, and he gets threatened with a pitchfork by the Dad of the heroine. There’s a control-freak daughter looking for her crazy mother. There’s the dancing sexpert with the “white-as-Kraft-mayo” couple. To fill out the ensemble there are the troop of dead people waiting for something to happen, and the lost souls who finally find what they need.

If you missed the event make sure you show up for the next event. Check it all out at:

www.alamo.edu/nvc/PalmettoCalendar/

By NVC Student Peter Northrop

The kitchen is the heart of the home, so it’s no surprise that the Cypress Campus Center cafeteria is the hub of the Northwest Vista College campus.

As Gregory Lemon, cafeteria manager, says, “The world of food is an opportunity for communication.” Open from 7 am to 7 pm Monday through Thursday and 7 am to 2 pm on Friday, the cafeteria is one of the most crowded areas with lots of smiles and satisfied customers.

An evolving menu that changes annually and options for vegetarians have helped the cafeteria feed its customers – 70 percent students and 30 percent employees.

The cafeteria uses a four-week cycle menu that can be accessed on the NVC website at the Food Services page. In addition, special requests are welcome, as the cafeteria is “not bound to the menu.” So if you would really like to eat veggie lasagna on an almost constant basis, then just let the staff know. Also, the cafeteria strives to accommodate individuals with food allergies, so inform the servers if you have an allergy.

The cafeteria also provides catering for campus-related events. The number of people that can be served in catering events is unlimited. Customers may specify the food to be served, ranging from large-scale pizza to full0course meals.

Gregory also says that food is not the only way that he and the cafeteria staff help the campus. Last semester, he volunteered to be in the water-dunking fundraiser. He said it was a worthwhile cause and was glad to have participated, even though he got sick for the following two weeks due to the repeated dunking.

Overall, Gregory views the cafeteria as a place to not only serve food, but to get to know the students. He can be regularly spotted talking with students. His goal is for all students to achieve success, especially through graduating and great grades. He tries to instill confidence in them when visiting with them.

“There’s nothing hard about being nice to one another” says Gregory.

But Gregory has one request from employees, “Trays belong to the cafeteria. I’m running out of food trays. So if you have any trays in your office or you see one kept out of place, please do return them back to the cafeteria!

By NVC Student Kimberly Redgate

 

Welcome back to school folks!

Just in case you didn’t get the memo, it was seventy-six degrees and about six inches of snow fell at Northwest Vista College! I’m not pulling your proverbial leg. It snowed at about 11AM and 1PM, and in full sunshine, and it was real. This can only mean one thing: miracles do happen!

How many students at college can go to class, take a break and go sledding in balmy t-shirt and shorts weather, and get back to class with ten minutes to spare? At NVC you can.

Students enjoyed sledding down a snow slide, throwing a blizzard of snowballs at anyone who strayed into their line of fire, and watching other people get their faces “white-washed” in the snow. Even our shy mascot (the Wildcat, in case you didn’t know) showed itself in the warm sunshine and partook in the general festivities.

The winter festival was even accompanied by a few talented movin’ and groovin’ break dancers, while in the early afternoon Frosty showed up in a cowboy hat. If you were here when it snowed at NVC you know what I’m talking about. If you weren’t here, well then you must check your ACES email more often so you stay up to date on all the not-to-miss events that Student Activities is planning this semester.

See you when it snows next time.

By NVC Student Ambassador Peter Northrop

Thanksgiving is over, and even though I still feel like a bloated panda in a bamboo forest, finals loom like the Great Wall of China.

It doesn’t seem fair; I’ve been more or less a model student for most of the semester, and now I have homework biting at my heels like a pack of mangy hyenas. There’s no escape, and the only way to survive being nipped by the pack is by climbing over that wall. If you are someone like me, who has a crippled brain then you might be feeling a little stressed.

Luckily I have traveled the breadth and length of the bamboo forest, and I know a place where trained counselors and licensed professionals have experience dealing with bloated pandas with crippled brains.

Their skills not only reach stressed individuals, but also those who need help setting goals, bucking depression, or even having a better relationship with another panda, errr… I mean person. They have other services as well, and they are all free! Check out all they do @ http://www.alamo.edu/nvc/student-health-center/ or call them at 486-4342.

They are located in the Cypress Campus Center on the second floor.

The Great Wall is still standing, but I know even in this crazy bamboo grove the Wellness Center has my back. So if you need that extra boost getting over the last or beginning ten feet of the final wall, give the center a visit. If you happen to stop in at the Wellness Center, I’ll probably see you there. Catch you on the other side.

By NVC Student Ambassador Peter Northrop

Halloween is past and I’ve survived another year without being chewed on by a demented zombie. I’m relieved to say the least, but doubts are still whispering that all is not well. The reason for this uncertainty is that I feel there are zombies lurking still.

….. Lurking in Live Oak Hall.

I visit LOH often because I’m taking Business and Professional Speech, and for any person who isn’t a zombie yet, there’s a sanctuary of hope at the end of a long corridor. Within the room is everything I might need to be a competent speaker: a coach who listens, records, and evaluates the speeches; computers for working on homework; separate rooms to practice in, and even textbooks that I use while I’m there. Here’s the path to safety, check it out:

http://www.alamo.edu/nvc/tutoring/speech/

Now back to what’s important. Yes, as I said zombies have infested LOH. I see them every day on the way to the speech lab. I can tell they are zombies because of their blank eyes which are easily hypnotized by glowing devices. They are sitting on the benches, lounging against the walls, and stumbling down the corridor; I manage to act just like them, and luckily they’re the kind of zombies that don’t seem to notice much, so I usually get by them unnoticed. They don’t seem to have the capability of making intelligent speech, and they usually exist in a hunched over position, which shows a lack of proper muscle control.

Though the situation looks bleak, there’s hope for the poor unfortunate zombies! I have done a study while in my speech class (which I’m sure my teacher will love), which proves that through the power of oration, zombies will follow a person’s commands.

It is grand!

There will soon be no more zombies to fear, as long as there’s a shepherd to guide them. All that will be required is a calming speaker, and the zombies will be docile lambs.

The first test starts today. I need to get to the speech lab and warm up my calming voice, but after… Gahh … someone’s texting me, let me see … hmmm … uh … ooo, it … glows.

By NVC Student Ambassador Peter Northrop

There are many benefits to attending Northwest Vista College. I especially enjoyed rock climbing at the Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. The entire trip was free to NVC students and transportation was provided by the college. I have been attending NVC for a couple of semesters, but I have never signed up before because I had no time. I did not know what I was really missing until I went on this trip.

The trip was on a Saturday. I signed up a couple of days before the trip. I was told that the bus was full, but that I could be on the waiting list. I saw that 4 people were ahead of me and I thought I wasn’t going to have a chance to go but I did.

On the morning of the trip, I arrived at 6:30 a.m. at the gym. When I arrived the coordinator had each student read a safety and procedures sheet and then have us sign a waiver. We also were given a pouch with a mini safety kit and bottle of water. I got to meet and talk with other students. We got on the bus about an hour later and it took us an hour and a half to get to Enchanted Rock.

When we got there, we all started walking on the hiking trail and then walked up on some big rocks. There was rock after rock to climb on and some to jump over. I am not in good shape and I struggled going up those rocks, but it was still fun. When we got to the very top it was very windy and I looked around and down and it was such beautiful scenery. Some of the students sat down to rest and others took pictures. After a while we kept going to a different route. There were more rocks to climb on and we got to a place where there was a cave. A couple of students have brought their own headlights because the inside of the cave was pitch black. So the students were split up with some going into the cave and the rest were to meet up at the other side. When we all met up we went back to the bus to have lunch. After lunch we went on the last route and then headed back to NVC. We got back at 5:30 p.m. I had a great time at Enchantment Rock because I met some new friends and enjoyed a free journey.

By Jolene Rodriguez
NVC Ambassador

One of my favorite places I have volunteered recently is the NVC cooking program. This is a recreational class for students who are beginners or advanced who want to learn to cook new meals. This is a class separate from college classes and you pay a low fee.

I went to help out for several Saturdays. I was glad I could help out by being the chef’s assistant and there were many tasks that I could do. When I got there I started helping by cleaning up the countertops. Then I set up each station with kitchen equipment such as knives, pots, tasting utensils, and a cutting table. I also put an apron and a cooking hat on each station. After each student arrived the chef would have them smell and taste 3 different types of salts and explain the differences. Then he would explain what they were going to prepare that day. For example, one day it would be pasta, another it would be soups or other meals. I would then hand out recipes to each student and had other tasks, such as grating the cheese, rinsing dishes, cutting an onion or bringing out more tasting utensils. I would also taste the food as it was being prepared. When the food was done everyone got to eat their food. The best part was that the chef would always leave me food and I got the chance to eat it.

I have learned culinary knowledge and cooking tips such as how to use a cutting knife the right way or how to cut a chicken properly. I was helping out for six hours and the time flew by fast. If you become a NVC student ambassador next semester, this is a great place to volunteer. You learn new cooking skills, have a great time and receive a free meal.

– Jolene Rodriguez
NVC Ambassador

I am a Northwest Vista College student ambassador and I recently helped out at the NVC Hunger Banquet on Nov. 17. This was a great experience. They had a couple of sessions going on throughout the day. When I got there I was given a stack of paper cards that were supposed to be separated into three statuses. The statuses were high class, middle class, and lower class. When students came to the entrance they handed me cans or other items of food to donate at the Hunger Banquet. Six students were instructed to sit at the elegant table which had a nice table cloth and candles. If students received a middle class card they were to sit in the middle of the room with plain tables and chairs. There were more middle class students than higher class students. The third status which had the most students was lower class and they were to all sit on the floor with no tables and chairs.

The banquet spokesperson had someone volunteer from each status to read their card. The card contained who they were, what job they had, the location where they lived and other details. The spokesperson asked students how they felt about who they were and their income. Then the spokesperson went on explaining how hunger is “the silent killer” and that “every 4 seconds someone dies of hunger.”

Then food was given to all three of the statuses. Volunteers from the lower class were told they had to be nice and serve the higher class their food. A deli sandwich, cookies and refreshments was given to the high class students. Beans, rice, water and silverware was given to the middle class status. Only rice and water and no silverware were given to the lower class. After they finished the spokesperson asked everyone how their meal was. The lower class said the food was cold, but they ate it. Some of the middle class did not even taste their food. A student from the higher class group gave half of her sandwich to the lower class, but it was difficult to decide who to give it to.

What stuck with me is this phrase that was said at the event: “What is everyone going to eat today?” We get a choice of what we get to eat, but not everyone has that same luck. The spokesperson mentioned “they (lower class) do not care about what they are going to eat,” but what “they care about is whether they are going to eat today.” This is sad, but it is a reality. It is good for this banquet to give awareness to hunger and I am glad I got the opportunity to attend and help out.

– Jolene Rodriguez
NVC Ambassador

Last week while I was on campus for a meeting, I stopped by the advising desk and inquired about the date to apply for graduation for spring 2012 semester.

After answering my question, I was asked by the smiling face behind the desk if I had done a degree audit yet. I had thought that was something I would do next semester in preparation for graduating and transferring, but my sweet helper said I really should do it now. I went ahead and got one of the pagers and waited for my turn to see an advisor. My wait wasn’t too long (it was a Wednesday afternoon) and I was called back.

Ken greeted me at the door with a smile and we walked back to his desk. Once there, he asked me a few questions as to what I was in need of and got started right away going through my transcript and verifying everything per my degree plan. This is where my story takes a somewhat dramatic turn.

You see, I pride myself in being super organized and planning everything out. I hadn’t worried about getting a degree audit because I had followed my degree plan exactly as it was printed. But when Ken started asking me certain questions I got very worried. As per my plans, I would only have to take two classes next semester in order to graduate with my transfer associates degree and head to UTSA. But after checking and recalculating everything on my transcripts, Ken found a very big error.

First off, I will need four more classes, not the two I had so carefully planned on. And furthermore, one of the classes I thought I needed in order to graduate, I didn’t even need. Had I waited till next semester, after already registering and beginning classes, my goal of graduating in May would not have been possible. I will admit that I was a little dumb-founded and in shock when I left Ken’s office. But after going home and sleeping on the news I had just received I was incredibly thankful not only for Ken and the news he had delivered to me, but for the advice given to me when I approached the advising desk asking one simple question.

So the moral of my story is this, GET YOUR DEGREE AUDIT!!! At least try to do it once a year to make sure you are on track. Even the most organized and well planned out intentions can go off of the intended path! We are blessed to have wonderful advisors and staff here at Northwest Vista, so please visit them.

– Dawn Thomas
NVC Student and NVC Ambassador

By: Jennifer Cardwell
Reprinted from: http://points-of-vista.posterous.com/courtesy-patrol-to-the-rescue

The Northwest Vista College (NVC) campus community has grown tremendously and getting around when you have classes at opposite ends of the campus is tough.

So, who do you call? Courtesy Patrol! At NVC, there is a department that is dedicated to servicing faculty and students. The Courtesy Patrol is part of Teaching and Learning Facilitation (TLF). This department was originally designed to assist students around campus.

“Courtesy Patrol has been around for about eight years,” says Mike Wright from the Courtesy Patrol team, in the Mountain Laurel Hall (MLH) building. He has worked on the NVC campus for five years and says that he enjoys meeting and helping students and faculty get around.

The Courtesy Patrol used to give rides to anyone who wanted a lift, but due to budget cuts, new service guidelines were established. Now Courtesy Patrol is only offered to students who have a recognized disability according to the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and register for disability services at the Access Office located in the Cypress Campus Center (CCC).

“I wish University of Texas San Antonio (UTSA) had this service when I went to college there,” said a courtesy patrol user assisted by Mike from her car to the number four stop by Rbud Learning Center last week.

There are several designated locations on campus used as pick up stations. The stations are identified by the numbers 1-9. Students needing assistance who call the courtesy Patrol office are told to wait by the pickup station, which has also helps the courtesy patrol identify the students needing their service.

“The Courtesy Patrol is busy during class changes throughout the day,” said Patricia, another NVC campus employee. Unfortunately the weather can affect the patrol services. For instance, the patrol services were suspended during a heavy rain storm which brought pea size hail. “Escorts were suspended due to safety issues” Patricia said.

The Courtesy Patrol is also responsible for enforcing parking regulations. For example, cars must park in one designated parking spot, which means parking in between the white lines. Some students with new cars or big trucks take up more than one space which makes parking on NVC campus more difficult.

The Courtesy Patrol also monitors students’ use of parking permits and write tickets to vehicles without a visible hanging tag.

“I don’t care where you put the decal, as long as I can tell that it is for NVC parking,” said Mike, when asked about students who use sun visors which block the parking decal.

Other services offered by the Courtesy Patrol are assistance with battery issues, assistance in locating your car in the event that you have forgotten where you parked, lost and found, and basic first aid. For more information visit the Courtesy Patrol website.