Friday, August 18, 2017

CGCC Announces Fall Performing Arts Lineup

Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC) announces its 2017 fall performing arts season that will include a variety of theatrical productions, dance performances, music concerts and comedy shows.

The theatrical season kicks-off with “The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon” by Don Zolidis October 12-14. This 110-minute show features two narrators’ attempt to recreate all 209 Brothers Grimm fairy tales in a wild, fast-paced extravaganza. To make it more difficult, they attempt to combine them into one gigantic fable using Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin, Hansel and Gretel, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and other more obscure stories like Lean Lisa and The Devil's Grandmother.

Also making its debut on the CGCC stage this fall is “Tribes” November 16-18. “Tribes” tells the story of a boy named Billy who was born deaf into a hearing family. He is raised inside its fiercely idiosyncratic and politically incorrect cocoon. He adapts brilliantly to his family's unconventional ways, but they never bother to return the favor. It's not until he meets Sylvia, a young woman on the brink of deafness, that he finally understands what it means to be understood.

“We are excited to bring a well-rounded repertoire of drama, comedy and musical acts to the stage this fall”, said Randy Wright, Division Chair for Communication and Fine Arts Director at CGCC. “We invite the public to come out and support the talent and hard work of our students and to learn more about our performing arts program by attending one or more of our shows.”

This year's Performing Arts lineup also features a variety of vocal and instrumental music concerts.  The Orchestra Concert on October 24 starts a week of music followed by the Band Concert on October 25 and the Fall Choral Concert on October 26.  Jazz Night, the very popular event featuring the CGCC Jazz Combo, Big Band and Vocal Jazz Ensemble will be happening on October 30. For something different, sit outside the amphitheater and join the Jazz Combo for some Midday Jazz at 11 am on October 18 and November 29.  For those of you who love guitar and percussion sounds, the Strum and Drum Concert on November 6 will be right for you.

If you’re looking for a night of fun and laughter, attend a Comedy Improv show. These free events feature the fresh and funny talents of student comedians looking to show off their skills September 22 and November 3. If comedy isn’t your thing, maybe dance is. See a variety of dance styles choreographed by creative dance faculty at the Faculty Choreographed Dance Showcase on November 17 and 18 or see the choreographic talents of students at the Student Dance Showcase on December 8 and 9.

Highlighting the holiday season is the popular musical “Fiddler on the Roof” November 30-December 2. Norman Jewison’s award winning musical production tells the life-affirming story of Tevye (Topol), a poor milkman whose love, pride and faith help him face the oppression of turn-of-the century czarist Russia. 

Also in December is the Student Actors Showcase and Marimba Concert on December 8. On December 9, the CGCC Concert Choir is proud to be the featured choir with the Symphony of the Southwest Orchestra in a holiday celebration at the Mesa Arts Center Ikeda Theater. Closing out the fall season will be the Winter Sampler Music Concert on December 11. This is a great opportunity to enjoy sounds of the holidays by talented student groups followed by the Broadway Solo Recital on December 13.

All shows are open to the public and most are free.

For ticketed events, tickets can be purchased online or at the CGCC Box Office located on the Pecos Campus. The box office window opens one hour before show time. Attendees can purchase available tickets or pick up reserved tickets from Will Call. Student prices are offered to those with a valid student ID. Doors open a half hour prior to the performance. For additional information, further assistance or a complete calendar of events, please call the box office at 480-732-7343 or visit www.cgc.edu/arts.



CGCC’s Keiran Faulkner Receives Arizona Livestock Honors

We sat down and chatted with Chandler-Gilbert Community College student Kerian Faulkner about her recent Arizona National Livestock award and her new role as a livestock ambassador. Faulkner, an agribusiness sophomore, has spent more than half her life raising and showing market lambs on the local, state and national stages. In this interview, she shares her background in livestock and the important role it plays in her life.

Connection: Keiran, congratulations on your recent Arizona National Livestock Award. We are so excited for you! We want our readers to get to know a little bit about you and your passion for livestock. Describe your background in the livestock industry and its importance in your life.

Keiran: I have been raised in this industry and I can't ever remember a time in my life where Livestock wasn't involved. I began raising sheep in 2007 when I was 8 years old. I joined the Yuma Moos 4H group to begin showing lambs for Jackpot shows and the Yuma County Fair. As I continued my journey of showing lambs, I began showing at the Arizona State Fair, the Arizona National Livestock Show, and at shows all around Arizona through the Southern Arizona International Livestock Association (SAILA). When I entered high school, I became a member of the Cibola Future Farmers of America chapter through my high school agriculture program, which gave me the opportunity to submit my financial records to win awards through my sheep projects.
The livestock industry has had a massive impact on my life. In my years of state-wide travel to shows, I have met friends who have become family, and made memories that will last a lifetime. Through my years of raising and showing lambs, I have learned so many valuable life lessons. Raising livestock teaches young people the importance of financial record keeping, the responsibility of caring for a life besides your own, and the value that can be found in hard work and dedication. All of which make our youth ready for life in the real word.

Connection:
How did you get involved in livestock shows?

Keiran: My family has been involved in the livestock industry for over 50 years; we have had everything from cattle, to sheep, to hogs, and even goats. My personal involvement in livestock shows began when I got my first lamb, Blueberry, back in 2007. I showed her at the Yuma SAILA and the Yuma County Fair. I will admit that while raising Blueberry, I was very much against showing after that year, but when fair time came around, I was fortunate enough to win Grand Champion Market Lamb at the County Fair, and I decided "hey, showing isn't so bad after all." From then on, I found a love in showing lambs, and continued to attend more and more livestock shows to better my skill and become more involved.

Connection: Describe the AZ National Livestock Show award and what it means to be an ambassador?

Keiran: As the Arizona National Livestock Show ambassador, I will be traveling across the state and country to promote the show to potential exhibitors. I will be attending county and state fairs, SAILA shows, and even a national show sometime in the fall. I will also attend meetings with the board that makes ANLS possible. Being selected as the ambassador also comes with being awarded a $2,000.00 scholarship which I will use towards my studies this year.

Connection: What, if any, future plans do you have in livestock shows?

Keiran: I don't have any specific plans set yet for future my involvement in stock shows, but I do want to be around this industry for the rest of my life. I know as I eventually have a family of my own, that I hope to raise my own children at stock shows, just as I was. I would definitely be interested in working for a major livestock show if the opportunity were to arise.

Thank you for sharing your story Keiran, and congratulations on your recent achievements! We at CGCC are proud to have you represent our college as a 2017 Arizona National Livestock Ambassador. We wish you much success in your role.

Delta Airlines Announces Partnership with CGCC to Promote Growing Airline Career Field

Chandler-Gilbert Community College School of Aviation is proud to announce a partnership with Delta Airlines to promote its Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) training program. CGCC was one of 38 AMT schools nationwide to be selected by the airline to help meet the growing demand for highly qualified AMTs in the airline industry. AMTs keep aircraft in safe flying condition by servicing, repairing and overhauling aircraft and aircraft components while following detailed federal regulations set by the Federal Aviation Administration.

 “This partnership with Delta will give our program recognition as one of the top schools in the nation and will enhance the quality of student education,” said Eric Snyder, Aviation and Applied Technology Division Chair at CGCC. “Working with Delta Airlines will let students and the industry know we are a top player in training aircraft mechanics. Our instructors and lab techs bring a lot of experience to our program and are committed to providing students with a stellar education.”

This partnership will benefit CGCC aviation students by gaining Delta as a resource for continuous improvement of the AMT program along with Delta’s assistance with marketing the program to prospective students to help each new cohort be full of the best and brightest. Additionally, partnering with Delta will broaden access to the benefits of AMT careers available within the global aviation industry.

“We are honored Delta selected CGCC as one of their AMT partners and look forward to our growing partnership,” said Snyder. “We take pride in our program and the knowledge we offer students to help them gain employment with an airline and have successful careers.”
For more information on CGCC’s AMT program visit us on the web at http://www.cgc.maricopa.edu/Academics/aviation  or email us at askamechanic@cgc.edu

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

CGCC’s David Muñoz Receives Alberto Ríos Literary/Arts Award


The Victoria Foundation to honor Muñoz for his literary contributions

Chandler-Gilbert Community College is pleased to announce that Dr. David Muñoz, Residential Philosophy and Religious Studies faculty member has been named the recipient of the Albert Ríos, Outstanding Literary/Arts award by The Victoria Foundation. This award, named after the renowned Arizona poet and long-time Arizona State University professor Alberto Ríos, recognizes the contributions of local educators who have made a significant impact on literacy and art in education.

“I am honored to receive the Alberto Ríos Outstanding Literary Award,” said Dr. Muñoz. “The work of Alberto Ríos, is truly a representation of not only the Chicano community, but also the immigrant Hispanic community living in the state of Arizona, at the beginning of the 21st century. I am humbled to receive this award from my peers and to represent Chandler-Gilbert Community College.”

Dr. Muñoz’s literary and academic career spans more than 40 years. A native of Mexico City, he began his college career at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico in the department of Philosophy and Letters. Following graduation, he migrated to the United States in 1975, where his academic journey continued. He obtained several degrees in numerous fields including an associate degree in Theatre Arts from Southwestern College; a bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies from Grand Canyon University; two master's degrees, one in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary, and the other in Hispanic Literature, from Arizona State University and a Ph.D. in Philosophy of Religion from Trinity Theological Seminary.

Along with his passion for education, Dr. Muñoz also has a passion for Hispanic/Chicano writing and sharing his devout culture with his readers. He is a bilingual writer, and has written in several genres, short stories, chronicles, essays, and a number of textbooks. His works include: “Insanities, Soundness, and Reality: A collection of short stories told perhaps by the same person,” “Editorial Garabatos,” “El Santo Don Patricio,” and “México de mis recuerdos,” to name a few. He also founded “Peregrinos y sus letras,” an internet bilingual magazine platform for authors from around the world to share their works.

Dr. Muñoz came to Chandler-Gilbert Community College in 1994 as an adjunct professor in religious studies and philosophy. He gained residential faculty status in 1997. Since becoming a member of the CGCC community, Dr. Muñoz has inspired thousands of students through his teachings and love of writing. Each year he introduces students in his class to the literary works of renowned Hispanic/Chicano writers such as those from Stella Pope Duarte, Sandra Cisneros and Lucha Corpi. He also works effortlessly to bring these authors to the campus of CGCC to engage with students in dialogue about their literary contributions.

“This award gives me the opportunity to see that my work has not been in vain,” says Muñoz. “Because all us, as a community, continue to improve ourselves and will maintain our effort, to always present an accurate image of what it means to be Chicano, Mexican-American and or Hispanic, in the United States of America.”

Dr. Muñoz will be honored at The Victoria Foundation’s 8th Annual Arizona Higher Education Awards event on September 6th at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel.

Monday, August 7, 2017

Greetings Coyote Family!


Hope you are enjoying the last few weeks of your summer break. Before you know it, you will be back on campus at CGCC meeting friends, filling your brain with knowledge and making new strides towards accomplishing your academic goals.
As the fall semester approaches, we wanted to share a few important reminders to ensure you have a smooth back-to-school transition.

Class Schedule

The first official day of classes is Saturday, August 19; however, many of you will start classes on Monday, August 21. If you have questions about your current class schedule or simply need to make a change to your schedule, there are many options to do so.
Click on our online registration page, visit our campus registration offices located inside the Coyote Center on the Pecos Campus and Bluford Hall on the Williams Campus or contact a representative by phone at 480-732-7320.

Parking
Also, if you are new to CGCC this fall and plan to park a vehicle on campus, you must register your vehicle with the CGCC Public Safety office and secure a parking decal.

Per campus policy, all CGCC students, faculty and staff are required to obtain and display a MCCCD parking decal while parking on campus. Failure to comply with the parking policy will result in ticketing and possibly towing of your vehicle. Parking lots are patrolled daily by campus security, so please act soon and secure your proper credentials.
CGCC Pride

Don’t forget to stop by our campus bookstores to purchase books, school supplies and the latest CGCC gear. The bookstores sell a variety of CGCC branded items including t-shirts, sweatshirts, notebooks and water bottles. Purchasing these items is a great way to showcase your Coyote school spirit. Beginning this week, the bookstores will extend their hours to accommodate students back to school shopping needs. Visit the campus bookstore website for locations and hours of operation.
Celebrate

Lastly, we are excited to announce that this October marks the 25th anniversary of Chandler-Gilbert Community College! There will be a campus celebration event on the evening of October 12th. Save the date and more details will follow.

We can’t believe it’s been 25 years since we opened our doors. On behalf of the faculty and staff at CGCC, we want to thank you choosing CGCC as partner in your education. We are truly grateful and humbled to share in your academic journey and we look forward to celebrating this wonderful milestone with all of you.

That’s all for now. We look forward to seeing you on campus, and enjoy the rest of your summer break.

Go Coyotes!

Friday, August 4, 2017

The Great American Eclipse Viewing Party at Chandler-Gilbert Community College


Experience one of America’s greatest celestial wonders by attending The Great American Eclipse viewing party at Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC). The CGCC Physical Sciences and Engineering Division, and the Astronomy Department, is hosting a viewing party for students and the local community on Monday, August 21st. Attendees will have the opportunity to experience this rare astronomical moment by viewing the total eclipse through specialty telescopes while learning about its significance from CGCC astronomers. In addition to the viewing party, CGCC will live stream the eclipse on the campus Facebook page for viewers alike.
“This event is important to the CGCC community as it puts us in contact with multiple parts of our history, and of the development of astronomy as a science and the beautiful nature of this cosmic alignment,” said Ángel G. Fuentes, CGCC Astronomer and faculty member. “Students, staff, and the community will have a chance to take a closer look at the sun in a safe manner. They will be able to see sunspots (if any are visible), and slowly see the moon moving in front of the sun.”

The Great American Eclipse, is a total solar eclipse stretching across the United States going from Oregon through the heartland of the U.S., all the way to South Carolina. This type of eclipse has not been seen for almost 100 years. The last total solar eclipse that was visible in the U.S. from coast-to-coast was on June 8, 1918. Totality of the eclipse will only be visible in the path of the umbra, the darkest part of the eclipse’s shadow, which includes Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, and South Carolina. The eclipse will appear as a partial eclipse everywhere else in the continental U.S.
A solar eclipse occurs when the sun, the moon, and the earth align. Sunlight hits the moon, and the moon casts its shadow into space. As the moon, and the earth move in their respective orbits, the shadow of the moon moves over specific parts of the surface of the Earth. This creates the eclipse. “This eclipse is also special because its totality will only be visible from American soil,” said Prof. Fuentes. “Eclipses have been an important part of the history of our civilization, and have come to mean different things to different cultures. Eclipses have particularly special meaning to Native tribes, Mesoamerican, Aboriginal, Celtic, and Greek cultures, just to name a few.”

Event attendees will have the opportunity to view the eclipse in a safe manner through telescopes equipped with certified sun filters making it safe to look at the eclipse. There will also be demonstrations on how to build a pinhole camera which is another safe, easy option to view the eclipse. “It is important that people never look directly at the sun, even during an eclipse,” said Prof. Fuentes. “There are many easy options people can use to view the eclipse such as a homemade pinhole camera, a pasta strainer, number 14 welder’s glasses or certified eclipse glasses. Never ever use a telescopes or binoculars to look at the sun without a properly certified filter.”

The Great American viewing party will take place on Monday, August 21 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in front of Ironwood Hall on the Pecos Campus, by the Grounds for Thought coffee shop. The event is free and open to the public. For more information on the eclipse visit https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov.