Wednesday, January 24, 2018

CGCC Announces Exciting 2018 Spring Performing Arts Season


Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC) is excited to announce a season full of music, comedy, dance, theater and drama for its 2018 Performing Arts Season.

The theatrical lineup will kick off with the renowned musical “Monty Python’s SPAMALOT” by Eric Idle March 2-5. This Tony® Award Winning Best Musical retells the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, and features a bevy of beautiful show girls, not to mention cows, killer rabbits, and French people.

Following “Spamalot” is the theatrical comedic performance “Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet)” by Ann-Marie MacDonald in which Constance Ledbelly, a young English literature professor from Queen's University, goes on a subconscious journey of self-discovery. The comedy is a feminist revision of Shakespeare’s Othello and Romeo and Juliet, and takes the audience from a dusty office in Canada’s Queen’s University into the fraught and furious worlds of two of Shakespeare’s best-known tragedies, and turns them upside-down. The show will run March 22-24.

Rounding out the CGCC spring theater lineup is Clark Gesner’s beloved musical “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown”, based on Charles Schulz’s famous comic strip, Peanuts.  This musical comedy runs April 26-28 and features the entire Peanuts gang including Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Sally, Schroder and Snoopy in a variety of vignettes and songs.

“Spring 2018 will bring a well-rounded repertoire of dance, drama, comedy and musical acts to the stage for all to enjoy,” said Randy Wright, Division Chair for Communications and Fine Arts at CGCC. “We invite the public to come out and support the talent on stage, the students and faculty behind the scenes and to learn more about our performing arts program while enjoying a terrific show.”

This year's Spring Performing Arts lineup also features a variety of vocal and instrumental music concerts.  The Jazz Band Concert on February 12 starts a week of music followed by the Orchestra Concert on February 13 and the Band Concert on February 14.  

Jazz Night, the very popular event featuring the CGCC Jazz Combo, Big Band and Vocal Jazz Ensemble, will be happening on April 16. For something different, sit outside the amphitheater, enjoy the beautiful Arizona weather, and join the Jazz Combo for Midday Jazz at 11:30 am on February 28 and April 4.  For those of you who love guitar and percussion sounds, the Strum and Drum Concert on April 23 will be right for you.

If you’re looking for a night of fun and laughter, attend a Comedy Improv show with “Off the Cuff.”  This show has offered free live comedy shows, featuring the fresh and funny talents of student and community member comedians, for the past 18 years. Enjoy ridiculously funny, family-friendly, game-style improv comedy on February 23 and April 6 at 7 pm. 

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 April 13 and 14. Or come and see the choreographic talents of students at the Student Dance Showcase on May 4 and 5.

 The CGCC Combined Choirs will perform Beethoven’s 9th Symphony on March 25 alongside the Chandler Symphony Orchestra at the Chandler Center for the Arts. Other musical performances include the Vocal Major Recitals on February 5 and March 26 as well as the Spring Choral Concerts on March 27 and May 7. May continues as a jam-packed month with the Broadway Solo Performance Showcase on May 9, the Student Directed Scenes May 2- 3 and the Student Actors Showcase on May 4.

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.

 

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Dr. Scott Adamson Keynote Speaker at The American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges Conference

Chandler-Gilbert Community College Mathematics Faculty encourages problem-solving in the classroom

Dr. Scott Adamson
Dr. Scott Adamson, mathematics faculty at Chandler-Gilbert Community College, was the keynote speaker at The American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) annual conference on Nov. 9-12, 2017 in San Diego. In his speech, Adamson encouraged making problem-solving central to the classroom experience.

Adamson’s presentation, “Is it 1957 or 20217?” challenged the nearly 1,500 mathematics professors in attendance to consider how mathematics is currently being taught. He argued that teaching students to solve problems by hand was necessary in 1957, but may not be as vital in 2017 due to accessible computing tools.

Adamson encouraged his fellow professors to consider the importance of helping students make sense of problems and creating mathematical models of real-world situations. He also encouraged professors to develop professional relationships with students and to support them in their efforts to become proficient problem solvers.

AMATYC is an organization devoted to providing a national forum for the improvement of mathematics instruction in the first two years of college. AMATYC provides professional development opportunities for educators through an annual conference, webinars, traveling workshops, publications, and projects.

CGCC Biology Professor Dr. Pushpa Ramakrishna Appointed Program Director of National Science Foundation

Biology professor will advance STEM in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Pushpa Ramakrishna

Chandler-Gilbert Community College Biology Professor Dr. Pushpa Ramakrishna is acting as Program Director at the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) until September 2018. She was appointed the prestigious role earlier this year, and relocated to Washington D.C. in September 2017.

DUE programs are intended to strengthen STEM education at two- and four-year colleges and universities by improving curricula, instruction, laboratories, infrastructure, assessment, diversity of students and faculty, and collaborations.

As Program Director, Dr. Ramakrishna will be working on the Advanced Technology Education program, Improving Undergraduate STEM Education program, NSF Scholarships in STEM program, and the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program.

We wish Dr. Ramakrishna the best of luck and cannot wait to hear more about all of her exciting projects.

New Year, New You!

Health and Well-Being Tips From the CGCC Fitness Center 

Join the CGCC Coyote Fitness Center for $25.00 a semester and let us help you to get "Coyote Strong". CGCC wants to help you achieve all your health and fitness goals, so sign up for one of our amazing Group Exercise classes; we offer, Pilates, Yoga, Gentle Yoga, Stretch and Relax, Zumba and Boot Camp. Visit this CGCC Group Exercise Link to get more information.

There are many things you can do to improve your daily health and wellness. Here is a list of 10 easy basic tips to a healthier day!

1. Create a daily personal intention, something that really speaks to your passions, and then find one action, song, story or journal about it. Write it down so you can see it during the day.
2. Go to school/ work 10 minutes early and walk the campus, do the same thing over lunch and right before you go home take one last stroll (That's 30 minutes right there) Maybe you can even convince a family member to take a 10 minute walk after dinner.
3. Take a stretch break during your day.
4. Join the CGCC Fitness Center for $25.00, we are here to help you!
5. Take a credit Activity Class ( Yoga, Pilates, Zumba, Boot Camp) and get moving.
6. Buy a specific water container and keep track of how much water you are drinking/day.
7. Meal plan for your week and bring healthy snacks and lunches.
8. Let go of what you can't control and learn to breathe (Stress Management).
9. Take a 3-5 minute mental break every 1.5 hours, get up and walk around say hello to someone (Get away from your computer).
10. Laugh....laugh a lot! Laughter is the best medicine!