Camden County College will honor the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the legacy of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott during a collegewide celebration planned at 11 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 13, 2006.

“Revisiting the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott: A Tribute to Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr.” will mark King’s birthday while commemorating the 50th anniversary of the civil rights campaign launched by Parks’ refusal to surrender her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Ala.

The event will feature a lecture delivered by Dr. Clement Alexander Price, professor of history and director of the Institute on Ethnicity, Culture and the Modern Experience at Rutgers University in Newark. His presentation will chronicle the boycott and describe the roles played by Parks and King. He also will address how the boycott has been enshrined in the nation’s collective memory.

The program also will include a production of drama and music written by Philadelphia actress, singer and playwright Millicent Sparks. Portraying Parks, Sparks will join four other performing artists in using song and dance to highlight memorable speeches and quotations made by King.

“Revisiting the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott: A Tribute to Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr.” will take place in the Camden Technology Center, which is located on the college’s Camden City Campus. Admission is free, and members of the public are invited to attend.

For further details about this event, contact CCC Office of Student Life and Activities director Margo Venable by telephone at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4282, or via e-mail at mvenable@camdencc.edu.

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New and returning students alike will find all of the resources they need to sign up for Spring 2006 credit courses at Camden County College when one-stop registration starts Jan. 11.

Wilson Hall Center ’s new student services suite will host open registration activities on the Blackwood Campus. On the Camden City Campus, registering students must visit the second-floor administrative offices in the Camden Technology Center . At the William G. Rohrer Center in Cherry Hill , registration may be completed at the information desk.

Hours at each of these locations are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Jan. 11, 12, 17, 18 and 19 as well as 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 13 and 20.

Throughout the one-stop period, current and prospective students will be able to procure academic program evaluations and placement test scores; receive academic advisement; select and enroll in classes; and handle financial matters. College personnel will be available to assist students with these activities at all three locations.

Returning students are encouraged to take advantage of the college’s online registration option. To register using the Internet, visit www.camdencc.edu and click on the “Spring 2006 Credit Registration” link.

Payment of at least 50 percent is required of all students throughout the one-stop registration period. On Jan. 17, the college will begin registration on a space-available basis for those senior citizens and unemployed persons who are eligible to enroll for free through CCC’s tuition-waiver progr am.

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It’s late autumn, and the aspiring college student’s mind should be turning to applications. In addition to admissions applications, one of the most important of these is the Free Application for Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA).

 “Anyone seeking assistance to fund their college education must file a FAFSA to be considered,” said Aquila W. Galgon, who is the director of the Camden County College Office of Financial Aid. “All colleges and universities will require the 2006-07 FAFSA as a minimum requirement to be considered for financial aid during the next academic year. Many merit-based grants and scholarships – including those available through the New Jersey Student Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarship or NJ STARS Program – also require the filing of a FAFSA for a student to qualify for those award monies.”

 Whether planning to attend Camden County College or not, Galgon has a number of tips for those seeking outside funding for their higher education. These include:

 1. In addition to speaking directly to financial aid personnel at the colleges where application is being made, attend any financial aid information sessions that are offered. Ask as many questions as you have. One good question is whether or not the college offers scholarships to new students and, if so, how to apply for them.

 2. Research and apply for outside scholarships. Civic organizations, churches and the like can be good sources of funding. Find out if the student’s or parent’s employer offers any scholarship opportunities. Also talk to the high school guidance counselor. A reputable Web site that can help is www.fastweb.com. Keep in mind that you should never have to pay for scholarship information.

 3. Complete the FAFSA fully, accurately and as soon as possible. It can be filed as early as Jan. 1 using the free online version located at www.fafsa.ed.gov, which is the only legitimate government FAFSA Web site. Be aware that all other similar sites are not connected to the federal government and will charge fees to allow you to do what actually costs nothing. Never pay to file a FAFSA.

 4. Complete the 2005 tax return early. The financial aid application process is much smoother for families if they can supply actual figures from the tax return rather than estimations. If early tax preparation is not possible, however, families may complete the FAFSA with estimated information.

 5. Determine the financial aid deadlines at the colleges to which the student is applying. Missing these deadlines can cost a student hundreds or even thousands of dollars for which he or she might otherwise have been eligible. For many types of aid, the system works on a first-come, first-served basis.

 6. Be aware that many colleges also require completion of their internal financial aid application to be considered for institutional grants and scholarships and that many – especially high-cost, private institutions – also require the filing of supplemental aid applications such as the PROFILE, which generally carry processing fees.

 7. Make sure you follow up after completing each step in your application process. It’s never good news to have no news.

“The most important tip, though, is that everybody planning to attend college should file FAFSAs, even if they think that they or their families won’t qualify for assistance,” Galgon said. “Most applicants can, at the very least, qualify for low-interest loans, and these require a FAFSA filing as a starting point.

 “Remember that if you don’t apply for financial aid, you won’t receive any. If you do apply, you just might!”

Those who attend, will attend or are alumni of Camden County College are welcome to contact CCC’s Office of Financial Aid for assistance. Galgon can be reached at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4985, or agalgon@camdencc.edu.

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Camden County College’s Center Stage will present “The Diary of Anne Frank” during five performances in early December. Each show will be accompanied by a related exhibit, and opening night also will feature a pre-curtain reception with Holocaust survivor and author Nelly Toll of Cherry Hill.

Adapted by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, the play is based on the actual diary penned by the teen-aged Anne during the two years that she and her family hid from the Nazis in “the secret annex” of an Amsterdam warehouse. The production details the day-to-day dynamics of their existence and explores the emotional impact that the experience had on the young woman, who later died in a concentration camp.

Starring as Anne is Rachel Kramer of Cherry Hill, who like Toll, is a member of Temple Beth Sholom in Cherry Hill. Kramer says that one of the key aspects of Anne’s life is that the circumstances she endured didn’t change her belief in the core goodness of people.

“People need to know that not everyone’s spirit was broken,” says Kramer, who has family members who died in or survived the Holocaust. “I feel very honored to have the chance to put this story out there.”

The 10-member cast also includes Kim Adler of Haddonfield, Kevin Dahm of Eastampton, Ray Fisher of Lawnside, Jen Gilmore of Tabernacle, Dan Orsino of Gloucester City, Christine Peltz of Marlton, Emma Rost of Audubon, David Scott Taylor of Clayton and Ken Van Dyk of Williamstown.

The director is Theater Department chair Marjorie Sokoloff of Pitman. The stage manager is student Jeanette Carden of Magnolia.

Performances will be given at 8 p.m. Dec. 2, 3, 9 and 10 and at 3 p.m. Dec. 4. They will take place in Dennis Flyer Memorial Theatre, which is located inside Lincoln Hall on the college’s Blackwood Campus.

Tickets cost $6 for students, staff and senior citizens and $10 for all others, with discount rates available for groups. For tickets or further details, contact Sokoloff by telephone at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4737, or via e-mail at msokoloff@camdencc.edu.

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Poetry plus performance plus pronouncement of champions will equal competitive recreation when the Camden County College Book Club sponsors a poetry slam on Dec. 2.

The event will be held in the cafeteria of College Hall on the college’s Camden City Campus, which is located at Broadway and Cooper Street in Camden. It will run from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

Poetry slams take the traditional poetry reading to the extreme, providing a forum for poets to perform rather than just read and to compete rather than just entertain. Quality of content and quality of presentation both factor into the judging criteria, and winners typically are masters at both.

Another key difference between a slam and a reading is attendee involvement. Audience members are encouraged to be very vocal with their feelings about each performance and contribute toward the judging.

According to Camden County College Book Club adviser Lis Bass, this will be the first slam conducted by the college’s book club.

“The club members were really excited about the concept of poetry slams,” she said. “I liked the idea, and so did our student activities director. So we’re going to try one.”

Attendance at and participation in the slam are both free and open to the public. Poets who would like to perform, however, must register with Chris Ingram, CCC Book Club president. Ingram can be reached via e-mail at mentalelevations2cc@yahoo.com.

For additional information about the event, contact Bass by telephone at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4360, or via e-mail at lbass@camdencc.edu.

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Twenty-eight New Jersey colleges and universities have teamed up to offer the region's first online jobs database aimed at helping higher education institutions attract and retain a diverse work force.

The New Jersey Higher Education Recruitment Consortium, which is free to job seekers, was launched Nov. 15 and allows job seekers to search the full range of positions at colleges and universities, including professor, secretary, laboratory technician and kitchen staff.

“This comprehensive source for employment postings will be a great help to individuals seeking jobs in higher education as well as to those seeking to fill those jobs,” said Rose Coston-McHugh, who is executive director of Camden County College’s Office of Human Resources. “Having so many opportunities outlined in a single place will facilitate the job-search and recruitment processes immensely.”

The New Jersey database currently lists more than 1,700 academic and staff jobs at the participating colleges and universities, and is growing. Couples looking for two placements in academia may search for jobs at the same institution, a region of the state (north, central, south), or statewide. Universities and college officials have found that difficulty in addressing the job needs of applicants' partners was a major obstacle to attracting a diverse applicant pool.

The Web-based system is the first of its kind on the East Coast and the first statewide Higher Education Recruitment Consortium in the country, though it was inspired by a similar initiative in California. In that state, two regional groups offer separate databases for colleges and universities in northern and southern portions of the state.

Princeton and Rutgers universities initiated the New Jersey consortium as part of a continuing effort to address work-family issues facing higher education. The consortium is remarkable for uniting both private and public institutions from across the higher-education spectrum -- universities, colleges and community colleges -- to expand the recruitment of job candidates.

"We want to collaborate effectively to develop a family-friendly recruiting movement that will help New Jersey institutions retain a diverse group of faculty and staff," said Gilda Paul, director of the New Jersey consortium, which is housed at Princeton University. "We hope to someday be part of a national group of education consortia as more colleges and universities collaborate across the country."

New Jersey colleges and universities are working to help change the way applicants approach their job searches and the way institutions engage in higher education recruitment.

"This a terrific way to showcase all that New Jersey higher education has to offer and greatly increase the diversity of our applicant pool," said Karen Stubaus, associate vice president for academic affairs at Rutgers. "Equally important, we believe the special feature for dual-career couples will make it easier to jointly place couples in academic and staff positions around the state, which is often a challenge in academia."

For a list and more information about participating New Jersey institutions, visit www.njherc.org.

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Camden County College’s Office of Public Safety has been awarded a $1,000 grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation. The funds have been earmarked to purchase traffic safety devices – including larger traffic cones, additional reflective vests, reflective traffic barricades and other items – for use on campus. Displaying the ceremonial award check on the Blackwood Campus, above, are Stephen Addezio, CCC’s public safety director, and Melissa Hopp, CCC’s vice president for administrative services.

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For many years, Camden County College has provided New Jersey educators with professional-development programs that allow them to maintain their state certifications. CCC recently was authorized to offer the same opportunities to state-certified Pennsylvania teachers, becoming the first New Jersey college or university so approved.

Under Pennsylvania’s Act 48 of 1999 on Teacher Professional Development, all Pennsylvania educators must earn six college credits or 180 continuing education hours every five calendar years to maintain their state teaching certifications. Similarly, New Jersey educators are required to complete 100 hours of professional development to maintain their certifications.

At Camden County College, teacher-development opportunities are provided on a tuition-free basis. These offerings are administered through the Division of School and Community Academic Programs, and most are overseen by longtime CCC faculty member John L. Pesda.

Under Pesda’s direction, the college regularly offers on-campus lecture series on various humanities themes, Holocaust education courses and workshops in subjects from art to botany and from Shakespeare to terrorism. Partnerships with the Battleship New Jersey Museum, the New Jersey Academy for Aquatic Sciences, the Pennsylvania Historical Society, the University of Pennsylvania Museum and the Philadelphia Museum of Art allow the college to offer specialized off-campus instruction as well.

Educators have one remaining opportunity to earn professional development at CCC during the Fall 2005 semester. A workshop called “The Lindbergh Kidnapping” will be conducted on the Blackwood Campus on Nov. 8. A full slate of lectures, courses and workshops will be available again during the Spring 2006 semester.

For additional information about any of Camden County College’s teacher-development activities, contact Pesda at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4432, or jpesda@camdencc.edu.

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Camden County College Public Safety Officer Michael Lynch, center, displays the commendation he received from the New Jersey College and University Public Safety Association with CCC President Phyllis DellaVecchia, left, and CCC trustee chair Kevin G. Halpern, right, during a recent meeting of the college trustees. Lynch, a resident of Riverside, received the Class D Certificate of Award for his role in an incident in Camden in February. Also receiving the award was James Allen of Clementon, a business services technician at the Camden campus, who was unavailable for a photograph. NJCUPSA issues its commendations to only the most deserving members of the collegiate public safety community, usually no more than 20 per year throughout the entire state.

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Ten Camden County College faculty members from a range of disciplines have been granted tenure by the institution’s trustees. All of them were hired in September 2001 and are now in their fifth year of teaching full-time at CCC.

Awarded tenure this fall were:

• Anthony Fortini (business) of Turnersville. Fortini is a certified public accountant who holds a bachelor’s degree in business education and a master’s degree in education, both from what is now Bloomsburg State University. Using textbook and real-world examples, he teaches students to use computer applications in accounting. He is an adviser to Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society.

• Lesley Fredericks (academic skills reading/writing) of Pennsauken. Fredericks holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Cornell University and a master’s degree in adult education from Rutgers University. She is the academic coordinator for the college’s Community Gateway Project, which offers pre-college education in community locations throughout Camden.

• Jennifer Hoheisel (history/philosophy) of Oaklyn. Hoheisel holds a bachelor’s degree in classics from the College of William and Mary, a master’s degree in liberal arts from St. John’s College and a master’s degree in philosophy from Georgetown University. She serves as an adviser to Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society and is active in course development and academic advisement.

• Yamileth Ildefonso (languages and culture) of Williamstown. Ildefonso holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and Spanish and a master’s degree in Spanish, both from Rutgers University. She is a leader in her department’s efforts to integrate information technology into language instruction and is active in course development.

• Valencia Jackson (academic skills reading/writing) of Willingboro. Jackson holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Rutgers University. She is active in course development, currently focusing on an “Introduction to the Humanities” course that tailors readings and experiences in the humanities to students taking academic skills classes.

• Ying Mao (chemistry) of Rosemont, Pa. Mao holds a master’s degree in physical chemistry and a doctorate in analytical chemistry, both from the University of Oklahoma. Past industry experience with Merck & Co. and ongoing summer research activities bring a practical perspective to her teaching. A member of the American Chemical Society, Mao has presented numerous papers at national conferences.

• Stephen McCoy (English as a second language) of Westmont. McCoy holds a bachelor’s degree in history and master’s degrees in secondary education and in linguistics and teaching English to speakers of other languages, all from the University of New Hampshire. Having taught English as a second language here and abroad, he has played a key role in developing CCC’s intensive ESL course.

• Erin Romani (health/exercise science) of Marlton. Romani holds a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from West Chester University and a master’s degree in health and physical education from The College of New Jersey. She created a fitness project that involves her classes with the CCC Childcare Center, and she has served on the college’s scholarship and curriculum committees.

• Habiba Soudan (human services) of Camden. Soudan holds a bachelor’s degree in history and social sciences from what is now Rowan University and a master’s degree in psycho-educational linguistics from Temple University. She chairs the Human Services Department and was instrumental in developing the academic job-ladder program for New Jersey Department of Human Services employees.

• Sandra Tannen (academic skills mathematics) of Cherry Hill. Tannen holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in mathematics education, both from Brooklyn College. She chairs the Academic Skills Mathematics Department and received a faculty fellowship award last year to complete a project focused on student retention.

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Camden County College will celebrate National Allied Health Professions Week with a series of information opportunities on the Blackwood Campus from Nov. 7 to 10.

National Allied Health Professions Week recognizes the contributions of the more than 200 healthcare professions across the United States. It is marked every November by those working, teaching and studying within the various disciplines of the healthcare field.

One goal of the observance is to raise awareness of the career prospects that exist within the allied health professions. To that end, Camden County College’s Division of Math, Science and Health Careers will be sponsoring information tables staffed by faculty and academic coordinators throughout the week.

The tables will be set up on the second floor of CCC’s College Community Center, which is located on the Blackwood Campus. They will be staffed from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily.

Although general allied health careers information will be available throughout the week, each day will focus on different disciplines:

• Monday, Nov. 7: Medical laboratory technology and paramedic science.

• Tuesday, Nov. 8: Respiratory therapy.

• Wednesday, Nov. 9: Dental assisting and nursing.

• Thursday, Nov. 10: Dental hygiene and paramedic science.

Any current or prospective Camden County College student is welcome to explore their allied health interests and study options. Registration is available now for Fall 2005 courses that begin in November and Winter 2005-06 courses that begin in December. Registration for Spring 2006 courses that begin in January, March and April starts Nov. 14.

For additional information, contact coordinator Patricia Chappell by telephone at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4330, or via e-mail at pchappell@camdencc.edu.

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An administrator with decades of experience in academic advisement and student services program development has been appointed dean of students at Camden County College.

Dr. James N. Canonica of Mount Laurel is now overseeing CCC’s student affairs, student support services and student life areas. His duties include supervising the Academic Advisement Center; managing the disciplinary process; providing leadership for programs serving CCC’s deaf/hard of hearing, academically challenged and English as a second language/international populations; and supervising the college’s tutoring, career services, external scholarship and daycare programs.

Canonica most recently was the director of academic advising at Community College of Philadelphia, serving in that capacity for the last 14 years. During that time, he also served as a consultant to Passaic County College as it implemented a grant-funded center for student success, transfer, advisement and other services. In addition, he served as an assessment mentor for students seeking credit for prior learning at Thomas Edison State College.

But Canonica’s experience with students extends beyond the office and into the classroom. He has been an adjunct instructor in computer information systems for Community College of Philadelphia since 1980 and also has taught professional-development courses for the New Jersey State Human Resources Development Institute since 2003.

Canonica holds a bachelor of science degree in business from what is now Philadelphia University and a master of science degree in corporation planning from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his doctorate in educational leadership at Wilmington College.

Canonica is a member of the National Association of Academic Advising and the American Society for Training and Development.

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Camden County College has appointed an executive director for its Office of Human Resources who has nearly three decades of experience in the management of human resources and labor relations.

At the college, Rose Coston-McHugh of Sicklerville is responsible for overseeing the establishment and maintenance of all human resources records and reports; managing the human resources information system; ensuring compliance with all federal and state requirements; monitoring all work-related injuries and illnesses; coordinating and tracking all unemployment claims; and developing and conducting internal control measures. Her areas of expertise include the administration of compensation and benefits; employee relations, selection/placement and training; Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Plan requirements; union contracts; and quality management.

Coston-McHugh most recently was a senior human resources analyst for AAA Mid-Atlantic Inc., serving in that position for six years. She previously worked at Conrail for 21 years, holding the positions of assistant director for labor relations and personnel; director of human resources; director of Equal Employment Opportunity and employee relations; and director of compensation and benefits strategies.

Coston-McHugh is certified in senior professional human resources and also is a certified benefits professional and a certified compensation professional. Her professional affiliations include the Society for Human Resources Management, World at Work, the Human Resources Association of Southern New Jersey and the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources.

Coston-McHugh holds a bachelor of science degree in management and a master of science degree in management, both from Rutgers University. She also has completed executive anagement training courses at Penn State University.

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More than 100 members of the Camden County College community raised more than $12,000 for the America Heart Association by participating in the AHA’s annual Heart Walk. The Southern New Jersey AHA conducted its walk at Cooper River Park in Pennsauken. This was CCC’s first year to participate, and the college was one of the highest-placing corporate/community teams in terms of overall money raised.

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Nearly 400 backpacks filled with school supplies, snacks and other useful items were donated by Camden County College students, faculty, staff and administrators to the National We’ve Got Your Back Campaign, which benefits schoolchildren displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

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New grants from several public and private philanthropic organizations are funding the continuation of Camden County College’s Community Gateway Program, which helps Camden-area residents learn more to earn more.

Received recently were $25,000 from the United Way of Camden County; $15,000 from the Danellie Foundation; $10,000 from the New Jersey Urban Enterprise Zone Authority (Camden Urban Enterprise Zone/Redevelopment Agency); and $1,000 from the Wal-Mart Foundation. Each of these is allowing CCC to continue offering neighborhood-based classes to local adults.

Taking such courses fulfills many purposes, including self-satisfaction, improvement of life skills, preparation for college and – ultimately – entry into a career path. But those who could most benefit from classes in GED studies, basic academic skills and English as a second language often lack confidence about learning, are hesitant to venture out of their neighborhoods or are intimidated by the thought of returning to a classroom setting. As a result, for the last three years, Camden County College has partnered with a number of Camden churches and community centers to provide local residents with the opportunity to complete these pre-collegiate courses where they feel most comfortable.

Several hundred students have enrolled in Gateway classes, and a number of them have since enrolled in college. During the program’s student-recognition program held in June, 70 students were honored for completing the semester and five were acknowledged for passing the GED examination at the end of that semester.

The United Way and the Danellie Foundation are returning funders, having previously invested a combined total of more than $21,400 in Gateway. Other entities which have contributed in the past include Citizens Bank, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, the Camden Empowerment Zone Corp. Inc. and the Camden City Department of Health and Human Services.

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Camden County College President Phyllis DellaVecchia joined Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli Jr. and other dignitaries to break ground today for the Madison Connector Building, which will be the first project completed under the six-year, $83 million Blackwood Campus transformation announced by the college and the freeholders in May.

“We are breaking ground today for an amazing, impressive structure that will move us dramatically forward in our capacity to serve county residents,” DellaVecchia said.

The 22,000-square-foot Madison Connector will be the first new Blackwood Campus construction in more than a decade. The college’s oldest and largest location currently has 26 buildings and hosts more than 10,000 students, faculty members, staff members and administrators each week.

When completed in 2007, the Connector will link the recently refurbished College Community Center with the soon-to-be remodeled Madison Hall, which is the college’s busiest academic building. Total cost to construct the Connector and renovate Madison Hall will be $22 million.

Freeholder Riletta L. Cream, the freeholder education liaison, noted that such investments “pay dividends for decades” because they increase the college’s ability to offer the programming that residents and the business community need to grow and succeed in today’s economy. Cappelli agreed.

“An investment in Camden County College is a strategic investment in Camden County and South Jersey that will enhance our economic competitiveness,” Cappelli said. “I look forward to future ribbon-cuttings, dedications and other milestone events that demonstrate that, together, county government and the county college are making a difference in the future of our residents and businesses.”

The Madison Connector will feature a curved façade and a three-story atrium with a skylight and pedestrian bridges. It will contain a 244-seat lecture theater, a 40-seat amphitheater and faculty offices. “Smart” technologies will enable wireless and hard-wired lecture halls and computer-equipped classrooms. The building also will house the new Center for Civic Leadership and Responsibility.

“Shaping a responsible citizenry will be the role of the new center,” DellaVecchia said. “Imagine it as a grassroots-leadership and community-growth version of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. They are preparing future presidents and prime ministers. We will be preparing future school board members, union leaders, municipal officials, freeholders and state legislators.”

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WHAT: Camden County College will conduct a groundbreaking ceremony for the Madison Connector Building, the first new construction on the institution’s Blackwood Campus in more than a decade and the first major project begun under the six-year, $83 million campus transformation initiative announced in May.

WHEN: 11 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 20, 2005.

WHERE: The building site, located between the College Community Center and Madison Hall, Blackwood Campus.

DETAILS: The ceremony will include comments by college President Phyllis DellaVecchia, trustee chair Kevin G. Halpern, Freeholder Director Louis F. Cappelli Jr. and Freeholder Riletta L. Cream. A gigantic architect’s rendering of the Madison Connector Building mounted onto the exterior of Madison Hall will serve as a backdrop for the event and provide a vision of what that part of campus will look like in the near future.

Building the 22,000-square-foot Madison Connector and renovating the 50,000-square-foot Madison Hall will cost a total of $22 million. When completed in Fall 2007, the Madison Connector will serve as the indoor crossroads of the Blackwood Campus by linking the recently refurbished College Community Center to the soon-to-be extensively remodeled Madison Hall. It also will serve as the headquarters for the college’s new Center for Civic Leadership and Responsibility.

The Madison Connector will feature a dramatic curved façade and a three-story atrium with a skylight and pedestrian bridges. It will contain a 244-seat lecture theater, a 40-seat amphitheater and offices.

Most importantly, innovative “smart” technologies will enable state-of-the-art wireless and hard-wired lecture halls and computer-equipped classrooms.

TO COVER: Contact Susan Coulby, media relations manager, by telephone at (856) 374-4949 or (609) 605-0874 or via e-mail at scoulby@camdencc.edu.

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The charming story of an extraordinary spider, a special little girl and “some pig” will be told when Camden County College’s FirstStages Theatre for Young Audiences program presents “Charlotte’s Web.”

Based on the book by E.B. White and adapted for the stage by Joseph Robinette, “Charlotte’s Web” tells how porcine protagonist Wilbur is saved from death first by 8-year-old Fern Arable and then by spider Charlotte A. Cavatica and the pig-promoting words she weaves into her barnyard webs. Though produced for children in kindergarten through fifth grade, audience members of all ages will enjoy the funny and touching show.

Lindsay Sherman of Blackwood stars as Charlotte, and John Anderson of Glendora stars as Wilbur. Sarah Funke of Audubon portrays Fern.

The 10-member cast also includes Dawn Bernardo of Glassboro, Michael Carty of Atco, Joe Christopher of Turnersville, Ray Fisher of Lawnside, Rachel Kramer of Cherry Hill, Shawn Rupp of Pine Hill and Victoria Stevens of Haddon Heights.

The director is Theater Department chair Marjorie Sokoloff of Pitman. The stage manager is student Kerrie Husband of Berlin.

Performances will be given at 10 a.m. Oct. 21 and at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Oct. 22. They will take place in Dennis Flyer Memorial Theatre, which is located inside Lincoln Hall on the college’s Blackwood Campus.

Tickets cost $6 for children aged 12 and younger and for senior citizens and $8 for all others. A special rate of $5 per ticket will be charged for groups of 20 or more. For tickets or further details, contact Sokoloff by telephone at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4737, or via e-mail at msokoloff@camdencc.edu.

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It’s not too late to save time, money and gasoline by enrolling in courses at Camden County College this year.

Students who were unable to register for fall classes that began in August or September can still start or continue their college education in 2005. That’s because CCC is offering more than 100 courses in a range of subjects that don’t begin until late October, early November or mid-December.

All of these later-starting options pack a full semester’s worth of study into just seven to 10 weeks, saving students a great deal of time. With Camden County College maintaining some of the lowest in- and out-of-county tuition rates in the state and region, students also will save a great deal of money by making CCC their college of choice. And as gas prices remain at peak levels, CCC’s online options make attending class from home one of the most convenient and economical ways to learn.

Beginning the week of Oct. 24 is a seven-week on-campus session. Classes are available at the college’s Blackwood, Camden and Cherry Hill locations, and subjects include accounting, business, computer literacy, economics, English as a second language, food science, history, health, languages, math, psychology, public speaking and sociology.

Beginning the week of Oct. 31 is a newly created 10-week on-campus session. Courses in this session are available at the Blackwood and Camden campuses in subjects such as biology, business, chemistry, computer literacy, food science, health, history, languages, math, psychology and sociology.

Also beginning the week of Oct. 31 is an online session. These courses require little or no campus visitation and are available in subjects that include art, business, health information technology and languages.

Beginning in mid-December will be an on-campus winter intersession, which concludes in January. A total of 40 courses are being offered in Blackwood, Camden and Cherry Hill. Subjects include art, business, computer literacy, economics, English, food science, geography, health, health information technology, history, languages, philosophy, psychology, public speaking and sociology.

For a complete list of available classes, new and returning students can visit www.camdencc.edu/save. Further registration details can be acquired by calling (888) 228-2466.

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An exhibit and a panel discussion hosted by Camden County College are exploring the role that churches and taverns played in bringing about the American Revolution. “Caught in the Crossfire: Churches, Taverns and Revolution in New Jersey” is the title of a traveling exhibit developed by the New Jersey State Museum and a presentation featuring local historians. Both are being presented by CCC at its Blackwood Campus Library.

The exhibit includes books, photographs, replica models and other materials that reveal how these sacred and secular, public yet unofficial buildings became the venues for the debate and discussion that changed the Colonies’ future. It is on display at the Blackwood Campus Library now through Dec. 16.

The panel discussion will feature Melvin Firth, Gloucester Township historian; Joan Kaitz, author of The History of Gloucester Township and an adjunct professor at CCC; and William Mason, manager of the Indian King Tavern Museum in Haddonfield. Serving as the college’s observance of Humanities Festival Week 2005, which follows the theme of “The Idea of America: New Jersey Helps Define the Nation,” the discussion will highlight activities that occurred in local taverns and Quaker meetinghouses during the period leading up to the Revolutionary War. It will take place in the Blackwood Campus Library beginning at 7 p.m. on Oct. 20.

Admission to both the exhibit and the discussion is free and open to the public, and school groups are invited to attend. In addition, teachers certified in New Jersey and Pennsylvania may earn professional development credit for their attendance at the discussion.

The exhibit is supported by a grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, Department of State. The Friends of the New Jersey State Museum and the New Jersey Department of State have provided additional support. The panel discussion is funded by a grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

For further details, contact Joan Getaz at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4406, or jgetaz@camdencc.edu.

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Camden County College’s top academic officer has been selected to serve as acting president when the current president retires in February.

The Camden County College Board of Trustees announced Tuesday that Dr. Raymond Yannuzzi would assume the duties of the institution’s chief executive officer when Dr. Phyllis Della Vecchia leaves CCC on February 13, 2006.

Yannuzzi came to CCC in 2000. He previously had been executive vice president at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College and also had held administrative positions at Baltimore City Community College and Delaware County Community College. He earned his doctorate from Catholic University of America.

“I am honored by this expression of confidence,” Yannuzzi said. “I look forward to keeping Camden County College on the ambitious path that has been set by Dr. Della Vecchia.”

Della Vecchia announced her retirement during the board’s Sept. 13 meeting. She has led New Jersey’s largest community college – which also ranks among the largest colleges and universities in the state and region – since 1993. During her tenure, CCC has become known as a creative, entrepreneurial institution that is responsive to the region’s education, workforce and economic development needs as well as one of the fastest-growing and top degree-producing community colleges in the United States.

The comprehensive, nationwide search for Della Vecchia’s successor – who will be the college’s fourth president – will be conducted with the assistance of an executive search firm. On Tuesday, the trustees authorized advertising a request to receive service proposals from qualified firms.

Plans are for the search firm to be selected in January and a new president chosen by February 2007.

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After spending more than a decade developing Camden County College into an entrepreneurial institution that both anticipates and responds to the education, workforce and economic development needs of Camden County and its residents, Phyllis Della Vecchia is retiring from the presidency.

Della Vecchia will remain at the helm of the college through February 2006, when an acting president will be appointed. A search will be conducted for a permanent successor, and plans are for that process to conclude by the beginning of the Spring 2007 semester.

“Professionally and personally I have truly enjoyed my years at Camden County College, but at this point in my life and career I want to seek new challenges,” Della Vecchia said. “Given the positive state of the college, this is the right time for me to do so.”

Della Vecchia’s retirement was announced during a regular meeting of the Camden County College Board of Trustees on Sept. 13.

“Those who were here when Phyllis first arrived on campus are well aware of the virtual transformation of the college that she has shepherded,” said Kevin G. Halpern, trustee chairman. “The trustees are most thankful and very appreciative to have had the talent, skill and vision of Phyllis Della Vecchia as president since 1993.

“She is a remarkable person who has done so much for our college and our county. We will miss her and will long remember her work here with tremendous fondness and respect.”

The founding president of Camden County College was Otto R. Mauke, who served from 1967 to 1987. The college’s second president was Robert W. Ramsay, who served from 1987 to 1993. Della Vecchia succeeded Ramsay, beginning her presidency on Sept. 2, 1993.

During Della Vecchia’s 12-year tenure, Camden County College expanded into a third permanent location with the creation of the William G. Rohrer Center in Cherry Hill and doubled the capacity of the Camden City Campus with the building of the Camden Technology Center. The college also began a dramatic transformation of the Blackwood Campus with renovations to historic Jefferson Hall, the library, the College Community Center and the recently announced $83 million rebuilding project that will take place over the next six years.

Under Della Vecchia’s leadership, the college also achieved rankings among the nation’s top 100 two-year institutions for overall degree completion and among the nation’s top 50 two-year institutions for several academic programs – all while maintaining one of the lowest tuition rates in the state and the region. In addition, CCC increased academic options for students by bringing the number of degree and certificate programs to 140; partnering with four-year colleges and universities; increasing the number and locations of neighborhood-based course offerings; establishing the Community Gateway Program for pre-college preparation; and enhancing collaborative programs with local K-12 districts. The college also implemented an extensive technology agenda, which included upgrading the technological infrastructure, launching an online student information system, creating online learning opportunities and developing an award-winning presence on the World Wide Web.

“Throughout my tenure at Camden County College, I have been fortunate to have served with so many good people working toward a common goal,” Della Vecchia said. “I am grateful for the support of a dedicated board of trustees, the engagement of an exceptional faculty, the creativity of one of the finest administrative teams and the tremendous efforts of a great staff, all focused on successfully advancing the college to better serve our students and our county.

“The college also has benefited from the unwavering advocacy of the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders as well as that of our state and federal legislators. What we have achieved could not have been done without their ongoing cooperation and belief in Camden County College.”

Della Vecchia holds a doctor of philosophy degree from the University of Pennsylvania, master of arts degrees from the Catholic University of America and the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor of arts degree from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland.

Prior to coming to CCC, Della Vecchia served as vice president for academic affairs at Community College of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania; vice president for academic affairs and student services and dean of the college at Harford Community College in Maryland; and dean of planning, development and communications at Community College of Baltimore in Maryland.

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CCC PROVOST TO SERVE AS ACTING PRESIDENT DURING NATIONWIDE SEARCH

Camden County College’s top academic officer has been selected to serve as acting president when the current president retires in February.

The Camden County College Board of Trustees announced Tuesday that Dr. Raymond Yannuzzi would assume the duties of the institution’s chief executive officer when Dr. Phyllis Della Vecchia leaves CCC on February 13, 2006. Yannuzzi will serve in that capacity until a permanent replacement for Della Vecchia is hired.

Yannuzzi came to CCC in 2000. He previously had been executive vice president at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College and also had held administrative positions at Baltimore City Community College and Delaware County Community College. He earned his doctorate from Catholic University of America.

“I am honored by this expression of confidence,” Yannuzzi said. “I look forward to keeping Camden County College on the ambitious path that has been set by Dr. Della Vecchia.”

Della Vecchia announced her retirement during the board’s Sept. 13 meeting. She has led New Jersey’s largest community college – which also ranks among the largest colleges and universities in the state and region – since 1993. During her tenure, CCC has become known as a creative, entrepreneurial institution that is responsive to the region’s education, workforce and economic development needs as well as one of the fastest-growing and top degree-producing community colleges in the United States.

The comprehensive, nationwide search for Della Vecchia’s successor – who will be the college’s fourth president – will be conducted with the assistance of an executive search firm. On Tuesday, the trustees authorized advertising a request to receive service proposals from qualified firms.

Plans are for the search firm to be selected in January and a new president chosen by February 2007.

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CCC’S UPWARD BOUND ACADEMY RECRUITING STUDENTS FOR 32ND TERM

Most students enjoy their summers hanging out with friends, enjoying the beach or playing sports. Each of the last 31 years, however, dozens of high-schoolers have given up their traditional vacations to complete an on-site summer program at Camden County College

The Upward Bound Academy provides collegiate study opportunities for high school students who are considered economically, socially or academically disadvantaged. Over 80 percent of Upward Bound participants are accepted into two- and four-year colleges and universities after high school.

This summer, 41 students from seven high schools completed the Upward Bound Academy. The intensive, six-week program focused on business/entrepreneurship. While taking daily courses in English, math, computer science, biology, chemistry and Spanish, each student also created a product or service for the general consumer. CCC professors and local high school teachers taught them how to develop business plans, mission statements, business cards, advertising strategies and budgets, and presentations by local organizations such as Commerce Bank and Alston & Associates provided real-life models.

Participants also took a number of field trips to round out their experiences. These brought them to the Millville Military Air Museum to learn about aviation in South Jersey during World War II; the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia to learn about nation-building; and the Harlem Schomberg Library in New York to learn about African-American and Hispanic contributions to American history.

“These students deserve considerable recognition for putting their summer vacation on hold to commit to a college-prep summer academy,” said program director Dennis Ferry. “Their participation enhances their opportunities for future college admission and potential scholarships.”

Recruitment for the Summer 2006 Upward Bound Academy is on now. To enroll or for further details, contact Ferry by telephone at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4327, or via e-mail at dferry@camdencc.edu.

Upward Bound is one of numerous opportunities for high school students that are available through Camden County College’s Division of School and Community Academic Programs.

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Each lecture will be delivered by a scholar who is a noted expert on his or her topic. All will be given at 7 p.m. Wednesdays in the auditorium of the Danch CIM Center, which is located on CCC’s Blackwood Campus.

Scheduled are:

· Sept. 28: “General George S. Patton: A Genius for War” with William L. O’Neil, of Rutgers University. He will discuss Patton’s controversial career, arguing that character flaws are what prevented the leader from making strategic decisions that could have ended the war many months earlier.

· Oct. 5: “The Slander Campaign Against The Women’s Army Corps” with Ann Pfau of Kean University. She will examine the effects of and motives behind activities that threatened to undermine the Army’s efforts to recruit female soldiers.

· Oct. 12: “The Winds of Change: Race, War and the American Experience in World War II” with Christopher T. Fisher of The College of New Jersey. He will discuss race relations during WWII and show how the war abroad had profound consequences for civil rights movement at home.

· Oct. 26: “The American Combat Experience in World War II” with John Chambers of Rutgers University, who is the author of Major Problems in American Military History. He will illustrate different forms of combat used by American infantrymen, Marines and bomber crews to win the war.

· Nov. 2: “The War that Never Ended: Japan’s Surrender and the Fate of East Asia, 1945-46” with Ronald Spector of George Washington University, who is the author of the award-winning book Eagle Against the Sun: The American War with Japan. He will discuss how the devastating conflict changed the lives of so many in East Asia and beyond.

This lecture series is funded by a grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. It was launched Sept. 21 with a talk by prolific battleship authority Paul Stillwell and an exhibit by the Battleship New Jersey Museum.

An exhibit of paintings by the late Harold A. Laynor, a member of the 603rd Camouflage Engineers Battalion – the U.S. “Ghost Army” division – is being displayed in the college’s Blackwood Campus Library throughout the remainder of the series. In addition, selections from the exhibit will be displayed at the lecture venue during each installment.

Camden County College has been designated as an official New Jersey Professional Development Provider and as an official Pennsylvania Department of Education Act 48 Professional Provider. As a result, state-certified teachers can earn three hours of approved professional development for each lecture that they attend.

For further details regarding the lecture series or the credit-earning opportunities for teachers, contact Pesda by telephone at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4432, or via e-mail at jpesda@camdencc.edu.

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WHEN: 5 to 11 p.m., Friday, Sept. 23, 2005.

WHERE: Atco Raceway, 1000 Jackson Road, Atco.

WHY: To build awareness for the college’s auto technology program, which offers both General Motors and Toyota curricula, while also educating members of the public about legitimate drag racing and providing them with the opportunity to try it.

DETAILS: CCC has reserved a section of the grandstand along with a picnic area. Admission will be free to those with college identification.

Coordinating this event is Anthony Marchetti, who heads up the Automotive Technology Department at CCC. He can be reached for further information at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4317.

TO COVER: Contact Susan Coulby, media relations manager, by telephone at (856) 374-4949 or (609) 605-0874 or via e-mail at scoulby@camdencc.edu.

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Hispanic Heritage Month officially runs from Sept. 15 – the anniversary of independence for five Latin American nations – through Oct. 15. The month celebrates the cultural backgrounds of all Spanish-speaking people, whether they or their ancestors hail from Spain, Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Chile, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua or any number of other countries.

According to the 2000 United States Census, more than 35 million Americans consider themselves Hispanic. More than 1,000 Hispanic students enroll at Camden County College each semester.

Each of the college’s Hispanic Heritage Month activities will take place on CCC’s Camden City Campus, located at Broadway and Cooper Street.

Scheduled are:

• Thursday, Sept. 22 – Hispanic Read-In, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Student Lounge, College Hall.

• Thursday, Sept. 29 – Motivational speech by Raul Medina on overcoming obstacles, noon, Community Room, College Hall.

• Thursday, Oct. 6 – Hispanic Food Festival featuring salsa dance performances, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Community Room, College Hall.

• Thursday, Oct. 13 – Hispanic Movie Festival featuring free popcorn, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Community Room, College Hall.

• Thursday, Oct. 20 – Hispanic Health Fair, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Cafeteria, College Hall.

For additional information about these activities, call (856) 227-7200, ext. 1355.

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WHAT: Paul Stillwell, a U.S. Navy veteran who served on the USS New Jersey and is the author of nine books on naval warfare, will give the presentation “Battleships at War” to launch Camden County College’s fall lecture series “America’s Greatest War: World War II from the Perspective of Six Decades.”

WHEN: 7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2005 – TONIGHT!

WHERE: Auditorium, Danch CIM Center, Blackwood Campus.

DETAILS: This year marks the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. Camden County College’s lecture series – which continues through Nov. 2 – commemorates that anniversary by exploring various issued related to the war. The series is funded by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

This evening’s talk will consider the combat role of battleships from Pearl Harbor to the Japanese surrender. A noted expert on his topic, Stillwell was a featured commentator with Tom Brokaw for the NBC News coverage of the Pearl Harbor commemorative events. In addition, he has appeared on CNN and on NBC’s “Today Show” as well as in Discovery Channel documentaries and History Channel programs. Stillwell also has been a consultant for CBS News and ABC News.

In conjunction with this evening’s program, the Battleship New Jersey Museum is providing a related display.

TO COVER: Contact Susan Coulby, media relations manager, by telephone at (856) 374-4949 or (609) 605-0874 or via e-mail at scoulby@camdencc.edu.

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WHAT: Camden County College will celebrate Constitution Day with “Teaching, Learning and the First Amendment,” a presentation by CCC faculty members for students, faculty and staff.

WHEN: 10 a.m. to noon, Monday, Sept. 19.

WHERE: Dennis Flyer Memorial Theatre, Lincoln Hall, Blackwood Campus.

WHY: This event will be the college’s official observance of the Constitution Day holiday, which marks the anniversary of the historic document’s adoption in 1787.

DETAILS: CCC faculty from the political science, history, natural sciences, communications, fine arts and business departments will present their views on this event’s topic. Questions and discussion will follow.

Students who have classes meeting during this time period will attend the event along with faculty and staff from across the college’s departments.

TO COVER: Contact Susan Coulby, media relations manager, by telephone at (856) 374-4949 or (609) 605-0874 or via e-mail at scoulby@camdencc.edu.

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Local students left in the lurch by the federal raid of Harrison Career Institute are welcome to explore their options for continuing their studies at Camden County College.

Harrison Career Institute, which is headquartered in Voorhees Township, has locations in Delran, Deptford Township, Vineland and Philadelphia as well as in Maryland and Delaware. HCI offers studies in business and healthcare. Classes were canceled Thursday when agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Education confiscated records and equipment from the HCI office and campus locations. In August, the school had been fined $3.64 million and barred from federal student aid program participation.

Camden County College offers many associate’s degree, career certificate and non-credit training programs and courses in business and healthcare. CCC will make every effort – including completing one-on-one evaluations of all prior and current coursework, helping with financial aid opportunities and completing registration activities – to help these students plan for their future education and work toward their career goals.

“We’re here to provide these displaced students with whatever we can to help them complete their education,” said Raymond Yannuzzi, provost and vice president of academic affairs. “Our deans are ready to work on the academic side with these students, and our financial aid staff will work to procure for them any assistance for which they may still be eligible.”

Courses are available in Cherry Hill, Blackwood and Camden. Registration is on now.

For additional information or to arrange for advisement, displaced HCI students can contact James N. Canonica, CCC dean of students, by telephone at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4882, or via e-mail at jcanonica@camdencc.edu.

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After spending more than a decade developing Camden County College into an entrepreneurial institution that both anticipates and responds to the education, workforce and economic development needs of Camden County and its residents, Phyllis Della Vecchia is retiring from the presidency.

Della Vecchia will remain at the helm of the college through February 2006, when an acting president will be appointed. A search will be conducted for a permanent successor, and plans are for that process to conclude by the beginning of the Spring 2007 semester.

“Professionally and personally I have truly enjoyed my years at Camden County College, but at this point in my life and career I want to seek new challenges,” Della Vecchia said. “Given the positive state of the college, this is the right time for me to do so.”

Della Vecchia’s retirement was announced during a regular meeting of the Camden County College Board of Trustees on Sept. 13.

“Those who were here when Phyllis first arrived on campus are well aware of the virtual transformation of the college that she has shepherded,” said Kevin G. Halpern, trustee chairman. “The trustees are most thankful and very appreciative to have had the talent, skill and vision of Phyllis Della Vecchia as president since 1993.

“She is a remarkable person who has done so much for our college and our county. We will miss her and will long remember her work here with tremendous fondness and respect.”

The founding president of Camden County College was Otto R. Mauke, who served from 1967 to 1987. The college’s second president was Robert W. Ramsay, who served from 1987 to 1993. Della Vecchia succeeded Ramsay, beginning her presidency on Sept. 2, 1993.

During Della Vecchia’s 12-year tenure, Camden County College expanded into a third permanent location with the creation of the William G. Rohrer Center in Cherry Hill and doubled the capacity of the Camden City Campus with the building of the Camden Technology Center. The college also began a dramatic transformation of the Blackwood Campus with renovations to historic Jefferson Hall, the library, the College Community Center and the recently announced $83 million rebuilding project that will take place over the next six years.

Under Della Vecchia’s leadership, the college also achieved rankings among the nation’s top 100 two-year institutions for overall degree completion and among the nation’s top 50 two-year institutions for several academic programs – all while maintaining one of the lowest tuition rates in the state and the region. In addition, CCC increased academic options for students by bringing the number of degree and certificate programs to 140; partnering with four-year colleges and universities; increasing the number and locations of neighborhood-based course offerings; establishing the Community Gateway Program for pre-college preparation; and enhancing collaborative programs with local K-12 districts. The college also implemented an extensive technology agenda, which included upgrading the technological infrastructure, launching an online student information system, creating online learning opportunities and developing an award-winning presence on the World Wide Web.

“Throughout my tenure at Camden County College, I have been fortunate to have served with so many good people working toward a common goal,” Della Vecchia said. “I am grateful for the support of a dedicated board of trustees, the engagement of an exceptional faculty, the creativity of one of the finest administrative teams and the tremendous efforts of a great staff, all focused on successfully advancing the college to better serve our students and our county.

“The college also has benefited from the unwavering advocacy of the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders as well as that of our state and federal legislators. What we have achieved could not have been done without their ongoing cooperation and belief in Camden County College.”

Della Vecchia holds a doctor of philosophy degree from the University of Pennsylvania, master of arts degrees from the Catholic University of America and the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor of arts degree from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland.

Prior to coming to CCC, Della Vecchia served as vice president for academic affairs at Community College of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania; vice president for academic affairs and student services and dean of the college at Harford Community College in Maryland; and dean of planning, development and communications at Community College of Baltimore in Maryland.

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The Wal-Mart Foundation has donated $1,000 to the Camden County College Foundation to be used for the college’s Community Gateway Program. Community Gateway provides basic literacy, English as a second language and career- and college-preparatory courses at faith-based and community centers throughout Camden. Pictured at the Cherry Hill Wal-Mart store are Dawn Young, store manager, left, and Gary Divens, dean of the college’s Camden City Campus, right. For more information about Community Gateway, call (856) 968-1279.

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Local students from Xavier University of Louisiana and Tulane University, both in New Orleans, already are enrolling at Camden County College for the semester. They will be joining the more than 15,000 students who are expected to enroll at CCC this fall.

Linda Motón, a Sicklerville resident who is a 2005 graduate of Our Lady of Mercy Academy in Newfield, had spent the summer studying at Xavier University and was about a week into her fall semester there when the pending hurricane forced her to return home. When it became apparent that her classes were not likely to resume, she registered for 13 credits at Camden County College.

“My first thought was coming to the community college,” she said. “I was taking 14 credits at Xavier this semester, and I want to stay as close to that as I can. I don’t want to get too far behind.”

Credits earned at CCC are highly transferable, counting toward degrees at most colleges and universities throughout the United States. Anyone whose Fall 2005 study plans have been interrupted due to the damage inflicted by Hurricane Katrina can remain on track with their higher education plans by signing up for one of the thousands of courses being offered at CCC from now through December.

This week was the first week of Fall 2005 classes at CCC. Late-registration opportunities remain available for those courses that already have gotten under way. These courses run for 15 weeks.

Dozens of additional courses – including on-campus weekday classes, on-campus weekend classes, classes conducted in off-campus locations and classes conducted online – have varying start dates in September, October and November. These run for 14, 13 or seven weeks.

Camden County College has campus locations in Blackwood, Camden and Cherry Hill. Off-campus course sites include Camden Catholic High School in Cherry Hill, Collingswood High School, Gloucester City Junior/Senior High School, Pennsauken High School, Eastern Regional High School in Voorhees and Winslow Township Middle School in Atco.

For additional information or to register, call Camden County College’s toll-free information line at (888) 228-2466 or visit the college online at www.camdencc.edu.

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Camden County College is offering 38 courses in a range of subjects at six off-campus locations throughout Camden County during the Fall 2005 semester.

Based at community locations that are in or near students’ neighborhoods, CCC’s off-campus courses provide convenient access to higher education. In addition, most begin at 6:30 p.m. and meet just once per week – providing a convenient fit for most work schedules. Each class begins the week of Sept. 6 and runs through the week of Dec. 16 and is worth three or four college credits.

Available at Camden Catholic High School in Cherry Hill are courses in accounting, art appreciation, English composition, philosophy, psychology and Spanish.

Available at Collingswood High School in Collingswood are courses in computer literacy, English composition, health, history, business, management, psychology and sociology.

Available at Gloucester City Junior/Senior High School in Gloucester City are courses in psychology.

Available at Pennsauken High School in Pennsauken are courses in English composition, nutrition, mathematics, psychology, sociology and public speaking.

Available at Eastern High School in Voorhees are courses in art appreciation, English composition, history, psychology, Russian and Spanish.

Available at Winslow Township Middle School in Atco are courses in computer literacy, English composition and mathematics.

To register or for more information, contact the college’s Division of School and Community Academic Programs by telephone at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4530, or ext. 4520 between 12:30 and 8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday or 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday.

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This semester’s show for children is a stage version of the beloved children’s book “Charlotte’s Web.” Written by E.B. White and adapted for theater by Joseph Robinette, the story centers on an animal-loving girl named Fern, a butcher-fearing piglet called Wilbur and a kind-hearted spider known as Charlotte.

“Charlotte’s Web” will be performed on the college’s Blackwood Campus on Oct. 21 and 22 and as a locally touring show through mid-November.

This semester’s adult production is “The Diary of Anne Frank” by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett. This drama brings to life the words written by a Jewish teenager while her family hid from the Nazis during World War II.

“The Diary of Anne Frank” will be performed on the college’s Blackwood Campus on Dec. 2, 3, 4, 9 and 10.

Actors in their late teens and older – in a range of types – are sought for these productions.

Auditions will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. Sept. 6 and 7. They will be conducted in The Little Theater, which is located inside Lincoln Hall on the Blackwood Campus. Auditioning actors should bring a brief, contemporary monologue or be prepared to read from provided scenes.

For further details about the auditions or the productions, contact Professor Marjorie Sokoloff by telephone at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4737, or via e-mail at msokoloff@camdencc.edu.

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WHEN: 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 25, 2005.

WHERE: Cyber Cafe, second floor, College Community Center, Blackwood Campus.

WHY: The College Community Center is the hub of the Blackwood Campus. Its reopening allows key student services – academic advisement, campus extracurriculars, dining, relaxation – to once again be housed in a single central location. This event is one of many that will be conducted by Camden County College as the Blackwood Campus is transformed over the next few years.

DETAILS: Built in the 1970s, the College Community Center served hundreds of thousands of students for three decades before fire damage necessitated its closure in 2003. Following asbestos abatement, renovation and reinstallation, the building reopened this summer. Final redecoration and relocation activities have been completed just in time for the opening of the Fall 2005 semester.

Features include an expanded bookstore; revamped facilities for the college radio station and newspaper that now include a classroom for communications courses; larger and better equipped offices for student clubs and activities; an all-new cafeteria with mural panels created by CCC art students; a new television and game room; and what just may be the largest collegiate cyber cafe in the region.

The rededication ceremony will include remarks by college President Phyllis Della Vecchia and an activity meant to highlight the contents and capabilities of the building.

TO COVER: Contact Susan Coulby, media relations manager, by telephone at (856) 374-4949 or (609) 605-0874 or via e-mail at scoulby@camdencc.edu.

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According to just-compiled statistics, the 2005 summer semester was Camden County College’s most successful summer ever as both student totals and credit totals reached unprecedented levels.

Summer 2005 is the first summer session in CCC history for which more than 6,000 students enrolled and during which more than 30,000 credits were taken. The semester’s final tallies of 6,074 students and 30,033 credits exceeded by 262 students and 1,115 credits the totals of 5,812 students and 28,918 credits that had been achieved the previous summer.

Compared to Summer 2004, these figures reflect overall increases of 5 percent in student count and 4 percent in credit count. They also include impressive gains for individual segments of CCC’s summertime offerings. For example, credit counts were up 11 percent at the Camden City Campus, 26 percent at the William G. Rohrer Center in Cherry Hill and an outstanding 110 percent for off-campus class locations.

“Achieving such figures during summer,” said college president Dr. Phyllis Della Vecchia, “shows that offering high-quality academics at convenient times and inexpensive rates never goes out of season.”

Registration for Fall 2005 is off to a promising start, with both student and credit counts running about 2 percent above where they were at the same time last year. A total of 15,116 students registered for a record-setting 142,249 credits during Fall 2004.

Fall 2005 one-stop registration for returning and new students begins on Aug. 22, and the first week of classes begins Aug. 29. Later-start and mini-semester courses begin on various dates in September and October, with registration for each available until then.

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Camden County College is offering convenient, individual assistance with enrollment and registration during a pair of special events in August.

These community-based sessions are intended for any new or returning student who would like in-person aid with their enrollment activities without having to travel to campus to receive it. A CCC representative will be on hand to help with class registration and discuss course scheduling, financial aid and child care.

Attendees should bring with them copies of any prior college transcripts. Payment for all courses is due at the time of registration.

Scheduled are:

- Community Registration Event, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Aug. 16, Echelon Mall County Store, Voorhees Township.

- Community Registration Event, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Aug. 17, Cherry Hill Mall County Store, Cherry Hill Township.

For additional information, call (856) 227-7200, ext. 4941, or e-mail rschamp@camdencc.edu.

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New and returning students alike will find in a single place all of the resources they need to sign up for Fall 2005 credit courses at Camden County College when one-stop registration starts Aug. 22.

Madison Hall will host open registration activities on the Blackwood Campus. Current and prospective students will be able to procure transcripts and placement test scores, receive academic advisement, enroll in classes and handle financial matters, all on the building’s second floor.

To complete one-stop registration on the Camden City Campus, current and prospective studentsmust visit the second-floor administrative offices in the Camden Technology Center. At the William G. Rohrer Center in Cherry Hill, registration may be completed at the first-floor information desk.

College personnel will be available to assist students at all three locations. Hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30 and 31 and Sept. 1 as well as 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 26 and Sept. 2.

Payment of at least 50 percent is required throughout the one-stop registration period. On Aug. 26, the college will begin registration on a space-available basis for those senior citizens and nemployed persons who are eligible to enroll for free through CCC’s tuition-waiver program.

Returning students also have the option of enrolling and making payment via the Internet. To register online, visit the college’s site on the World Wide Web at www.camdencc.edu and click on the “Fall 2005 Credit Registration” banner.

Further details regarding registration are available on the Web site or by calling the college’s toll-free information line at (888) 228-2466.

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Local men and women with songs in their hearts and music in their voices are being recruited for the 2005-06 version of the Camden County College Choir.

The ensemble, which is sponsored by the college and overseen by the college's Music Department, is open to singers aged 18 and older. Members don't have to be enrolled at CCC or reside within Camden County. Current members are a mix of CCC students and area residents of all ages.

The choir performs both sacred and secular music under the direction of Robert Futer. His credentials include stints as president and Region III junior high conductor for the South Jersey Choral Directors Association and as director of the First Presbyterian Church of Haddon Heights Chancel Choir.

The Camden County College Choir holds evening practices every Tuesday starting at 8 p.m. Concert performances are given at the end of the fall semester in December and at the end of the spring semester in May.

For further information or to arrange an audition, contact Professor Michael Billingsley by telephone at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4563, or via e-mail at mbillingsley@camdencc.edu.

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Edward T. McDonnell of Pennsauken, who is vice president for economic development and executive dean of the college's William G. Rohrer Center, and Raymond Yannuzzi of Wallingford, Pa., who is vice president for academic affairs as well as provost, were recognized for their exemplary service to New Jersey's community colleges. Since 1993, the award has gone to those whose work embodies the community college spirit of perseverance, dedication and excellence.

"Camden County College is proud of the contributions made by Vice President McDonnell and Vice President Yannuzzi to benefit the community college sector in New Jersey through creative and innovative initiatives," said CCC President Phyllis Della Vecchia. "These leaders well deserve their selection."

McDonnell was lauded for his leadership in developing the New Jersey Community College Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development. NJCCCWED is a partnership of New Jersey's community colleges that delivers customized training to businesses and agencies throughout the state.

In addition to his duties at the college, McDonnell is the deputy director of the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders as well as freeholder liaison to the Camden County Office of Disabled Consumers Services. He also serves as chairman of the board of directors at the LARC School for disabled children and adults and previously served on the advisory board of the Epilepsy Foundation of Southern New Jersey and on the New Jersey Regional Family Support Planning Council.

McDonnell holds a bachelor's degree and two master's degrees from what is now Rowan University. He earned his doctorate from Nova Southeastern University.

Yannuzzi was cited for his leadership in developing the New Jersey Pathways Leading Apprentices to College Education Program, which is a partnership of New Jersey's 19 community colleges, the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the state Employment and Training Commission and union leaders. NJ PLACE is developing a statewide model for connecting registered apprenticeships in building/construction trades to college degree programs.

In addition, Yannuzzi was instrumental in forming the Shipyard College Consortium of Philadelphia-area colleges that helped bring commercial shipbuilding and other economic development activities to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. In addition, he helped create the distance learning partnership of Philadelphia-area colleges and WHYY Public Television that has grown into a national model.

Yannuzzi holds a bachelor's degree from St. Peter's College, a master's degree from Johns Hopkins University and a doctorate from Catholic University of America. He also studied at Oxford University.

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Camden County College honored 141 faculty, staff and administrators who were retiring or had achieved service milestones during this year's 11th annual Service Recognition Ceremony.

The event recognized 16 employees who were retiring during 2005 along with 125 employees whose service to CCC and its students would reach milestone totals of five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 or 35 years during 2005. Each received a token of appreciation presented by college President Phyllis Della Vecchia and posed for a group photograph.

Honorees included:

* Burlington County: Adrienne Coons (25 years), Marlton; Reza Bavi (five years), Delran; Marilyn Feingold (25 years), Marlton; Matthew Flacche (five years), Marlton; Darin Holland (five years), Willingboro; Drew Jacobs (five years), Burlington; Maureen Kochanek (15 years), Marlton; Altha Levering (15 years), Westampton; Barbara Lombardo (10 years), Tabernacle; William Long (35 years), Riverton; Penny Luczak (10 years), Marlton; Timothy McCormack (five years), Maple Shade; Jayne McGovern (five years), Marlton; Daniel McMasters (five years), Medford; Gail Stewart (10 years), Moorestown.

* Cape May County: Frances Burns (retiree), Stone Harbor.

* Cumberland County: Ricardo Camacho (15 years), Vineland.

* Camden County: Helen Antonakakis (five years), Voorhees; Kerry Barbuto (five years), Sicklerville; James Beckett (retiree), Somerdale; Gregory Bender (five years), Voorhees; Charles "Ken" Bennett (30 years), Somerdale; Mary Bohnert (10 years), Clementon; Rosemary Boiano (five years), Voorhees; Susanna Bracken (five years), Runnemede; Alexander Breve (10 years), Laurel Springs; Janet Brown (15 years), Voorhees; Jo Ann Brown (five years), Sicklerville; Debora Burch (15 years), Blackwood; Vicki Burnett-Williams (five years), Camden; Patricia Chappell (five years), Berlin; Ronald Colomy (five years), Laurel Springs; Kathleen Cook (five years), Somerdale; Joseph Cucinotti (five years), Cherry Hill; Ellen Davis (15 years), Sicklerville; Wanda DeJesus (five years), Atco; Anna Marie DelRiego (retiree), Voorhees; Dean Derman (10 years), Westmont; Nancy Dick (30 years), Haddon Heights; Marie English (15 years), Lawnside; Eugene Evans (35 years), Haddonfield; Louis Faragasso (five years), Berlin; Dan Flisser (five years), Laurel Springs; Kathy Forsythe (five years), Sicklerville; Thomas Gannon (five years), Blackwood; Carole Garvey-Thomas (retiree), Pennsauken; Daniel Gentile (15 years), West Berlin; Vicente Gutierrez (30 years), Blackwood; Joan Haefle (retiree) Clementon; Brian Higgins (25 years), Gloucester Township; Michelle Hodges (10 years), Pine Hill; Yvonne Holman (25 years), Sicklerville; Lillie Howard (five years), Voorhees; Barbara Iuliucci (15 years), Braddock; Ann Kishbaugh (five years), Merchantville; Kay Klotzbach (five years), Lindenwold; Ralph Jackson (retiree), Sicklerville; Robert Kaczorowski (35 years), Haddonfield; Joanne Kinzy (15 years), Clementon; Blanch Kirkland (15 years), Atco; Wayne Kleinz (15 years), Erial; Barbara Laynor (five years), Cherry Hill; Alfredo Lopez (five years), Camden; Dolores Malone (10 years), Voorhees; Melissa Manera (five years), Somerdale; Lola Maskovsky (retiree), Cherry Hill; Danielle McBride (five years), Voorhees; Michael McCallion (five years), Atco; Edward McDonnell (15 years), Pennsauken; Carl Metzradt (30 years), Mount Ephriam; Kathleen Miller (five years), Erial; Frank X. Mitchell (10 years), Blackwood; Edward Morales (retiree), Sicklerville; Jesse Orlando (five years), Cherry Hill; Michael Paglia (20 years), Somerdale; Joseph Perla (30 years), Lindenwold; Michael Permenter (15 years), Cherry Hill; Bonita Primas (retiree), Gibbsboro; Reza Razavi (five years), Bellmawr; Leeann Rinaldi (10 years), Sicklerville; Lynda Robinson (retiree), Camden; Michael Rodgers (20 years), Cherry Hill; Theresa Rossi (10 years), Laurel Springs; Debra Ross (five years), Camden; Rosemary Schamp (five years), Pine Hill; Dawn Scott (five years), Runnemede; Roosevelt Scott (10 years), Lindenwold; Gilbert Shaw (retiree), Blue Anchor; Constance Shifton (15 years), Cherry Hill; Lillian Smith (five years), Camden; Robert E. Smith (35 years), Sicklerville; Theresa Smith (10 years), Sicklerville; Adrienne Spencer (five years), Clementon; Patricia Stens (retiree), Stratford; Margo Venable (20 years), Laurel Springs; Sandra Walker (20 years), Camden; Raymond Zumoff (retiree), Gloucester Township.

* Gloucester County: Julie Amadio (five years), Deptford; Anjali Chaki (15 years), Sewell; Marie Cifelli (10 years), Glassboro; Cheryl Copeland (35 years), Pitman; Margaret Dorsey (10 years), Mantua; Nancy Faulk (15 years), Sewell; Carole Finacaro (retiree), Turnersville; Leigh Anne Fiore (five years), Williamstown; Ronald Garbowski (five years), Williamstown; Judith Giumetti (five years), Gibbstown; Patricia Gladue (20 years), Turnersville; Karen Guy (10 years), Mullica Hill; Kathleen Howell (five years), Turnersville; Thomas Hunter (15 years), Sewell; William Kerr (five years), Deptford; Kathryn L'Esperance (15 years), Washington Township; Portia Mathes (15 years), Sewell; Linda McHale (retiree), Deptford; Debora McKee (20 years), Westville; Christine Miles, (20 years), Turnersville;

Charles Miller (retiree), Woodbury; Leon Miller (25 years), Newfield; Lawrence Moore (15 years), Williamstown; Roseann Murphy (five years), Clayton; Joseph Newcomb (five years), Pitman; Maureen Reidenauer (five years), Mullica Hill; Melvin Roberts (15 years), Wenonah; Marilyn Sheppard (10 years), Sewell; Deborah Sweeney (five years), Glassboro; Linda VanHest (five years), Pitman; Anita Wright (10 years), Pitman.

* Salem County: Barbara Jane Sparks (15 years), Salem.

* Out of State: William Allen Jr. (15 years), Wyncote, Pa.; Maria Aria (15 years), Philadelphia, Pa.; Wendy Blume (five years), Philadelphia, Pa.; Robert Board (five years), Yardley, Pa.; Lawrence Jadico (10 years), Doylestown, Pa.; Christopher Herron (five years), Philadelphia, Pa.; William Lavell (10 years), Annapolis, Md.; Maralyn Mason (25 years), Philadelphia, Pa.; Carla Monticelli (10 years), Havertown, Pa.; Thomas Murray (five years), Bristol, Pa.; Raymond Yannuzzi (five years), Wallingford, Pa.

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Seventeen students have been inducted as charter members of the Camden County College chapter of Mu Alpha Theta, the national mathematics honor society for community college students.

Mu Alpha Theta exists to recognize students for their outstanding achievements in mathematics and provide them with a means of enjoying mathematics beyond the classroom. Members must achieve a minimum grade-point average of 3.5 in mathematics courses at the pre-calculus level or higher to be considered for induction.

CCC's chapter is advised by Professor Dipdti Bardhan.

Inducted were:

* Burlington County: Alex Luchansky, Marlton.

* Camden County: Mayank Bhatnagar, Collingswood; Christopher Cericola, Collingswood; Bradford Greening, Pennsauken; Gourang Jethwa, Stratford; Jamal Khalife, Voorhees; Amanda Mansour, Voorhees; Tulsi Patel, Atco; Freda Robinson, Sicklerville; Justin Smith, Blackwood; Maria Tala, Stratford; Lori Watkins, Collingswood.

* Gloucester County: Joseph Daino, Westville; John Monaghan, Sewell.

* Out of State: Aboubacar Kanadji, Philadelphia, Pa.; Niva Shrestha, Philadelphia, Pa.; Zackariaou Yanni, Philadelphia, Pa.

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Members must rank within the top 1 percent of business students at their colleges or universities. They also must have completed at least 70 percent of their degree requirements as of Jan. 1 of the induction year.

The annual induction ceremony is conducted at the New Jersey Statehouse in Trenton. Society moderators include Camden County College Professor Maria Zak Aria.

Inducted were:

* Burlington County: Brandi Bancroft, Medford.
* Gloucester County: Geraldine Holohan, Williamstown.
* Camden County: Angela Bisasor, Collingswood; Mary Lou Cann, Pine Hill; Cathy Dennis, Cherry Hill; Michelle Lamontagne, Sicklerville; Paul Wright, Westmont.
* Out of State: Zackariaou Yanni, Philadelphia, Pa.

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WHAT: Camden County College is conducting an innovative workshop to teach faculty about the "Alice" environment and ways to utilize "Alice" when teaching Fundamental Programming Concepts to their students.

WHEN: 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. Thursday, July 21, 2005.

WHERE: Room 114s (in the basement), Gabriel E. Danch CIM Center, Blackwood Campus.

WHY: Nationally, enrollment in Computer Science programs has decreased and there is now some concern that three or four years from now there may be a shortage of programmers.

DETAILS: Alice is a three-dimensional animation environment that allows students that are mathematically challenged or lack programming experience to create 3-D programs. Currently, over 200 schools throughout the country are now using "Alice."

The workshops will be presented by Camden County College Computer Science professors, Anita Wright and Rose Boiano, who both have been working with Alice for over a year.

Faculty from Camden, Cumberland and Gloucester County Colleges and some high school teachers are in attendance.

Dr. Stephen Cooper, author of the first Alice text book, of St. Joseph's University will be speaking at Thursday's workshop about the text and future plans for Alice.

TO COVER: Contact William C. Thompson by telephone at (856) 374-4931 or via e-mail at wthompson@camdencc.edu.

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Camden County College graduates more associate's degree recipients than all but 83 of the nation's thousands of institutions of higher education.

According to an analysis of federal Department of Education data by Community College Week newspaper, CCC ranks 84th nationwide in terms of overall associate's degree completion. The study reviewed 2003-04 statistics, the most recent available, from the thousands of two- and four-year colleges and universities in the United States to generate a list of the top 100.

CCC achieved its placement by awarding 1,161 associate's degrees that term. No other South Jersey school made this list.

The Community College Week study also reviewed data regarding associate's degree completion for individual subject areas and compiled lists of the top 50 institutions by discipline. Camden County College maintained the sixth-place ranking in education that it achieved last year and also placed 44th in criminal justice. During 2003-04, CCC awarded 206 associate's degrees in elementary/secondary education and 62 associate's degrees in criminal justice.

In addition to analyzing overall and discipline statistics, the study analyzed statistics regarding degree completion in terms of student demographics. Camden County College ranked 75th in number of associate's degrees earned by black students - tied with Meridian Community College in Mississippi - with 172 degrees awarded. No other South Jersey school made this list.

To be included in the study, institutions must operate within the 50 United States or the District of Columbia. They also must be eligible to receive financial aid funding under federal Title IV legislation.

All rankings from the study were published in a special edition of Community College Week titled "Top 100 Associate's Degree Producers, 2005."

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Camden County College finished the first year of the state-funded New Jersey Student Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarship Program exactly where it had begun it - in the lead.

Last June, CCC hosted the legislative signing ceremony that established the NJ STARS Program as the first of its kind anywhere in the nation. This June, a statewide analysis showed that CCC had tallied the most NJ STARS enrollments of any community college in the state.

During the 2004-05 term, a total of 186 NJ STARS students enrolled at Camden County College. According to a state Higher Education Student Assistance Authority report on data from all 19 New Jersey community colleges, CCC enrolled more than 12 percent of this year's NJ STARS students.

NJ STARS covers tuition and fees for up to five semesters at a New Jersey community college for the top 20 percent of state high school graduates. It bridges the financial gap for families who receive only partial aid or don't qualify for any need-based assistance but still find paying for college difficult.

Any New Jersey high school student who ranks within the top fifth of his or her graduating class automatically qualifies as a NJ STAR. To receive NJ STARS funding, these students must enroll full-time in an associate's degree program and carry at least 12 college-level credits per semester. They also must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to determine their eligibility for other aid.

Qualified members of the Class of 2005 may enroll in Camden County College under the NJ STARS Program for the Fall 2005 semester. Also eligible are qualified 2004 high school graduates who haven't yet entered college.

For further details about this opportunity, prospective NJ STARS students can contact Ed Reynolds at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4226, or ereynolds@camdencc.edu. Information is available online by visiting www.camdencc.edu and clicking on the "NJ STARS" link or by visiting www.njstars.net

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Camden County College's Summer 2005 semester is a smart choice for current CCC students, students enrolled at other colleges and first-time students because summer courses at CCC are a convenient way to get the courses and credits you want at a price that's hard to beat.

Taking one or more of the courses still available at CCC this summer means getting ahead of schedule to complete your degree, transfer program or career certificate. It's also a great way to reduce your course load for the regular school year.

Because credits earned at CCC count toward degrees at most colleges and universities throughout the United States, those attending or planning to attend another institution also can use CCC to get a jump on their fall classes and save hundreds of tuition dollars.

Sessions are available at the college's locations in Blackwood, Camden and Cherry Hill. Television and Internet sessions are available as well.

Returning students who were enrolled at CCC in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 or 2005 have the option of registering for their summer selections online via the college's Web Advisor system. Fax and mail registration options are available as well.

In addition, in-person registration can be completed at all three CCC locations. Hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday.

Tuition is just $70 per credit for county residents and $74 per credit for non-residents. Full payment for all summer registrations is required at the time of course registration.

For further details, call the college toll-free at (888) 228-2466 or visit www.camdencc.edu and click on the "Summer 2005 Registration" link.

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Over 5,000 New Jersey high-schoolers took at least one community college course this school year, and Camden County College served more of them than any other community college in the state.

According to the New Jersey Council for County Colleges, 5,193 New Jersey students enrolled in college-level classes that allowed them to earn credits toward diplomas and get started on degrees. Almost a quarter of them - 1,234 in total - did so through Camden County College's High School Plus Program, making CCC the state's top provider of dual-credit community college courses to high school students.

Nationally, 800,000-plus high school students take college-level courses each year. More than two-thirds - 77 percent - do so through community colleges.

Camden County College's High School Plus Program delivers advanced-level courses at 27 high schools throughout South Jersey. Because qualified students may take more than one course one at a time, CCC tallied a record 1,670 registrations during 2004-05.

One student who has enrolled in multiple High School Plus courses is Alexander T. Blagriff, who just finished 11th grade at Timber Creek High School. The 17-year-old from Erial took Spanish, biology and U.S. history this year and plans to take calculus, physics, government and literature next year.

"I wanted to get a step up for college, and I felt that going into college having had college-level courses already would prepare me more for when I'm at school on my own," Blagriff said. "My parents encouraged me to do it because my older sister had done it when she was in high school."

High School Plus is just one of CCC's College Now! offerings, which also include tech prep and on-campus courses. For details, call (856) 227-7200, ext. 4530; e-mail fcappello@camdencc.edu; or visit www.camdencc.edu/programs_courses/programs_for_highschool.htm.

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Two of the best and brightest members of the Camden County College Class of 2005 have been named to this year's New Jersey All-State Academic Team.

Erica H. King of Clementon and John M. Monaghan of Sewell were honored for their academic and extracurricular achievements during the 11th annual Phi Theta Kappa Day in Trenton. This celebration is conducted by the New Jersey Council of County Colleges and Phi Theta Kappa, which is the top international honor society for community college students.

Each of the state's 19 community colleges may nominate up to two of its Phi Theta Kappa members for team membership. This year, 37 outstanding students were selected. All honorees were presented with an award certificate, a state resolution passed in their honor and a medal meant to be worn during academic ceremonies such as graduation.

King, 26, earned an associate's degree in psychology from Camden County College with a 4.00 grade-point average. She will transfer to Rutgers University this fall on a full-tuition Phi Theta Kappa scholarship to pursue a bachelor's degree in psychology.

In addition to belonging to Phi Theta Kappa, King served as secretary and then president of CCC's chapter of Psi Beta psychology honor society and was inducted into Alpha Mu Gamma foreign languages honor society and Sigma Delta Mu Spanish honor society. She also earned President's List status at CCC, was named to the National Dean's List and is a recipient of numerous Camden County College academic awards and scholarships.

Monaghan, 21, earned an associate's degree in engineering science from Camden County College with a 3.66 grade-point average. He will transfer to Drexel University this fall to pursue a bachelor's degree in engineering.

In addition to belonging to Phi Theta Kappa, Monaghan delivered the 2005 student commencement address, was inducted into Mu Alpha Theta mathematics honor society, served as president of CCC's Mini Baja Club, served as treasurer of its Computer-Aided Design Club and was a campus tutor. He also earned President's List and Dean's List status at CCC and is a recipient of the Craig Tiedeken Memorial Scholarship from the American Master Painters and Decorators Association.

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For Zackariaou Yanni, a 23-year-old native of Benin Republic in western Africa, completing his associate's degree in business at Camden County College meant more than just personal achievement. For him, it was the first step in his plan to better his home country.

Yanni's drive to help his homeland combined with his longtime fascination with the United States brought him to Camden County College four years ago. When he first heard about CCC, though, he didn't think it would be right for him.

"I disregarded the information because I thought a college with a tuition price that low would have no accreditation," he says. "But I was big-time wrong. I would definitely recommend Camden County College to any international student."

Yanni, who resides in Philadelphia, graduated as CCC's top business student this year. He also was inducted into the statewide New Jersey Collegiate Business Administration Association Honor Society, Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta National Mathematics Honor Society. He served as PTK's vice president for service and as a free tutor for his classmates. He made the college's President's List for four consecutive semesters and the National Dean's List for two straight years. He was able to make all of these achievements despite English being his second language.

"I was scared of taking lectures in a language other than my first language, which is French," says Yanni, who tallied a 3.69 grade-point average. "But I gave more than 100 percent to every class I took at CCC, and I have gained a good foundation of business knowledge."

In pursuit of a bachelor's degree in accounting and finance, Yanni is next headed to Drexel University. Drexel was so impressed with his accomplishments at CCC that administrators there have invited him into the Pennoni Honors College.

After Drexel, Yanni plans to work in the United States for a time to learn American business ethics and then return to Benin. There, he intends to apply what he has learned to help establish economic and financial stability.

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Teachers-to-be usually worry about how they can make education fun for their students. Not Edward Pietrzak, though. While others may fret over flashcards and number lines, Pietrzak just has to remember his wand. He knows that once he becomes a teacher, there'll be magic in his classroom.

Like Harry Potter, the Pennsauken resident knows that things are better when they're more than mundane. He's always believed that teachers need to reach children on their own level and that classrooms should be an amazing place for wide-eyed wonderers. That's why the professional magician plans to put the tricks up his sleeve into his lesson plans.

Pietrzak, a 2002 graduate of Camden Catholic High School, received his associate's degree at Camden County College this spring and will continue his studies at St. Joseph's University this fall. He plans to earn a bachelor's degree in elementary education there and eventually go on to receive a doctorate. All the while, he intends to incorporate his magical talents into his teaching.

"I want to use magic in the classroom to create a unique learning environment," he said. "If my theory is successful, I would love to write a book on entertainment in the classroom."

Pietrzak, 21, became interested in magic at age 10, when he experienced a performance on the boardwalk of Ocean City. At 13, he was performing in malls when an agency called him to audition.

"They had no idea how young I was until I arrived," Pietrzak recalled. "I blew them away, and I was hired. It changed my life forever."

Pietrzak currently works through four entertainment agencies and owns his own business called Magic by Ed. He started out doing 15 to 20 shows a year, but is now in high demand for up to 200 shows a year. He presents everything from sleight-of-hand tricks to stage illusions with live animals.

It's his performances for the American Cancer Society and the National Down Syndrome Society's Buddy Walk, however, that have produced some of his most rewarding magical moments. Pietrzak became involved with the two organizations after watching friends and family struggle with cancer and Down syndrome. Magic, he said, makes a difference.

"Especially when it seems like life is against you," Pietrzak said, "there's something about magic that demonstrates that anything is possible."

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Camden County College Class of 2005 member Theresa Statuti is beginning her third career at the age of 56, and people around the world have already read all about it.

The Cherry Hill resident's first year as a student at CCC was chronicled in a six-installment, 10,000-word series of articles for AARP: The Magazine Online, the American Association of Retired Persons' Internet publication. Titled "Back to School at Age 50+," the series began in October 2003 and ran through May 2004. The first article is located at www.aarpmagazine.org/lifestyle/Articles/a2003-10-14-backtoschool1.html, and the rest can be accessed from a drop-down menu on that page.

Statuti came to Camden County College after first serving as a nun for 10 years and then working for the federal government for almost 24 years. After overcoming a life-threatening childhood illness, Statuti excelled in school and found a passion for English. Right out of high school, she thought that she had found her calling and entered a convent. While there, she completed a bachelor's degree in English at Pennsylvania's Alvernia College and taught at a Catholic school in Philadelphia for seven years.

When Statuti suffered poor health once again, she was forced to choose a new profession. After working a few different jobs, she was hired as an Internal Revenue Service stenographer. By the time she retired in 2000, she had become a computer security officer at the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.

Less than two years into her retirement, Statuti realized that she had grown bored. After receiving a Camden County College brochure in the mail, she decided to return to school. Flipping through that brochure, Statuti came across a major that sparked her interest: health information technology. Though initially enrolling in the major's one-year certificate program, she enjoyed her studies so much that she decided to complete its two-year program for an associate's degree as well.

Statuti graduated with her certificate and her degree on May 21. She plans to pursue a master's degree at Rutgers University so that she may return to CCC once more - this time, to teach.

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Once Camden County College Class of 2005 member BriAnne Sudia put away her cap and gown, she was headed for Juilliard. The Tabernacle resident wasn't dancing ballet or singing soprano, but she did spend part of the summer learning how to refine her skills as an interpreting actor through the prestigious school's Interpreting for the Theater Institute.

Most people may not be able to imagine Hamlet delivering a monologue in American Sign Language, but for Sudia creating such moments is her life's passion. Interpreting actors use ASL, facial expressions and body movements to translate live theater performances for the enjoyment of audience members who are deaf or hard of hearing.

"I was captivated by it," Sudia says. "I decided that I wanted to combine my passions for theater and sign."

After becoming a sign language interpreting major at Camden County College, Sudia was introduced to interpretative theater through the Amaryllis Theatre Company in Center City Philadelphia. She signed up for their 2003 tour of "Mainstreamed."

She later joined the Forum Theatre Company in Metuchen as part of her Camden County College ASL practicum requirement. The Forum Theatre has given her the opportunity to perform for young audiences and work alongside her boyfriend, R. Liam Jennings, also a CCC graduate, in what is known as a deaf/hearing interpreting team. She recently appeared in the Forum's production of "Treasure Island."

This fall, Sudia will begin her studies in theater at Rutgers University. She also plans to continue her work of bringing ASL to the stage.

"I definitely hope to do the majority of my interpreting work for the theater, but I find regular interpreting exciting, too," she said. "Interpreting allows me to set my own schedule and still have time to do theater."

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Noting the importance of government partnering with education to act "strategically and aggressively to develop a comprehensive, high-quality and accessible workforce-training investment," Camden County Freeholder Director Louis F. Cappelli Jr. has announced a six-year initiative to transform Camden County College's main campus.

"Our great county college offers comprehensive academic instruction, vocational training, job readiness, community service, lifelong learning opportunities and more," Cappelli said during the press conference conducted to announce the plan. "Camden County College is a leader. It is productive, efficient, effective and a worthy investment for the future of Camden County."

The $83 million capital initiative is the most significant project undertaken by Camden County College since the institution was founded in 1967. It will affect more than half of the facilities and structural amenities on the Blackwood Campus, which is the college's oldest and largest location and which hosts more than 10,000 students, faculty, staff and community members each week.

"Today we are laying the groundwork for tomorrow's educational needs by enabling the college to nourish the intellectual growth of our county for many decades," said Freeholder Riletta L. Cream, the freeholder board's education liaison. "Over the next six years, the Blackwood Campus will be transformed and the result will be more beautiful, smarter and a legacy that will provide dividends for decades."

New facilities will include a science building that will house modern, technologically enhanced laboratories to support the region's booming science and healthcare industries; a building that will connect the campus' busiest classroom building with its newly remodeled student center and contain technology-rich spaces such as a lecture hall with instant polling capabilities, an interactive arena classroom and an atrium for public forums; and a student services building that will consolidate various support offerings into a single convenient location.

Also planned are the addition of state-of-the-art teaching technologies and improvements to the learning environment of the campus' main academic buildings. In addition, there will be upgraded athletic fields for track, softball, baseball and soccer as well as nearly 10 percent more parking and safer vehicle-travel routes with a campus-encircling "ring road." Outdated buildings that will be systematically demolished include Roosevelt Hall and the Wilson Complex, both built in the 1950s, and Washington Hall, the Camden County College Optical Clinic and Adams Hall, all built in the 1960s.

According to college President Phyllis Della Vecchia, the initiative will allow the college to make "a quantum leap in creating a learning environment in which our students will flourish."

"Although this focuses on structural amenities, it is about more than buildings - it's about people," Della Vecchia said. "Buildings are the venues through which students - the people of Camden County and beyond - acquire the education and training needed to advance in life and become competitive in the job market."

Calling Camden County College "an economic engine," Cappelli noted that 77 percent of CCC students stay in the region and contribute to the local economy after graduating; that every dollar of state or local tax monies invested in the college returns $5.17; and that graduates increase their lifetime earning by more than 37 percent when compared to someone with just a high school diploma or GED. He also noted that the project enhances the value of the state's commitment to construct a Route 42 interchange at College Drive - where the Blackwood Campus is located - and enhance circulation through the area.

"An investment here is prudent and responsible," Cappelli said. "It is not only an investment in the college, but a prudent, strategic investment in Gloucester Township, Camden County and South Jersey that will enhance our competitive position in the region."

The first of the three new buildings to be started will be the Madison Hall Connector Building, for which ground will be broken this fall. According to Della Vecchia, the facility will serve as the indoor crossroads of the Blackwood Campus. It also will serve as the headquarters for the college's new Center for Civic Leadership and Responsibility, the purpose of which is to prepare students to be effective leaders and citizens who understand and accept individual responsibility for civic engagement.

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WHAT: 37th annual Camden County College Commencement, which will be conducted for the college's largest class ever "under the bigtop" of an 18,000-square-foot event tent.

Featured will be the keynote address by U.S. Sen. Jon S. Corzine, D-NJ. Delivering the student address will be John Monaghan. Also speaking will be college President Phyllis Della Vecchia and trustee chair Kevin Halpern.

WHEN: 10 a.m., Saturday, May 21, 2005.

WHERE: Truman Courtyard, Blackwood Campus.

DETAILS: More than 1,350 associate's degree and career certificates are expected to be conferred upon the Class of 2005, which would be the largest class in the history of New Jersey's largest community college.

Members range in age from 18 to 65, and they come from New Jersey, nine other states and 29 foreign countries.

Among this year's graduates will be:

- A student from Pennsauken who owns his own business performing more than 200 shows per year as a professional magician and also volunteers his talents to benefit the American Cancer Society and the National Down Syndrome Society.

- A student from Tabernacle who will spend her summer at Juilliard studying in her unique field of interpretive acting, which combines sign language and theater performance, before transferring to Rutgers this fall.

- A student from Cherry Hill who is a former nun with a bachelor's degree who retired from her federal government job in 2003 to move back home to care for her aging mother. She decided to study for a third career at CCC and is receiving both an associate's degree in health information technology and a career certificate in medical coding. She was featured throughout her first year at CCC in a series of AARP The Magazine Online articles.

- A mother and daughter from Camden and a pair of sisters from Cherry Hill.

Among the event's highlights will be the revelation of the winner of the 2005 Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award and the winner of the 2005-06 alumni representative seat on the CCC board of trustees. Each honor is determined by the nominees' peers.

TO COVER: Call 856-374-4949 (office) or 609-605-0874 (cell) or e-mail scoulby@camdencc.edu.

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A program that is helping City of Camden residents enter and advance within the local healthcare industry has received a state grant of $183,000, bringing total grant funding for the program to nearly $600,000.

The Camden Upward Mobility Career Program is led by Camden County College in partnership with the Camden County Workforce Investment Board, Cooper University Hospital and Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center. It provides training to current employees of Cooper and Lourdes so that they may move up to jobs that require higher skill levels and pay higher wages. It also provides basic education to other city residents, who then qualify for the entry-level positions vacated by the current employees who are advancing.

The program was launched in late 2003 with a $382,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Labor, and it has served 53 participants thus far. The program's most recent grant also was awarded by the New Jersey Department of Labor, and it will fund the training of 75 additional participants in skills such as English as a second language and basic computer applications.

"This is an exciting program that aligns with one of Camden County College's fundamental roles, which is building the middle class in the City of Camden," said college President Phyllis Della Vecchia. "Thanks to the support that we have received from the state, the college and its partners in this program are well on our way to fulfilling that role."

Current Cooper and Lourdes employees who would like to enroll in the advancement training provided by the Camden Upward Mobility Career Program should contact their human resources department for further information. City residents who are interested in the program's entry-level training can contact Camden's One-Stop Career Center toll-free at (877) 995-2600.

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WHAT: An announcement regarding the most significant undertaking in the history of Camden County College since its founding in 1967.

The Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders is making its largest-ever investment in Camden County College.

WHEN: 11 a.m., Thursday, May 12, 2005.

WHERE: Library, Blackwood Campus, Camden County College.

WHY: Camden County College is an economic engine for Camden County, playing a major role in area workforce development, corporate training, lifelong learning and career/transfer education.

This initiative will affect more than half of the facilities and structural amenities on CCC's oldest and largest campus location, which hosts more than 10,000 "visitors" each week.

TO COVER/FOR INFO: Contact Susan Coulby, media relations manager, by telephone at (856) 374-4949 or via e-mail at scoulby@camdencc.edu.

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Camden County College students, students enrolled at other institutions or anyone wanting to give college the old college try can make a convenient and economical contribution to their future by signing up for CCC's Summer 2005 semester.

Taking one or more of the nearly 500 summer courses scheduled at CCC this year means getting ahead of schedule on the way to completing a Camden County College degree, transfer program or career certificate. Those attending or planning to attend another school also can use CCC to get ahead as credits earned here count toward degrees at most colleges and universities throughout the United States. Because tuition will remain just $70 per credit for county residents and $74 per credit for non-residents throughout the summer, those wanting to try out higher education can do so inexpensively.

Ten-week, eight-week, five-week and weekend sessions are available in a variety of subjects at the college's locations in Blackwood, Camden and Cherry Hill. Television and Internet courses are available as well.

Returning students who were enrolled at CCC in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 or 2005 have the quick and convenient option of registering for their summer selections online via WebAdvisor. Fax and mail registration options are available as well.

In addition, in-person registration can be completed at all three CCC locations. Hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday until May 23. After May 23, hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday.

Although registration is ongoing, each session does have a cut-off date. Full payment for all summer registrations is required at the time of course selection.

For further details, call the college toll-free at (888) 228-2466 or visit www.camdencc.edu and click on the "Summer 2005 Registration" link.

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Speakers of Spanish will be able to aprenda Ingles en forma rapida y barata while speakers of French will be able to apprenez l’anglais bon marché et rapidement.

No matter what the native language, anyone who wants to learn English quickly and cheaply can do so through Camden County College’s new Intensive English Language Institute. This program is ideal for those who feel that a lack of proficiency with English is limiting their potential success within the American culture. Classes aim to help non-native speakers of English make quick improvement in their English skills so that they can achieve their academic, professional and social goals.

Two levels of instruction – beginner and intermediate – are available, and certificates of completion will be awarded. Enrollment in a degree curriculum isn’t required.

“The Intensive English Institute is designed for those individuals who are committed to learning the English language but have limited time,” said program developer Dr. Hoda B. Zaki. “It covers all aspects of learning English – reading, writing, grammar, listening and speaking – in 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for seven weeks.”

And CCC’s Intensive English Institute offers community members this depth of language study for the area’s most economical price. Cost is just $1,280 in tuition and fees. No other program of this kind is available locally for less.

Classes are offered Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the college’s Blackwood Campus. The first session will start May 23 and run through July 7.

To register or for more information, contact Jesse Orlando at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4539, or jorlando@camdencc.edu or Deidre Gray at (856) 227-7200, ext. 1131, or dgray@camdencc.edu.

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Camden County College's Blackwood Campus will once again host a series of camps for kids this summer. Each will feature age-appropriate instruction and activities.

Camp Sunburst for Young Campers, which offers recreational and arts activities, runs May 23 to July 29 for children aged 2½ to 6½. Three-hour, five-hour and full-time schedules are available, with cost based on schedule selection. For further details or to register, call Janet Brown at (856) 227-6872.

Happy Hands Camp, which features a variety of recreational and creative activities, offers weekly sessions from July 11 to Aug. 5 for deaf and hard of hearing children aged 5 to 12. Hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, with field trips planned each Friday. Cost is $125 per week. For additional information or to enroll, contact Rachel McGarry by telephone or TTY at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4746; by fax at (856) 374-5056; or via e-mail at rmcgarry@camdencc.edu.

Boys' Basketball Camp runs July 11 to 15 for youths aged 9 to 15. Cost is $90. For additional information or to register, call (856) 227-7200, ext. 4247 or ext. 4618.

Cheerleading Camp runs July 18 to 22, with training programs for both teams and individuals aged 7 to 15. Cost is $90. For more information or to register, call (856) 227-7200, ext. 4247 or ext. 4618.

Multi-Sports and Activities Camp, which includes basketball, soccer, Ultimate Frisbee, volleyball, fitness circuit and interactive classroom games, runs July 25 to 29 for youngsters aged 7 to 13. Cost is $90. For additional information or to register, call (856) 227-7200, ext. 4247 or ext. 4618.

Girls' Basketball Camp runs Aug. 1 to 5 for youths aged 9 to 15. Cost is $90. For additional information or to register, call (856) 227-7200, ext. 4247 or ext. 4618.

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WHAT: Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Sheldon Brown will serve as honorary chair and participate in the Camden County College Foundation's College Classic at Pine Hill golf tournament along with several of his teammates. The event will benefit academic enhancements and student scholarships at CCC.

WHEN: Noon to dinnertime, Monday, May 2, 2005.

WHERE: Pine Hill Golf Club, 500 W. Branch Ave., Pine Hill.

DETAILS: Brown and his fellow Eagles will be joined by local golfers in play on the Tom Fazio-designed, par-70 course. The 360-acre site sits atop the highest point in South Jersey, offering a skyline view of Philadelphia.

Sponsors include Commerce Bank, Metrologic Instruments Inc., L-3 Communications, B&N College Booksellers Inc., M3 Building Solutions, Aqua New Jersey Inc., Experian Real Estate Services, Holman Enterprises, Public Service Electric & Gas Co., Take A Break Vending, Lenny Vermaat & Leonard Realtors, Volunteers of American - Delaware Valley, Conectiv Winslow Operations, Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey, Executive Clothiers, Falasca Mechanical Inc., Ponzio's Restaurant, Powerhouse Equipment & Engineering and Virtua Health.

TO COVER: Contact Susan Coulby, media relations manager, by telephone at (856) 374-4949 or via e-mail at scoulby@camdencc.edu.

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A recent report cited in The Chronicle of Higher Education found that enrollments in postsecondary health-education programs are growing five times faster than enrollments in all other sectors of postsecondary education. The study completed by Eduventures Inc. also predicts that enrollments in these programs will continue to increase.

In the report "Health Education: Consumer Demand Drives New Opportunities for Institutions," released this month, Eduventures noted that the enrollments of programs across the health-education spectrum grew an average of 9.8 percent during the one-year period from June 2003 to June 2004. The Boston-based consulting firm also projected that enrollments will continue to grow through July 2005 at an average rate of 10.1 percent. These findings were based on a survey of educational institutions.

Camden County College, which is one of the fastest growing two-year institutions of higher education in the United States, offers 138 associate's degree and career certificate programs. Twenty-nine - or just over one-fifth - of these CCC programs are in health education.

According to the Eduventures report, the three individual programs with the largest increases in enrollment during the period of the study were medical assisting, dental assisting and massage therapy. Camden County College offers an associate's degree completion program for those who hold a certificate in medical assisting and associate's degree and certificate programs in both dental assisting and massage therapy.

Eduventures also surveyed students interested in seeking a college education within the next three years. Nearly half indicated that nursing was one of their top three interests. Camden County College offers a pre-nursing option for liberal arts/sciences majors and associate's degree/registered nurse programs through the Helene Fuld and Our Lady of Lourdes nursing schools. CCC also offers certified nurse aide training and substitute school nurse certification.

Other health-education programs offered at CCC include dental hygiene, dietetic technology, health information technology, health science, health and exercise science, medical coding, medical laboratory technology, medical radiography technology, medical transcription, ophthalmic science technology, paramedic sciences, personal trainer studies, pre-chiropractic, pre-pharmacy, respiratory therapy and surgical technology.

"Our health-career programs are led by well-qualified faculty," noted Dr. Wendy Blume, dean of Camden County College's Division of Math, Science and Health Careers. "What's more, our graduates have excellent job placement and transfer rates."

Registration for CCC's summer and fall semesters is on now. For more information about enrolling in health-education programs, call (888)228-2466 or visit www.camdencc.edu.

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All who attend will have the opportunity to:

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For many theatergoers, experiencing the familiar sights and sounds of "Oklahoma!" is like reuniting with an old friend. For the leads in Camden County College's production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning show, it has meant actually reuniting with an old friend.

Ted Wioncek, who stars as Curly, and Cara Horner, who stars as Laurey, grew up on the same block in Gloucester Township. They've known each other since age 3, when they began splashing around in his backyard pool. They previously performed together in Harmony Show Choir and a youth production of "West Side Story," both through Mainstage Center for the Arts.

Now 19, they are taking their time "at play" much more seriously. Both are working to expand previous experience - Horner debuted on Broadway as a child while Wioncek recently earned his first stage paychecks in Philadelphia - into professional performance careers.

Part of making that transition involves their theater, music and academic studies in the classrooms of Camden County College. Another part is keeping their skills sharp with roles in productions like "Oklahoma!"

This beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein creation combines song, dance and dialogue to tell an often comedic, sometimes dramatic and always musical tale that centers on a love triangle in the turn-of-the-century American West. Performances will be 8 p.m. April 29 and 30; 3 p.m. May 1; and 8 p.m. May 6 and 7. They will take place in Dennis Flyer Memorial Theatre, which is located inside Lincoln Hall on the Blackwood Campus.

Tickets cost $6 for students, CCC staff and senior citizens and $10 for all others.

Sharing the spotlight with Wioncek and Horner will be Kelly Aulenbach of Bellmawr as Aunt Eller, Karl Babij of Pitman as Jud Fry, Justin Horn of Lindenwold as Will Parker, Alexandra Ford of Runnemede as Ado Annie, Ken Van Dyk of Williamstown as Carnes and Rich Curcio of Hammonton as Ali Hakim.

The 22-member cast also includes Dawn Bernardo of Glassboro, Stephanie Carter of Sicklerville, Tom Cartieri of Cherry Hill, Fil Coles of Voorhees, Travis Lawrence of Blackwood, Chris Liggins of Sicklerville, Frank Migliore of Stratford, Luis Oritz of Vineland, Shawn Rupp of Pine Hill and Lauren Zapata of Voorhees. Rounding out the ensemble are lead dancer Caitlin Catanella of Cherry Hill and supporting dancers Colleen Byrne of Sicklerville, Rachel Kramer of Cherry Hill and Rachel Zoll of Cherry Hill.

The director is Theater Department chair Marjorie Sokoloff of Pitman. The stage manager is student Kerrie Husband of Berlin.

For additional information, contact Sokoloff by telephone at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4737, or via e-mail at msokoloff@camdencc.edu.

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WHAT: U.S. Rep. Robert Andrews will discuss the importance of environmental protection during Camden County College's annual celebration of Earth Week.

WHEN: 2 p.m., Friday, April 22, 2005.

WHERE: Amphitheatre, McDonnell Criminal Justice Building, Blackwood Campus, Camden County College, College Drive, Blackwood, N.J.

DETAILS: Andrews is an active, vocal proponent for environmental protection. His speech will be delivered to an audience of CCC students, faculty and staff - and the public is invited to this free event.

TO COVER: Contact Susan Coulby, media relations manager, by telephone at (856) 374-4949 or via e-mail at scoulby@camdencc.edu.

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WHAT: Members of Camden County College's chapter of Kappa Delta Pi Education Honor Society will conduct a "Reading is Fundamental" KDP Day of Service by bringing approximately 50 local second-graders to campus and reading to them. This year's theme is "Down on the Farm."

WHEN: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Friday, April 15, 2005.

WHERE: Room 16, Lincoln Hall, Blackwood Campus, Camden County College.

DETAILS: Kappa Delta Pi members will set up "reading centers" throughout the Lincoln Hall room and read animal-related stories to small groups throughout the allotted time period. The children will create crafts such as personalized bookmarks and farm-animal masks throughout the session. Refreshments will be served to the children, who are from John Glenn Elementary School and Dr. Albert M. Bean Elementary School in the Pine Hill School District. All of the children will receive a donated book to take home so that they will be encouraged to keep reading.

Camden County College is the first two-year school in the world to be granted a Kappa Delta Pi charter. CCC's chapter of KDP - Alpha Alpha Psi - held its first induction ceremony in 2003.

KDP recognizes students pursuing education as an occupation and helps professional educators develop resources to grow throughout their careers. To apply for membership, students must achieve a 3.2 cumulative grade-point average for at least 50 credits of coursework. CCC's chapter has inducted a total of 90 students thus far.

TO COVER: Contact Susan Coulby, media relations manager, by telephone at (856) 374-4949 or via e-mail at scoulby@camdencc.edu.

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The "brown bag" lunch-hour event will be led by CCC faculty members Kelly Jackson and Lis Bass. It will take place from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the conference room of the college's Blackwood Campus Library.

As an institution of higher education located within the Philadelphia area, Camden County College has made participating in "One Book, One Philadelphia" a part of its annual calendar of events. As a college of and for its community, CCC is eager to engage in activities that promote literacy and encourage thoughtful discussion of a range of topics.

The Things They Carried is a collection of interrelated short pieces based on the Vietnam War experiences of the author and his companions. The Things They Carried received France's Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger for foreign literature. It also was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award in the United States.

CCC's book discussion is free and open to the public. Attendees, however, must reserve a seat to participate.

To attend or for additional information, contact Bass by telephone at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4360, or via email at lbass@camdencc.edu.

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Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Sheldon Brown will help local golfers help the students of Camden County College when he serves as honorary chair of and plays in the Camden County College Foundation's College Classic at Pine Hill on May 2.

Tom Fazio, one of the industry's top architects, designed the world-renowned Pine Hill Golf Club. The par-70 Pine Hill course ranks nationally on Golf Magazine's "Top 100 Courses You Can Play" list and was named one of the state's top golf courses by New Jersey Monthly.

The College Classic at Pine Hill will begin with an 11 a.m. lunch, and golfing will commence with a shotgun start at noon. Golfers will compete for a number of prizes, including a new automobile for any participant making a hole-in-one on designated greens. Prizes also will be given for lowest team score, longest drive, closest to pin and best putting.

The awards will be presented during a post-play dinner banquet in the course clubhouse, which was ranked "#1 New Clubhouse" by Links Magazine. This facility offers world-class dining with an unmatched view of the Philadelphia skyline that is made possible by the clubhouse's location atop the highest point of elevation in South Jersey. The banquet also will feature a silent auction.

Cost for the day is $250 per person and includes greens fees, cart, lunch and the banquet. In addition, participants will receive a gift bag containing a special gift provided compliments of Lenny Vermaat & Leonard Realtors. All proceeds of the College Classic at Pine Hill will benefit the Camden County College Foundation's Academic Enhancement Fund and Student Scholarship Fund.

Sponsors include Commerce Bank, Metrologic Instruments Inc., L-3 Communications, B&N College Booksellers Inc., CM3 Building Solutions, Aqua New Jersey Inc., Experian Real Estate Services, Holman Enterprises, Public Service Electric & Gas Co., Take A Break Vending, Lenny Vermaat & Leonard Realtors, Volunteers of American - Delaware Valley, Conectiv Winslow Operations, Delta Dental Plan of New Jersey, Executive Clothiers, Falasca Mechanical Inc., Ponzio's Restaurant, Powerhouse Equipment & Engineering and Virtua Health.

To play or become a sponsor, contact Camden County College development associate Melissa McKelvey by telephone at (856) 374-4946 or via e-mail at mmckelvey@camdencc.edu.

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It's a very fine year ... to help students get a high-quality higher education.

Great wine, an elegant atmosphere and the fellowship of friends united in a common cause will combine when the Camden County College Foundation hosts a benefit wine-tasting at Amalthea Cellars Farm Winery on April 16. Students, faculty, alumni and other members of the Camden County College community will sample various vintages in a toast to students and their collegiate aspirations. The event will run from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Atco-based winery.

Amalthea Cellars, which was established in 1976, crafts each of its wines from grapes grown right here in South Jersey. The winery last hosted a wine-tasting for the Camden County College Foundation in December.

Proceeds will benefit the foundation's Academic Enhancement Fund and Student Scholarship Fund.

Tickets are $40 in advance or $50 at the door. The cost includes sips from a range of selections and accompanying hors d'oeuvres.

Attendees must be 21 or older.

For additional information, contact development associate Melissa McKelvey in the Camden County College Foundation office by telephone at (856) 374-4946, or via e-mail at mmckelvey@camdencc.edu.

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A leader who believes that anything is possible with hard work, integrity and a commitment to excellence will serve as commencement speaker for Camden County College on Saturday, May 21.

U.S. Sen. Jon S. Corzine, D-N.J., will address the Class of 2005 during Camden County College's 37th annual commencement ceremony. More than 1,300 degrees and career certificates are expected to be conferred at the event, which begins at 10 a.m. on the Blackwood Campus.

Camden County College is New Jersey's largest and most comprehensive community college. It also is one of the nation's fastest growing two-year institutions of higher education. CCC serves more than 30,000 students annually through 130-plus degree and certificate programs, hundreds of non-credit courses and an array of public programming

Corzine was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000. He currently serves on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee; the Intelligence Committee; the Energy and Natural Resources Committee; and the Budget Committee.

In 2004, the United States Students Association honored Corzine with its Friends of Students Award following his fight against cuts to federal student aid. Other issues of focus during his Senate term have included protecting the environment, increasing access to affordable healthcare, maintaining affordable medical prescriptions for senior citizens, saving Social Security, promoting financial literacy, furthering economic development, expanding urban initiatives, increasing middle-class housing opportunities, maintaining workplace safety and promoting civil rights.

Corzine earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, and a master of business administration degree from the University of Chicago. He began his career in public service by serving in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves for six years, achieving the rank of sergeant in his infantry unit. He currently serves as a trustee for the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the University of Chicago and New York University's Child Study Center.

Corzine joined the New York investment firm Goldman Sachs in 1975, becoming a partner in 1980 and co-chairman/co-chief executive officer in 1994. During his tenure, which continued through 1999, Fortune magazine named the firm one of the 10 best companies to work for in America and Time Magazine named him one of the nation's top 50 technology executives.

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Camden County College's Human Services Program will sponsor its third annual Early Childhood Education Open House for local high school students on Friday, April 8.

The more than 100 students that are expected to attend will learn about their prospective field of study while experiencing a collegiate atmosphere. The event will run from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the college's Blackwood Campus.

The free event, which includes a series of interactive workshops and presentations, is designed to reinforce an interest in early childhood studies that many students develop through their high school curricula. According to CCC Professor Elena Gomez, who is coordinating the event, early childhood education "is the study and practice of working with young children in a number of settings."

Students attending the open house will be offered a guided tour of the college's child care center. They also will attend specialty workshops and sessions that will address the issues of admissions and financial aid.

Gomez said that the open house has been a success each of the previous years. The students always have had a good time, she said, even when the temperature was just 30 degrees the first time.

"That's why we have it in April now," Gomez said.

Camden County College's Human Services Program - which also offers studies in addictions, developmental issues and mental health - sponsors an Early Childhood/Human Services Club that allows students to better serve their communities. Members currently are involved in nearly a dozen volunteer activities, providing them with many choices in their field of interest.

For further details, contact Gomez at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4502, or egomez@camdencc.edu.

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WHAT: Students and faculty of Camden County College's video game design/development program, which was the first associate's degree program of its kind in the United States, will conduct a presentation on the program and the game industry for students competing in the 24th annual Coriell Institute Science Fair.

WHEN & 8:15 to 9:15 a.m., Saturday, March 5, 2005.

WHERE: Dennis Flyer Memorial Theatre, Lincoln Hall, Blackwood Campus.

WHY: Camden County College is once again hosting the Coriell Science Fair, which will have 300-plus students from 55 elementary, middle and high schools in Camden, Burlington and Gloucester counties competing for placements, scholarships and advancement to the Delaware Valley Science Fair.

This year's event will feature a presentation by students and faculty in video game design/development, one of the college's newest and most interesting degree options. The aim is to give the pre-college competitors a sense of the exciting career opportunities that studies in science can provide.

DETAILS: Joining program coordinator Professor Phyllis Owens of Blackwood and faculty member Ryan Morrison of Mantua for the presentation will be students Ryan Harbinson of Williamstown, Wayne Strange of Wenonah, David Barker of Woodbury and Dan Barker of Woodbury. They will describe the industry, give an overview of the program, demonstrate the games that students have created for class and distribute gift bags containing materials donated by GameCrazy and the Sony Corp.

Harbinson and Strange are two of the 10 students who will receive the first Camden County College degrees in video game design/development when they graduate in May.

TO COVER: Contact Susan Coulby, media relations coordinator, by telephone at (856) 374-4949 or (609) 605-0874 or via e-mail at scoulby@camdencc.edu.

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Due to inclement weather, Camden County College will be closing all three of its campus locations and canceling all of its classes and on-campus events - including athletic activities - effective 2 p.m. today, Monday, Feb. 28, 2005.

For additional information, contact Susan Coulby, media relations coordinator, by telephone at (856) 374-4949 or (609) 605-0874 or via e-mail at scoulby@camdencc.edu.

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Due to inclement weather, Camden County College will be closing all three of its campus locations and canceling all of its classes and on-campus events - including athletic activities - effective 2 p.m. today, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2005.

For additional information, contact Susan Coulby, media relations coordinator, by telephone at (856) 374-4949 or (609) 605-0874 or via e-mail at scoulby@camdencc.edu.

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High school seniors who want to complete two years of college for free can find out how by attending Camden County College’s New Jersey Student Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarship (NJ STARS) Program orientation on March 23.

Any New Jersey high school student who ranks within the top 20 percent of his or her graduating class automatically qualifies as a NJ STARS student. Members of the Class of 2005 -- as well as certain members of the Class of 2004 who haven’t yet entered college or who would be transferring from another institution of higher education -- may enroll in Camden County College as NJ STARS students for the Fall 2005 semester.

The NJ STARS Program was signed into state law in 2004. It covers tuition and fees for up to five semesters at a New Jersey community college.

Students and parents who attend Camden County College’s orientation will receive information about the NJ STARS process and benefits as well as about CCC’s 130-plus academic programs and myriad extracurricular activities. They also will have the opportunity to meet and chat with current NJ STARS students who are enrolled in a variety of majors at the college.

The event will begin at 6 p.m. in the Wilson Cafeteria, which is located on Camden County College’s Blackwood Campus.

Students or parents seeking additional information about this event or about the NJ STARS Program in general should contact Camden County College administrator Ed Reynolds. He can be reached by telephone at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4226, or via e-mail at ereynolds@camdencc.edu.

Information also is available online by visiting the college’s Web site at www.camdencc.edu and clicking on the “NJ STARS” link.

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Camden County College’s Blackwood Campus Library has received a generous donation of Judaica from the private collection of a Delaware woman.

Sylvia Korn of Hockessin, Del., contacted the college in late August to offer books on Israel, the Holocaust and Judaism to the library. Korn first got the idea of donating her materials to CCC when she read a newspaper article regarding the many volumes that Cherry Hill’s Beth Jacob-Beth Israel Synagogue had donated to the library in 1995. She decided that, some day, her books would join them.

According to Joan Getaz, director of library services for the college, the synagogue’s donation resulted because of CCC’s dedication to Holocaust education. These efforts, which have been coordinated by faculty member Dr. John L. Pesda for more than a decade, include courses for the college’s students and special workshops for public and private schoolteachers throughout the region. Such activities are rare for a community college, Getaz said, and so is having such an extensive collection of related reading material.

Getaz visited Korn’s home and returned with approximately 75 more books to add to the library’s already sizable collection of Judaica. The volumes have been catalogued by library staff, and they are now available to use on-site or to borrow. Like the rest of the college’s library resources, these books are usable by students and other members of the college community as well as by the public through Camden County’s inter-library loan system.

Anyone wishing to donate books or other reference materials on any subject to Camden County College’s library should contact librarian Patricia Fazio at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4402, or pfazio@camdencc.edu.

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A Camden County College business professor has earned a statewide teaching award that acknowledges her creative use of a curricular project to serve both students and a state industry.

Maria Zak Aria of Philadelphia was honored with a 2004 Teaching Note Award from the Stillman School of Business at Seton Hall University and the New Jersey Policy Research Organization Foundation of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association. The award recognizes the case study that she developed to assist the New Jersey Peach Promotional Council in its marketing efforts.

Her project, “A Peachy Case Problem,” received top honors among those selected by the two organizations to appear in the Third Annual Volume of Publications of New Jersey’s Business Faculty. This journal compiles innovative research completed by educators from New Jersey’s business colleges.

“I was very surprised when I found out I had won the award,” Aria said, “and I was elated because the award was given to me by my peers.”

Aria holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in education, both from Temple University. She also has completed 15 credits of postgraduate work in reading certification at Holy Family College so that she could help students with comprehension problems and evaluate textbooks more effectively.

Aria joined Camden County College as a full-time faculty member in 1990 after serving the college as an adjunct instructor for 17 years. As the coordinator of CCC’s management and law programs, she is responsible for overseeing the education of more than 2,000 business students every year. She also has taught at The College of New Jersey and Temple University.

Before becoming a college professor, Aria worked in credit investigations and real estate sales in Pennsylvania. She also owned her own retail party goods store for eight years. She currently belongs to the New Jersey Business Administration Association.

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Camden County College will kick off its spring lecture series “Slavery in America and Its Consequences” on Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2005, with a talk by 2004 Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Hahn.

“Slavery in America and Its Consequences” will trace the history of African-Americans from their arrival in Colonial America to the late 19th century. The series will attempt to enhance understanding of the institution of slavery and document the struggle of African-Americans to attain their freedom and their civil rights.

Hahn is a professor in the Department of History at the University of Pennsylvania. His talk, “Slaves, Freedpeople and American Democracy,” will examine the political activities of slaves and former slaves and review these activities in terms of their importance to American political history.

Hahn’s book A Nation Under Our Feet won the 2004 Pulitzer Prize in History as well as the 2004 Bancroft Prize in American History. His three other books also have won numerous awards.

Hahn will be followed by Mia Bay, an associate professor in the Department of History at Rutgers University, with “Black Women in Slavery and Freedom” on Feb. 23. The series will continue with Yvonne P. Chireau of Swarthmore College with “African-American Religion and the Sacred World of the Enslaved” on March 9; David W. Blight of Yale University with “Has the Memory of Slavery and the Civil War Divided or United Americans?” on March 23; and Robert F. Engs of the University of Pennsylvania with “The Destruction of America’s First System of Race Control and Creation of Its Second: African-Americans from Emancipation to Jim Crow” on March 30.

Each lecture will begin at 7 p.m. All will take place in Dennis Flyer Memorial Theatre, which is located inside Lincoln Hall on the college’s Blackwood Campus.

For additional information, contact series coordinator Dr. John L. Pesda by telephone at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4432, or via e-mail at jpesda@camdencc.edu.

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ADVISORY: CCC-SHU event to address nursing education needs

WHAT: Camden County College-Seton Hall University information sessions regarding education for advancement within the nursing profession.

WHEN: Two sessions, one at 10:30 a.m. and one at 4 p.m., on Monday, February 14, 2005.

WHERE: Auditorium, Danch CIM Building, Blackwood Campus, Camden County College.

WHY: According to the American Hospital Association, there is a nationwide nursing shortage currently more than 100,000 vacancies throughout the medical field. Issues contributing to this critical dearth include unclear career opportunities for currently practicing nurses. These sessions aim to educate local registered nurses and RNs-to-be, many of whom are Camden County College graduates or students, about the options that advanced degrees could hold for them. Better-educated nurses will be able to provide better care to patients while advancing within their profession.

DETAILS: CCC has offered co-operative associate's degree programs in nursing with Our Lady of Lourdes School of Nursing and Helene Fuld School of Nursing in Camden County since 1980. Students complete academic coursework through the college and clinical studies through one of the nursing schools. Students who complete all requirements for either program become eligible to sit for the New Jersey State Registered Nurse Licensure Examination. Fifty to 100 nursing students are among CCC's graduates each year.
Few programs are available in South Jersey for bachelor's degrees in nursing, and even fewer are available for master's degrees in nursing.

TO COVER: Call (856) 374-4949 or e-mail scoulby@camdencc.edu.

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Reporters, editors and producers: See our cultural arts events at the following link:
http://www.camdencc.edu/cgi-bin/calendar/calendar.pl

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Camden County College’s General Motors automotive technology program has long been considered one of the best in the United States. That regard has been reaffirmed as another one of its longtime faculty members has been selected as the best GM instructor in the United States.

Frank Longbottom of Riverton has received the 2004 GM-ASEP/BSEP National Award of Merit from General Motors and the International Association of General Motors Automotive Services Educational Programs. Longbottom became eligible for the nationwide recognition when he was selected as one of the year’s five regional honorees last spring. He was nominated for both awards by Anthony Marchetti, coordinator of CCC’s Automotive Technology Department.

This is the third time that a Camden County College automotive technology instructor has received the National Award of Merit from GM and the IAGMASEP. Marchetti won the award in 2000, and recent retiree Dennis Chapline was recognized in 1992. CCC is the only institution to have had three members of its faculty so honored.

“There are 83 colleges offering GM-ASEP/BSEP in the United States and Canada, and there is only one national winner selected per year,” Longbottom said. “To have three national winners from the same department really says something about the leadership of that department.”

Longbottom began teaching at CCC in 1986. He holds an associate in applied science degree from Camden County College and a bachelor of science degree in workforce education from Southern Illinois University as well as 18 Automotive Service Excellence certifications.

Recipients of the GM-ASEP/BSEP National Award of Merit must be current GM-ASEP/BSEP technical instructors who have taught at least three consecutive or sequential GM-ASEP/BSEP courses. Winners receive tool gift certificates and recognition plaques at both the regional and national levels.

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WHAT: Camden County College dental hygiene and dental assisting students and staff will provide dozens of area youngsters with dental cleanings and other preventative dental care along with dental education services as part of National Children’s Dental Access Day - also known as National “Give Kids a Smile!” Day.

WHEN: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2005.

WHERE: Copperthwaite Dental Clinic, second floor, Taft Hall, Blackwood Campus, Camden County College.

WHY: National Children’s Dental Access Day is a public health project that aims to provide a free day of preventative dental care to children aged 12 and younger who are in need of these services. The event is a way for dental professionals and dental students to mark February as National Children’s Dental Health Month.

Camden County College is participating in this project in association with the New Jersey Dental Association. All services delivered on-campus that day will be overseen by Dr. Catherine Boos, who is a licensed dentist and the director of the college’s dental programs.

DETAILS: During the event, CCC students and staff plan to serve 60 to 100 youngsters who will be transported from gradeschools and Head Start programs in the City of Camden. They also will serve any walk-in patients who are 12 or younger.

TO COVER: Contact Susan Coulby, media relations manager, by telephone at (856) 374-4949 or via e-mail at scoulby@camdencc.edu.

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Camden County College radio station Real 91.5 WDBK-FM is now the exclusive place to hear Cougars basketball games.

This is the first year in recent history that WDBK has covered the college’s athletic teams with live play-by-play broadcasts. Commentators T.J. Octavio and Dan Siegel provide listeners with all of the action.

The station aired four men’s basketball home games during January and has confirmed additional dates for broadcast in February. These upcoming dates are: Feb. 15 (CCC vs. Burlington County College, 7 p.m.); Feb. 19 (CCC vs. Delaware Technical and Community College - Stanton, noon); and Feb. 24 (CCC vs. Gloucester County College, 7 p.m.).

The CCC men’s basketball team is off to a great start this season and is excited about the relationship that has developed with WDBK.

“I’m really appreciative of the radio station coming out and covering our games,” said Kevin Beebe, head coach of the team. “I hope to see the radio station out at more games, and, hopefully, the station’s listeners will come out as well.”

WDBK also is planning to cover CCC women’s basketball games this season.

For additional information, contact WDBK station manager Mike Ryan at (856) 374-4881.

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Members of the Camden County College community will read poems and other written works aloud on Feb. 7 as part of the nationwide African-American Read-In Chain. This free event, which makes literacy a focus of Black History Month, will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Camden City Campus. For details, contact Elisabeth Bass at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4360, or lbass@camdencc.edu.

Other free activities planned as part of CCC’s celebration of Black History Month include:

• Blackwood Campus Soul Food Festival featuring Uhuru Drum Ensemble, noon to 2 p.m., Feb. 2, Wilson Center Cafeteria. Accompanying a Southern-style feast will be a show by Uhuru Drum Ensemble, which performs traditional African music and dances. For more information, contact Margo Venable at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4282, or mvenable@camdencc.edu.

• Camden City Campus Soul Food Festival featuring Uhuru Drum Ensemble, noon to 2 p.m., Feb. 23, College Hall. Accompanying a Southern-style feast will be a show by Uhuru Drum Ensemble, which performs traditional African music and dances. For details, contact Margo Venable at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4282, or mvenable@camdencc.edu.

• “Slaves, Freedpeople and American Democracy,” 7 p.m., Feb. 16, Dennis Flyer Memorial Theatre, Blackwood Campus. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Steven Hahn, who also is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, will examine the political activities of slaves before and during the Civil War and their importance to American political history. Part of the series “Slavery in America and Its Consequences.” For details, contact John Pesda at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4432, or jpesda@camdencc.edu.

• “Black Women in Slavery and Freedom,” 7 p.m., Feb. 23, Dennis Flyer Memorial Theatre, Blackwood Campus. Rutgers University faculty member Mia Bay will examine the lives of black women before, during and after the transition from slavery to freedom as well as discuss the challenges and rewards of teaching African-American history. Part of the series “Slavery in America and Its Consequences.” For details, contact John Pesda at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4432, or jpesda@camdencc.edu.

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Can’t fit college into your busy weekdays or weeknights? No problem. Students who can take courses only on the weekends can register now for Friday evening, Saturday day and Sunday day classes at Camden County College.

The majority of CCC’s Spring 2005 weekend courses begin Friday, Jan. 28; Saturday, Jan. 29; or Sunday, Jan. 30. Most run for 14 weeks.

Dozens of weekend choices are available at the college’s locations in Blackwood, Camden and Cherry Hill. Most are worth three academic credits.

At the Blackwood Campus, choices include courses in computer-aided design and drafting; computer graphics; computer-integrated manufacturing; computer literacy; computer technology; nutrition; mathematics; psychology; sociology; biology; chemistry; criminal justice; English; and human services.

At the Camden City Campus, choices include courses in English; sociology; sign language; psychology; Spanish; and public speaking.

At the William G. Rohrer Center in Cherry Hill, choices include courses in computer literacy; psychology; English; public speaking; art appreciation; English as a second language; health and wellness; and medical coding.

For additional information or to register, call the Camden County College Office of Records and Registration toll-free at (888) 228-2466 or visit www.camdencc.edu and click the “Spring 2005 Credit Registration” button.

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Can’t make it to campus often but still want to take college classes this semester? No problem. Students who want to enroll in Spring 2005 courses but are unable to attend regular on-campus class meetings can select from a number of television-based distance-education options available at Camden County College.

CCC is offering numerous telecourses for Spring 2005. They start at various points over the semester and run for either seven or 13 weeks. Students “attend” class by watching - or taping and watching at their convenience - the course lectures broadcast on WHYY television at designated times.

Thirteen-week telecourses begin the week of Jan. 31 and run through May 1. Selections include classes in geography, history, psychology and sociology.

The first seven-week telecourse session begins the week of Jan. 31 and runs through March 19. Selections include a class in geography.

The second seven-week telecourse session begins the week of March 21 and runs through May 7. Selections include classes in political science and sociology.

To enroll or for further details, call the CCC Office of Records and Registration toll-free at (888) 228-2466 or visit www.camdencc.edu and click the “Spring 2005 Credit Registration” button.

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Haven’t quite kept that New Year’s resolution to take college courses this semester? No problem. With a range of courses that don’t begin until February or March, it’s not too late to enroll for Spring 2005 at Camden County College.

CCC is offering dozens of courses in a range of subjects as “later-starting” options for students who couldn’t enroll for 15-week classes but are interested taking a full semester’s worth of study in just 13 or seven weeks. Registration is now being accepted for classes at the college’s Blackwood Campus, Camden City Camden and William G. Rohrer Center in Cherry Hill.

A thirteen-week session begins the week of Feb. 2 and runs through the week of May 10. Available at the Blackwood Campus are courses in biology, computer science, English, English as a second language, food science, geography, mathematics, psychology and public speaking. Available at the Camden City Campus are courses in computer science, English as a second language, health/physical education, mathematics and music. Available at the Rohrer Center are courses in art and computer literacy.

A seven-week session begins the week of March 21 and runs through the week of May 6. Available at the Blackwood Campus are courses in computer science, health/physical education and Italian. Available at the Camden City Campus is a course in allied health. Available at the Rohrer Center are courses in accounting, mathematics, psychology, sociology and Spanish.

To enroll, call the Camden County College Office of Records and Registration toll-free at (888) 228-2466 or visit www.camdencc.edu and click the “Spring 2005 Credit Registration” button.

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Students who graduated within the top 20 percent of their New Jersey high school class in 2004 may still enroll for free at Camden County College under the New Jersey Student Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarship (NJ STARS) Program. NJ STARS-eligible students who didn’t attend college in Fall 2004 or attended another college full-time in Fall 2004 remain eligible for the Spring 2005 semester.

NJ STARS covers tuition and fees for up to five semesters at a New Jersey community college. In addition to ranking in the top fifth of their high school graduating class, NJ STARS students must enroll full-time in an associate's degree program and carry at least 12 college-level credits per semester. They also must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to determine eligibility for other aid.

The NJ STARS Program was signed into effect in June as a way to bridge the financial gap that exists for many families who receive only partial aid or who don't qualify for any need-based assistance. More than 160 NJ STARS students from Camden, Atlantic, Burlington, Gloucester, Mercer and Salem counties were enrolled at Camden County College for the Fall 2004 semester.

CCC is offering registration opportunities for Spring 2005 courses from now through March 1. Various course sessions begin Jan. 19, Jan. 24, Jan. 28, Jan. 31, Feb. 2 and March 21 and run over 15, 13 or seven weeks.

For further details about this opportunity at CCC, prospective students should contact Ed Reynolds by telephone at (856) 227-7200, ext. 4226, or via e-mail at ereynolds@camdencc.edu. General information is available online by visiting www.camdencc.edu and clicking on the NJ STARS link or by visiting www.njstars.net.

NJ STARS-eligible students who will be graduating from high school as members of the Class of 2005 also may use these contacts to begin planning for the Fall 2005 and Spring 2006 semesters.

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WHAT:   My Tribute: Reflections by Camden County College Faculty and Students on the Life and Times of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. an event to mark what would have been the 76th birthday of the slain civil rights leader.

WHEN:   11 a.m. to noon, Friday, Jan. 21, 2005.

WHERE:  Dennis Flyer Memorial Theatre, which is located inside Lincoln Hall on the college's Blackwood Campus.

WHY: Although the national observance of the holiday is taking place earlier in the week, CCC is conducting its annual celebration of King's legacy to coincide with students return to campus for the spring semester.

DETAILS:   My Tribute” will feature poems and other commemorative works created by members of the CCC community. Each piece intends to recognize the impact that King's life had on the American civil rights movement and, consequently, the United States as a whole.

Faculty members and students are collaborating on a moving program of individual and group presentations that are both personal and universal. Professor Marjorie Sokoloff, who heads the college's Theatre Department, is coordinating the production in cooperation with the college's Office of Student Life and Activities.

Admission to My Tribute is free, and members of the public are invited to attend.

TO COVER:   Contact Susan Coulby, media relations coordinator, by telephone at (856) 374-4949 or via e-mail at scoulby@camdencc.edu.

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