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Black Student Organization
No full textA student speaking at the podium. The banner in front of the podium features the title Black Student Organization
Inside CPCC, Spring Quarter, Volume 4, Number 11
No full textInside CPCC highlights the 1989 schedule of Central Piedmont's Summer Theatre, directed by Tom Vance and Tom Hollis. This issue also dives into Roy Parker's background as a fiction writer and as a Central Piedmont creative writing instructor. Other articles include students exploring the Okefenokee swamp with Central Piedmont instructors, contributing writer Mike Myers walks readers through a day at Central Piedmont with several members of the community, and a brief construction update regarding the college's new Technology Building.Dear Friends:
This issue of "Inside CPCC" takes you
outside and inside the life of this college.
The Okefenoke Swamp trip describes a
memorable learning adventure that
happens only outside the four walls of
the classroom. The peek into early
morning CPCC takes you inside the
lives of the people whose energy and
skill awaken the campus each day.
As summer quarter approaches, I
am mindful of the special look "inside
CPCC" that I enjoyed when my older
son, Henry, was a student here last year.
On Our Cover
Drawn by the lure of America's
largest and most primitive
swamp, the Okefenokee, students
take their tents and cameras
and and hiking boots to
experience nature. Inside, read
about their experiences in stalking
the wildlife as part of CPCC's
learning safari. Photo by Jim
Hall.
Spring Quarter, 1989
Volume 4, Number 11
Mike Myers, contributing writer
Carol L Timblin, contributing writer
Tom Covington, contributing photographer
Mike Slade, contributing photographer
Janice Cromar, graphic designer
Peg Robarchek, editor
Roy Parker, editorial assistant
Copyright 1989 by Central Piedmont Community
College. For reprint rights, contact
Roy Parker, CPCC, P.O. Box 35009, Charlotte,
NC. 28235.
CPCC is an equal opportunity institution.
4,000 copies of this public document were
printed at a cost of 5-
342-6534
• Dance Central Concert-May 19-21-Free-342-6618
• Summer Quarter Registration-Current students May 8 and 9; Regular Registration May
10, 11 and 15-1 8; Final Registration June 5 and 6-Telephone Registration May 8-June 6,
342-6970
• Summer Quarter-June 8-Aug. 10
• "My Fair Lady"-Summer Theatre-June 8-11; June 13-17; and June 20-24-Pease
Auditorium-6-342-6534.
• Summer Final Registration for Second Short Session-July 1 0 and 11
• "Cinderella"-Summer Theatre-July 10-15; July 17-22- Pease Auditorium-
6- 342-6534
• "Sweeney Todd"-Summer Theatre-July 26-30; Aug. 1-5- Pease Auditorium- 25 or more
per year to support the theater. That
gives them first crack at season tickets
and priority seating.
Hard to believe? Not really. CPCC's
nationally renowned Summer Theatre,
directed by Tom Vance and Tom Hollis,
consistently brings Charlotte theater fans
all the splash, sparkle, and sizzle one
might expect from an off-Broadway
troupe. Yet instead of paying 22, 6, if available.
This year's sixteenth annual CPCC
Summer Theatre kicks off on June 8
with Lerner and Loewe's "My Fair Lady,"
a musical extravaganza. First staged by
CPCC ten years ago, "My Fair Lady" returns
for an encore run: a 1988 survey
of theater patrons placed it at the top of
Henry Higgins, the brilliant, crochety,
middle-aged bachelor who is England's
leading phoneticist, accepts Colonel
Pickering's challenge to metamorphose
Eliza Doolittle, a little cockney gutter
sparrow, into "the verbal paragon of
correctitude'.'
"Sweet Charity," a lively musical with
big dance numbers, opens on June 28.
The plot centers around Charity, a
down-on-her-luck dance-hall hostess,
who after much frustration, finds her Mr.
Right. Yet true to form, she has a difficult
time keeping him.
The smash London hit, "See How
They Run," premieres on July 12. So
swift is the action, so involved the situations,
so rib-tickling the plot, audiences
are left exhausted from laughter as
though they themselves had run a
footrace.
Galloping in and out of four doors in
an English vicarage are an American
actor and actress, a cockney maid who
has seen too many American movies,
an old maid who has her first brush with
alcohol, four men in clergyman suits
-one of whom is an escaped prisoner
-and a sedate Bishop aghast at all
these goings on.
A different and exciting musical,
"Sweeney Todd" debuts on July 26. The
plot plunges into 19th century London
when Sweeney, a barber unjustly imprisoned
by a lecherous judge covetous
of his wife, returns home swearing revenge.
Teamed with the amoral Mrs.
Lovett, Sweeney stalks·the judge only
list. ---------=:::;;;7 "My Fair Lady" is the -
to be cheated of
his prey at his
quintessential "be all
that you can be"
story. Professor
moment of vengeance.
The musical version of "Cinderella,"
a show especially for children, will run
concurrently with "See How They Run,"
July 10-22. One matinee performance
will be held daily. Tickets are only 6
CINDERELLA-1 0:00 a.m.-July 10, 11, 12, 13, 14,
15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 ,
22. Tickets 22
Senior Citizen Season Ticket = 6
Individual Tickets for Cinderella = $2
Story by Carol L. Timblin
oy Parker spends his leisure
time with drug dealers,
Mafioso and a computer
hack with a modem to God.
Other time he spends with about 30
homemakers, bartenders, retired business
people, mothers-to-be and assorted
other average Charlotteans.
The first group live only in Parker's
imagination-until he commits them to
the printed page as characters in one
of his novels.
The second group are creative writing
students eager to learn what has
made the CPCC graduate a successful
novelist when so many others never see
their words in print.
Parker's first novel- The Final Four,
a book about the rigging of the NCAA
basketball championship by the Mafia
-was published in hardback in 1981,
then revised, updated and enlarged for
a paperback printing of 150,000 copies
in 1988.
The book grew out of Parker's experiences
as executive director of the Ath-
Th£ Write Stuff
Charlotte author
turns on CPCC students
letic Foundation at the University of
North Carolina at Charlotte. While
attending the 1977 NCAA tournament
in Atlanta, the wheels started turning.
"UNC Charlotte, UNG-Chapel Hill, the
University of Las Vegas, and Marquette
were playing," he recalled. "When Las
Vegas and Marquette took to the court,
the idea popped into my mind. What if
one of the teams was backed by organized
crime?"
Convinced that he had a winning
idea, Parker and his wife sold their
house and took the money to go on the
road to research the book.
Parker said Libby, his wife of 21
years, "had to make a lot of sacrifices:·
He also noted that the relationship of the
couple in The Final Four is personal.
"Anyone who reads the book and translates
the couple to me and my wife will
see how much in love we truly are:'
When he is researching a book,
Parker often comes close to courting
danger.
"A couple of times I got too close to
the Mafia and was asked to step back,"
he said. "Later, when I went on tour to
promote the book, someone called in
during a radio talk show in New York
and told me to shut up about college
basketball games being fixed :'
The author is now working on a second
book-Dark Rides the Angel. The
novel centers around a man who turns
informant for the Drug Enforcement Administration
to take down the world's
most powerful drug smuggling ring.
Parker has spent time with the DEA and
U.S. Customs in Miami researching the
book.
"I rode on Blue Thunder, a highspeed
powerboat used in drug enforcement
off the coast in Miami," Parker
recalls. "Bouncing across six foot swells
at 50 knots was almost as exciting as
the interview I conducted in the middle
of Biscayne Bay with a 'former' dope
smuggler:·
A third novel, Heaven Incorporated,
is incubating. It is the story of a teacher
who discovers a direct link to heaven
through her home computer.
If reviews of The Final Four are any
indication, Parker is imminently qualified
to teach Charlotteans how to create their
own success in the publishing world.
Surrounded by memorabilia of his first book in his home office, Parker works on his second novel. "You'll sweat out Roy Parker's chiller
-true to life and nerve rattling as a twopoint
game," noted The Washington
Post.
2
"The Riot has enough twists to fake
out more than a few fans, if not a few
FBI men," wrote The New York Daily
News. " ... could happen, and that makes
this book a winner:'
"Writing is ... exhausting ...
because of the schizophrenic
things that happen
when you are trying to be
different characters in a
book. When I have nothing
else on my mind, I think
about the next scene in the
story. Where is it going to
be? What's going to happen
next?"
"What writers need is
someone who recognizes
what is good and can encourage
them to get better.
If you discourage a student,
you may turn off a mind
that might someday take a
quantum leap to become
a better writer."
Parker's students also consider him
a winner, as do others in the Writing and
Humanities Department at CPCC.
Rebecca Jones, Peggy Rynk, Dennis
Callan are three students Parker has
inspired.
Jones, a mother of three with little extra
time on her hands, has completed
four chapters of a novel about a mother
who suffers from health problems and
is abandoned by her husband. Rynk,
who has written nonfiction professionally
for 15 years, is now writing and selling
fiction. Callan wrote a short story called
'The Blue Penguin" as a class assignment
and then sent it to a big-name
agent who asked him to develop the
story into a novel. He is now writing fulltime
to complete the book.
Parker's class covers all aspects of
crafting a novel-from character development
to setting to plot to viewpoint.
Students also learn the proper ways to
prepare and present a manuscript and
practical hints on how to write query letters
to editors.
"Roy is a natural teacher," said Joe
Barwick, head of CPCC's Writing and
Humanities Department. "He certainly is
enthusiastic. The students love him. He
has a natural appreciation and regard
for people:·
Another of CPCC's successful writing
instructors-award-winning published
poet Irene Honeycutt-also signed up
for Parker's class.
"Roy is inspiring and refreshing,"
Honeycutt said. 'There is never a dull
moment, and his human side comes
through. He fields questions well. He
has an ability to make the students
believe in themselves. The class experience
opened up a new field of writing
to me .. :·
Parker's experiences as a CPCC student
two decades ago taught him well
the importance of an inspiring teacher.
Before tackling The Final Four,
Parker's work had only appeared in The
Prospector, CPCC's student newspaper
Parker makes a point for one of his CPCC creative writing classes.
in the 1960s. Though he had thought
about becoming a writer while a teenager
living in New Orleans, he credits
his student experience at the college
with inspiring him to pursue his dreams.
"All of my instructors at CPCC had a
profound influence on me," he said. "I
worked for Mitchell Hagler (now assistant
to the Dean for General Studies) on
the student newspaper. He also taught
English composition and American literature.
He would spellbind the whole
class when he would read. He taught
me the beauty of the written word:'
Nancy Rouzer, who is now retired,
turned me on to philosophy. I can still
remember her marvelous lectures on
Neitzche, Sarte, and Kirkegaard:'
He tries to do the same for his students
today.
"What aspiring writers need is someone
who recognizes good qualities in
their writing and can encourage them
to get better," he said. "If you discourage
a student, you may turn off a mind that
might someday take a quantum leap to
become a better writer. All of us are not
going to get published ... that's not what
creative writing is all about. Creative writing
is being able to spill your thoughts
on paper-be it for a journal, family history,
short story, or novel:'
"Roy is inspiring and r&freshing
... He has an ability
to make the students believe
in themselves."
Parker, 40, earned his associate degree
from CPCC in 1969 and then was
hired by the college to be an instructor
in the writing lab. He went on to earn
his bachelor's degree in philosophy,
cum laude, from UNC-Charlotte in 1973.
After working as executive director of
the UNCC Athletic Foundation, he
served as manager of promotions for
Unisys Health Care Services and later
formed his own advertising, marketing,
and public relations firm in Charlotte.
He joined the CPCC Community Relations
office full-time at the end of 1988,
but finds time to teach two classes and
to work on his second novel.
What does he do with all the spare
time he has left? Grows vegetables,
skis=-water and snow-and collaborates
with wife Libby on special Cajun
dishes, with family and friends as the
lucky guinea pigs.
"Writing is a hobby, not work, but it
is exhausting," he said. "You feel exhausted
because of the schizophrenic
things that happen when you are trying
to think like different characters in a
book. When I have nothing else on my
mind, I think about the next scene in the
story. What's the hook to keep the
reader intrigued? Where will the seen~
unfold? What's going to happen next?
'The idea is that you want the reader
to keep turning the pages ... Any writer
has to realize that a reader has so many
things coming at them in the form of entertainment,
the writer must write to entertain
the reader:·
3
Story by Mike Myers
•
rom Gainesville, Florida,
from Reading, Pennsylvania,
from Hickory and Charlotte
we came, some seasoned
campers, some rookies.
We each were drawn by the lure of
America's largest and most primitive
swamp, the Okefenokee, in the deep
underbelly of Georgia. Thirty of us who
wanted to experience raw nature with
three of Charlotte's absolute authorities:
CPCC instructors ornithologist Jim Hall,
botanist Ray von Caldwell, and nature
photographer Dayle Blackburn.
Typesetter salesman ... dental hygienist...
theater teacher ... telephone coin
collector. .. TV producer. .. banker. .. construction
worker. .. data processor. ..
mechanical engineer ... ice skater. .. paralegal
... bookstore operator.
Together, we would stalk wild life that
swims, flies, lopes, crawls and blossoms
on what is the closest thing to a safari
that America offers.
The Okefenokee began as a 438,000-
acre cache of sea water trapped in a
saucer-like depression millions of years
ago when the ocean began a 75-mile
retreat to its present shores. Rain gradually
flushed out the salt water and now
4
OnSafari
The swamp becomes
classroom for CPCC
the swamp is filled with peat bogs and
blackwater that is completely drinkable
but sour to the taste because of its acidity.
As the story goes, early ships came
here to fill their water casks because this
high-acid water stayed fresh longer.
Father and son. Mother and daughter.
Singles. Ages 20 to 60. Folks making
their sixth trip, their 12th trip, their
22nd trip. No experience necessary.
(First canoe lesson: "Put the big end of
the paddle in the water:')
Class meets at 8:30 sharp, ready to
go. Some will submit papers for a
grade. (To get an "A:' one must get 90%
on tests and submit two life history reports.
Examples: List the stages of ecological
succession of the swamp. Characterize
major groups of plants or animals
found in the swamp.) Most will
settle for an S=satisfactory grade, based
on attendance, interest and participation.
Day One: Basic canoe instructions
come from teacher Jim Hall. Hall
doesn't waste canoe strokes or words.
With loud, hiccupping strokes we enter
the swamp. There is frequent canoe
bumping, apologies, backing out of
marshes, learning to feel subtle balance
and how to work with your partner. Time
will make us polished.
After an hour or two, our channel
narrows and becomes thick with water
lillies as canoeists become part gondolier,
poling more than paddling. Twists.
Turns. False entrances. The passage
narrows further to single-canoe width.
Most of us feel totally lost.
But we remember this isn't a race.
Someone spots a red-bellied woodpecker.
We stop more frequently now.
We stop to simply look and listen.
Listen to the swamp. Naturalists listen
a lot...no one tells you to. At first, nothing.
Then the muted cries and comeans
and alarms that have been there
all along. We look. The maze-like
swamp we entered earlier turns out to
be not a maze at all. It's as varied as a
country lane.
The three CPCC instructors explain
nature to us as we come upon it. We
stop at Billy's Island for a stretch and a
paper bag lunch. Some share as the
group is coming together. We walk the
ruins of a deserted logging town and
railroad as Ray Caldwell tries to recreate
life on the island as it was 80 years
ago. We pick up bits of smashed Indian
pottery. We put back bits of smashed
Indian pottery. It's modern archeology
without the digging and removing.
For Hall, the trip is a visit with old
friends. In some areas, he literally knows
every tree and isn't glad to report "here
you see yvhere a deer has been rubbing
the velvet off its antlers and the
tree's protective bark is gone. It is dying:'
Jim Hall teaches by probing, not
telling.
Hall finds a tree to prop up against,
left foot planted, right one crossed at the
ankle in a figure four, right hand in right
hip pocket. "Do birds have scales like
snakes?" Yes, on their legs. ''Then in evolutionary
terms did all birds descend
from snakes?" Yes. "What can you conclude
from this?" Continued on page 6
This time there is very little
canoe bumping: we think
we could stroke canoes
through a revolving door
now.
There's a bit of Sherlock Holmes in
his approach.
He picks up a feather none of us has
noticed and lets it lead to a discussion
of the three different-shaped feathers of
the black vulture vs. the turkey vulture.
As he cuts a feather into a quill with an
old pocket knife, splitting it's nib, a flock
of vultures fly over as if to support Hall's
point. It's the ultimate overhead projector.
Anhinga ... herons ... woodstorks ...
White Ibis ... Sandhill Cranes ... Pied-billed
Grebe ... ducks ... hawks ... owls ... American
Coot. .. osprey ..
Back in the boats for three more
Together, we would stalk
wild life that swims, flies,
lopes, crawls and blossoms
on what is the closest thing
to a safari that America
offers.
6
hours of canoeing. Back to camp by
dusk. We canoed over 8 miles in 6
hours, which is enough but not overly
demanding. No blisters.
This night all campers have brought
something to share with the c,.hers in a
feast that begins with a prayer of thanks.
Pies, cakes, home specialities, homemade
breads ... the
Inside CPCC, Winter Quarter, Volume 4, Number 10
No full textInside CPCC interviews Central Piedmont history instructor Jim Sasser and math instructor Ray Wilson. Sasser was the 1988-1989 winner of the Larry Harding Award. Wilson created "HyperTest," a software program that creates exam questions. Wilson was also named Innovator of the Year at Central Piedmont. This Winter Quarter issue also looks back at major events and accomplishments from the Central Piedmont community throughout the academic year. It also highlights a Central Piedmont graduate of the Commercial Design program, Fania Greenwood, and instructors who were honored with teaching awards at the state and national level.On Our Cover
For Fania Greenwood, fashion design
seemed like the impossible dream.
Inside, you'll find out how she made
the transition from teaching home
economics to designing fashionable
clothes like the ensemble modeled
on the cover.
Winter Quarter, 1989
Volume 4, Number l 0
Published by
Community Relations
Central Piedmont
Community College
Terry Hoover, contributing writer
Carol L Timblin, contributing writer
Tom Covington, contributing photographer
Mike Slade, contributing photographer
Mervil Paylor, graphic designer
Peg Robarchek, editor
Carol Lincoln, editorial assistant
Copyright 1989 by Central Piedmont
Community College. For reprint rights,
contact Peg Robarchek, CPCC, P.O.
Box 35009, Charlotte, N.C. 28235
CPCC is an equal opportunity institution.
4,000 copies of this public document were
printed at a cost of 290 l or 72-cents per copy.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration - Jan. 12
• Alumni Association Ski Trip - Week of Jan. 16 - 342-6089
• National Players Touring Company • "Animal Farm" - Jan. 20 and 21,
8: 15 p.m.; Jan. 22, 2:30 p.m. - 342-6534
• Spring Quarter Registration • Current students Jan. 30 and 31; Regular
Registration Feb. 1, 2 and 6-9; Final Registration March 2 and 6 -Telephone Registration
Jan. 30-March 6, 342-6970
• National Community College Month - February
• Alumni Association Sweetheart Dance - Feb. 11 - 342-6089
• Dance Central Concert• Feb. 24-25 - 342-6618
• Winter Quarter Classes End - March 1
• Spring Quarter • March 8-May 25
• Easter Holiday - March 24-27
• Alumni Association Beach Weekend • April 21-23 - 342-6089
• Dance Central Concert - May 19-21 - 342-6618
• Summer Quarter Registration • Current students May 8 and 9; Regular
Registration May 10, 11 and 15-18; Final Registration June 5 and 6 - Telephone
Registration May 8-June 6, 342-6970
• Summer Quarter• June 8-Aug. 10
• Summer Quarter First Short Session • June 8-July 11
• Final Registration for Second Short Session • July 10 and 11
• Summer Quarter Second Short Session - July 12-Aug. 12
• Fall Quarter Registration • Current Students July 31 and Aug. 1; Regular
Registration Aug. 2, 3 and 7-1 O; Final Registration Aug. 29 and 30
• Dance Central Concert • Aug. 11-13 - 342-6618
• Fall Quarter • Sept. 6-Nov. 21
• Alumni Association Beach Weekend - Sept. 8
• Alumni Association Open House • Dec. 15
a,
President's
Message
Dear Friends:
Over the years, CPCC has been recognized
for excellence in many areas. But as
our retiring Executive Vice President Gayle
Simmons reminded us, no single achievement
should be seen as a high water mark
for the college. New goals beckon, and the
talents of students and staff seem la expand
to accept new challenges.
CPCC has been most fortunate in its
leadership, and fall brought recognition to
three exceptional men who have set
standards of excellence for the college.
George Soos, a twenty-five year faculty
member at CPCC, was named Outstanding
Community College Instructor of the Year
for North Carolina. As we traveled together
to Raleigh for him to receive his award,
his infectious enthusiasm, indomitable optimism,
and unfailing commitment to CPCC
students animated his features and gave
living definition to excellence in education.
Richard Hagemeyer, founding president
of CPCC, received the distinguished Hugh
McEniry award from the North Carolina
Association of Colleges and Universities for
his lifelong contributions to education in
our slate. His leadership in adult literacy
and use of learning technology continue to
be beacons of excellence.
Pete Sloan, CPCC trustee and former
Chairman of the Board, received the first
Excellence in Management award from the
Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, Charlotte
Rotary Club, and the Business Journal.
His practical, strong vision for CPCC
has exemplified board leadership at its
best.
Each of these men has set a "high water
mark" for service to college and community.
We rejoice in the recognition they
have received, and we continue to strive to
set new "high water marks." See how, as
you peruse this issue of Inside CPCC.
Sincerely,
Ruth G. Shaw
President
Can we add you to our mailing list?
To make it easy for you to keep up with the many special activities at CPCC, we
would be happy to add you to our mailing list to receive your copy of "Inside CPCC"
at no charge four times a year. Or if you have friends who would like to receive our
magazine, again at no cost, we would be happy to add their names to the list. Simply
fill out this form, which you may also use to notify us of a change in your address.
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(Please mail to Inside CPCC, Community Relations, Central Piedmont Community
College, P.O. Box 35009, Charlotte, N.C. 28235.)
.·~ ' .
' ~ - . ' . ' ~ , .. ,.. ' ~ '
Welcome
to Our
New
Readers
e're glad you could
join us!
If you are a student
at one of Charlotte-
...., Mecklenburg's junior
or senior high schools, you may be
looking at "Inside CPCC" for the first
time. This free magazine is now available
in your school library each quarter.
You'll meet CPCC graduates and learn
about their successes; you'll get to know
the teachers and counselors and other
employees who make CPCC a special
place; you'll learn about the many programs,
experiences and opportunities
that CPCC offers for college students in
this area.
And we hope you' ll let us know if
you'd like to hear more about the college.
Just write "Inside CPCC," Central
Piedmont Community College, P.O. Box
35009, Charlotte, N.C. 28235. We' ll
even be glad to send a free copy of this
magazine to your home each month.
hen Dr. Jim Sasser is
scheduled to speak anywhere
in Mecklenburg
County, the audience is
almost always standing
room only.
Tall and lanky, conseivative in dress,
quiet and unassuming - CPCC history
instructor Jim Sasser is anything but flamboyant.
But his knowledge of history and
his enthusiasm for the subject make his
listeners hang on every word.
Sasser's history lessons don't end at the
classroom door, either. His historical tours
across the Tar Heel state, which he conducts
once a quarter, are legendary.
"I thrive on this," said Sasser, who has
been teaching about 30 years. "I don't
lecture; I have conversations with my classes.
My older students are really motivated.
They know what they're after and
how to appreciate what you do for them.
It keeps me going.
"Money is nice, but it isn't everything,"
he added. "I love teaching. There's nothing
more rewarding than to have a former student
come back and say how much they
appreciated what I did for them."
Appreciation for Sasser's teaching skills
is coming from people other than his students
these days, also. He is the 1988-89
winner of the Larry Harding Award, a
teaching award established in memory of
the community leader who died in 1986.
The late husband of CPCC employee
Donna Harding, Larry Harding was vice
president of WBTV and a member of
CPCC' s Boord of Trustees and many
other committees and groups that supported
education.
"Harding won many awards in his lifetime
and believed that teachers should be
rewarded for good teaching," said Janice
Mayhew, chair of the selection committee
Slories by Carol Timblin
They're Tops
"I don't lecture; I have conversations"
for the award. "Jim Sasser brings honor
to the Larry Harding Award by exemplifying
excellence as an educator who also
renders outstanding seivice to the community."
This is not the first time Sasser has been
cited for his contributions to the community.
In 1980, he won the State PTA Oak
Leaf Award, the highest award in that organization,
for his work as chairperson of
the Charlotte-Mecklenburg PTA Council. In
1981-82, while seiving as president of
SouthPark lion's Club, he was named
lion of the Year.
last year, lions International bestowed
the Melvin Jones Fellow Award, the lions'
highest award, for his work in securing the
names of 1,000 donors for eye transplants.
Sasser also worked l O years with
Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, was co-founder
and an officer of the Mecklenburg
Council on Adolescent Pregnancy, and
has held several offices in the Mecklenburg
Historical Society.
"Jim's main love and concern is teaching,"
said Dr. Phil Mauldin, who heads the
History Department. "He is a proven leader
in course development, innovative
teaching techniques, and student involvement
in the learning process."
Sasser attended Oak Ridge Military
Institute for two years and then completed
his undergraduate work at High Point College.
He received a Carnegie Fellowship to
work on his Master's degree at George
Peabody College and later earned a doctorate
from Nova University. He has also
studied at the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill, Vanderbilt University and
Western Carolina University.
"I got into history by accident," said
Sasser. "I grew up in a rural area near
Rockingham where you worked from
sun-up to sundown. My eighth grade
teacher got me started, and my coach
and history teacher in high school also
inspired me. From then on, I wanted to
become a teacher."
Jim Sasser, left, and Clyde Ware prepare for a history lour of the Tar Heel state
2
Taking the headache out of writing tests
ay Wilson keeps a low profile.
He teaches math.
He helps students whenever he
sees an opportunity.
And he doesn't do much to
attract attention to himself.
At least, that was the case until recently.
Ray Wilson, a math instructor at CPCC for
the past 20 years, has developed computer
software that will save gray hairs
and hours of tedious work for math
teachers across the country.
Wilson's creation is "HyperTest," a
MacIntosh computer software package
that takes the headache out of writing
test questions, not only for math but for
other subjects as well.
"This program is like a giant book,"
Wilson said. "It can generate up to 5,000
different test questions. With the MacIntosh
you can program all kinds of letters and
graphics. No other computer system offers
the graphics capability."
He demonstrated by telling the computer
to list five questions on chapter one of his
math textbook. The program went through
a series of bells, whistles, and tunessound
signals which he had put into the
system.
"It's making up the test now," he noted,
listening to the computer sounds. "It has
picked up the first question and placed it in
the exam ... Now it's working on the second
question ... " Wilson said competitive
software packages have been developed,
but his is the only one with graphics.
Besides being called on frequently to
demonstrate "HyperTest'' at trade shows
and national meetings, Wilson was recently
named Innovator of the Year at Central
Piedmont Community College.
"He (Wilson) has spent many hours of
his own time in creating a test generating
program which is a unique piece of work,"
Story by Carol Timblin
said his nominators. "Mathematics teachers
are forever looking for ways to have
access to problems they may use at a
moment's notice. Mr. Wilson's program
provides this feature ... it will make it much
easier for teachers to put together math
tests, make review sheets, or give extra
drill work to students who need it."
Hooked on the MacIntosh since 1982,
Wilson has often shared his knowledge
and enthusiasm for the computer with
students and fellow faculty. He had been
nurturing the idea of developing the program
for a long time, but the appropriate
technology was not available. Last year,
shortly after Apple Computer Corporation
came out with "HyperCard," a software
system that permits the stacking of information,
Wilson began developing the
software program and completed the
prototype within two months.
"Mr. Wilson has shown exceptional
abilities as an innovator of better, more
useable software," said Sam Reep, head
of CPCC's Math Department.
Soon after Wilson completed the program,
he set up his own company - Raw
Bytes Technology - and became a special
consultant for MacIntosh. He also sold the
copyright to Brooks Cole, a division of
Wadsworth Publishers who are using it as
Ray Wilson
a giveaway to their textbook customers.
Either party can terminate the contract at
any time, and Wilson has retained the
rights to unlimited use of the program by
CPCC faculty.
"I did the program primarily for myself,
because I want to be able to generate tests
on the computer," he said. "I had no idea
that I would market it."
Wilson, who grew up in Georgia,
earned undergraduate degrees at Middle
Georgia College, Georgia Institute of Technology,
and Georgia Teachers' College,
and a graduate degree at Georgia Southern
College. He did additional study at
Brigham Young University, Auburn University,
Clemson University, and North
Carolina State University.
The highlight of his educational experience,
he said, was the year he studied
under a National Science Foundation
Fellowship at Auburn - teaching and
being critiqued by 25 of the nation's top
math and science scholars.
Wilson knew he was a finalist for the
Innovator of the Year award, but when his
name was announced at CPCC' s annual
Fall Faculty Conference, he was caught
completely off guard.
"I didn't even wear a suit that day,"
he said.
3
• The college completes a 2 million fund
drive - the largest in its history.
• The college announces plans to build
a 20,000 from the
event. Horticulture, Interior Design, Food
Preparation, and Graphic Arts students
contribute their talents to the show.
The interior of o CPCC student exhibit ot the 1988
Southern Spring Show
----
=
Story by Carol Timblin
CPCC: 1988
A year of community involvement
• The college is one of 36 schools in the
nation to receive a 63,000 grant from the
N.C. Department of Community Colleges,
opens. The first in the state and a pilot for
other colleges in the system, the center will
serve as a clearinghouse for support services
such as personal and career counseling,
assistance with financial aid applications,
child care information, transportation,
and tutoring.
• Dr. Peter Relic, superintendent of Charlotte-
Mecklenburg Schools, addresses the
1988 graduates.
• Dr. Ruth Shaw is named one of the top
50 community college leaders in the nation
and "Distinguished Graduate" of the Community
College Leadership Program and
the College of Education at the University
of Texas at Austin.
• Frank H. Dunn, Jr., Cullie M. Tarlton,
Michael D. Evans, and William H. Grigg
are appointed to the CPCC Foundation
Board.
• The Susan Kelly Fontes Memorial
Scholarship Fund for learning disabled
students doubles.
Thelma D. Freeze
• Thelma D. Freeze, a 1977 graduate
who is now executive director of Life
Centers, Inc., in Concord, receives the
annual Richard H. Hagemeyer Educational
Achievement Award.
• Bill Lee, chairman and chief executive
officer at Duke Power, becomes an honorary
member of the CPCC Alumni Association,
which has grown to more than
175 members.
• Patti Sinkeldam and Carol Strause,
students in the Food Service Management
Program, take top honors at the 18th National
Restaurant Association Culinary
Salon in Chicago. Students in the program
also win awards given by the N.C. Restaurant
Salon.
• Art works by CPCC students Elmo Howard
and Matthew Johnson are selected for
a touring national art exhibit, sponsored
by the League for Innovation in the Community
College.
• The seventh ABLE Center opens at the
Central YMCA as a part of the organization's
community outreach program. The
center is fundecf through a $65,000 drive
conducted by the YMCA.
• The Faculty/Staff Computer Training
Center, one of seven in the nation to be
funded by IBM, opens in the Sloan Office
Building. During the first two years of
operation, the center expects to train 75
percent of the full-time foculty and 25
percent of the part-time employees.
• CPCC rolls out the red carpet for the
national League for Innovation in the Community
College Conference on institutional
effectiveness at the Marriott City Center. It
is the largest conference in League history,
attracting 706 delegates from 216 technical
and community colleges, 29 state and
private agencies, 218 cities, 41 states,
and three provinces.
Dr. Jomes Wingole, Vice President for Education
• Dr. James G. Wingate becomes Vice
President for Education, following Dr.
Gayle Simmons' retirement. Dr. Simmons,
who was with the college 23 years, has
been second-in-command since 1966. His
accomplishments include the establishment
of CPCC' s college transfer program and its
music department.
Dr. Gayle Simmons (second from right) is honored on
his retirement. Congraluloting lhe Fonner Executive
Vice President ore (from left) employees Willie Artis, Ed
Mortin and Belly Funderburke.
• Students begin Fall Quarter a month
early when the college changes its academic
calendar to coincide better with
the schedules of other colleges and universities.
• The college begins an Honors Program
for students who, through their past academic
record, demonstrate the ability to
handle more challenging course work.
• The college institutes the first Dean's
and President's Lists for students who
attain outstanding academic achievement.
• John Blackwelder, Dr. Cheryl Brown,
Dr. Peter Relic, J.P. Riviere, and Bonnie
Widenhouse are appointed to two-year
terms on the International Business
Center's Advisory Committee.
5
rowing up in Lyon, France,
Fania Greenwood dreamed of
the glamorous life of a fashion
designer.
But in the town where she was
born and educated, a future in fashion design
seemed like the impossible dream.
"I would have had to travel to Paris to
study with one of the well-known design
houses," Fania explained. "This was in the
mid-60s, the heyday of hippies, and my
parents were appalled at the thought of
my going off alone to Paris.
"Most of the people in France lived
and worked in the same town, perhaps
the same house, all their lives. So I trained
as a home economics teacher because it
was what was expected of me and I could
learn a lot about sewing."
Today, the 39-year-old mother of
three is a successful designer with a
growing market for her unique sportswear
fashions.
And Central Piedmont Community
College played a big role helping Greenwood
make her impossible come true.
Greenwood is uncomfortable with the
term "successful," protesting it's much
Building the ATC
No full textA student walking pass the construction site of the Advanced Technology Center. The foundation studs for the building can be seen being built.The Citizen building and a bulletin sign of up comming events can be seen on the right side
Behind the Scenes With WBTV
No full textAn operator working on a segment with Chris Hope and Central Piedmont's Horticulture Technology program
The Spark, Volume 25, No. 2
No full textTAYLOR HALL 205, P.O. BOX 35009
A TEACHER'S
"PASSAGE TO INDIA"
DR·. SHAW'S
FORUM
by Scott Friddle
Assistant Editor
MAY 1989 VOL. 25 NO. 2
INSIDE
THIS ISSUE:
Dr. Ruth Shaw, President of • SGA NEWS AND
CPCC, held the spring quarter stu-dent
Forum Wednesday, April _1 9, UPCOMING ELECTIONS
in the Student Activities Center.
Attendance was up from the winter
quarter Forum and it was pleasing
to see more students taking interest
in what's going on here on campus.
• CAMPUS ACTIVITIES
AND CLUB NEWS
\---=----,L..IL.<;;.,.Forum began with-an u.pdate Thl:fERNATIONAL
- STUDENTS:.BREAKING
CULTURAL BARRIERS.
Shiva Nataraja (Lord of the Dance): One of the primary Hindu god5.
by Marcia Hart
Staff Writer
Evie Henderson, a full-time art instructor
at CPCC since 1970, spent
six-and-one-half weeks in India
studying Indian art, architecture,
religion , and philosophy during the
summer of 1988. Her travels, for
which she received a Fulbright and
an Arts and Science Council Emerging
Artists grant, began with twoand-
one-half weeks spent at the
University of Madras Philosophy
Department. The seminar in which
Ms. Henderson participated originated
out of UNC-Charlotte; Dr.
Dan White of UNC-C's Religion
Department was the seminar's Director.
In addition to the initial time in
Madras, Ms. Hend.erson made multiple
trips across India: to Ellora and
Ajanta to view the seventh-twelfth
century rock-cut temples, to
Mahamallapuram to see fifth century
temples,and to Bhopal to look
at the second century B.C. Buddhist
stupa (mound-shaped shrine)
where some of Buddha's relics are
buried.
Also Ms Henderson traveled to
Bombay, Benares, New Delhi, and
Khajuraho, as well as to other
Indian destinations. The pace was
hectic; Mrs. Henderson remembers
continued on page 3
on an issue brought up during the
last Forum. In the past, students
have asked if the library hours
claotuelrd obne ewxeteenkdneigdh ttos. weTehkee ndmsa attnedr ----------------has
been considered and Dr. James
Wingate, Vice-President for educa-tion
had this to say:. "At this point
in time there appears not to be a
.great deal of support (from stu-c::
dents) for opening on weekends."
0 co He stressed that if more support is
c:: ·> shown then the matter will be 0 u given further consideration.
Student government changes were
also addressed at the beginning of
the Forum.. Dr. Shaw introduced
Dr. Mel Gay, Dean of . Student
Development, who said, "We must
build on the strengths of our camp-
. us clubs and organizations. Also we
need to build on a strong compo-rnntinued
on page 11 s
~ Dr. Mel Gay. Dean of Student Development. addresses SGA changes.
;.,
.D
~ ..0
'""'
Photo by Paige Manos
..
Page :2
EDITOR'S
NOTES
by Charles Young
It has been decided by the current
SGA that the By-Laws should
be changed, the major areas being
the addition of a Constitution and
some method to allow voting by
the student body at large. An increase
in student fees is also an area
of concern.
In any system it takes people to
do the job. The new system will
take people to make it work. If
after a new constitution and new
by-laws are written, turnout at
elections stays at the level it is now,
then all of this will have been for
nothing.
There is an election to be held
May i' 9-23 under the present
Club-PAC system.
SGA NEWS
by Scott Friddle
Assistant Editor
I had a chance to talk with Brian
Inman, SGA President, about current
goings-on in the SGA. He tells
me they are hard at work rewriting
the by-laws and also creating a
constitution to go along with them.
This is a very time-consuming process,
but once they are finished,
I'm sure that you'll see that it was
worth the time and effort. These
changes include:
1. All full ,or part-time students
will (by fall quarter) be able to vote
in Student Government elections
not just the members of clubs and'
PACs.
2. All students will be able to run
for Student Government positions.
whereas only full-time students in a
club or organization can run now.
These are only some of the changes
that will be taking place.
While I'm on the subject, elec-
While attending Dr. Shaw's recent tions for Student Government
Forum it occurred to me, wouldn't positions will be taking place at the
it be great if SGA had a similiar end of this quarter. In addition to
program? While Mel Gay gave a re- the current positions, ten senators
. port about SGA, it seems only will be elected to assist the SGA.
appropriate that the SGA speak for Sign up in VE 111 between May 8
itself:- There are a ot of- t·....---m_g_s--a-n~7aay18. o mg w1 oe neld
going on in SGA and we all need to by the clubs and PACs from May
know what's going on. 19 to .May 23. For further infor-mation
go by the student activities
office in Van Every.
STAFF
Editor ........................... .. Charles Young
Assistant
Ed~tor ........................... S~tt Friddle
Photography
· Editor ...................... ..... Paige Manos
Staff Writers .. ................ .Jill Bolick
Dean Eason
Scott Friddle
Marcia Hart
Nancy Smith
Charles Young
Staff Photographers ..... ... Paige Manos
Darden Rice
Nancy Smith
Charles Young
Staff Artists ... ................. Lisa Turner
Lynn Kenan
. Typesetter .................. .... Lynn Kenan
Cartoonist ... ................... Joe Cathey
Student Publications
Advisor ........ ... ....... ....... Mary Murchison
,/Director of Student
Activities ........ .............. Ross Surp_hlis
THE SPARK is a news publication
financed by student
activity fees and written and
published by student journalists
for the CPCC community.
It is not. an official college
publication. Any viewpoints
expressed should not
be interpreted as represent- ·
ing official CPCC positions.
Letters to the Editor should
be sent interoffice to Taylor
Hall 205 or through the U.S.
Mail to THE SPARK, CPCC,
P.O. Box 35009, Charlotte,
N.C. 28235.
It may interest you to know that
a proposal has been made to raise
the student activity fee from it's
present 2. No word yet on how
much the increase may be. At the
moment we have one of the lowest
student activity fees in the community
college system.
In closing I'd like to say that
Brian Inman is doing a fine job as
SGA President and is becoming increasingly
familar with the inner
workings of the SGA. If elected to
another term, Brian would have a
chance to accomplish many of the
things he has set out to do . If this
happens, I think you'll see a lot of
interesting things happen on this
campus. Think about it.
BOOK
REVIEW
by Jill Bolick
Staff Writer
THE LONG DARKTEA-TIME OF
THE SOUL
by Douglas Adams (Simon &
Schuster) · ·
For those of you who are already
familiar with-Douglas Adams, you'll ·
be happy to hear that he has a new
book out called THE LONG DARK
TEA-TIME OF THE SOUL. For
those of you who don't know
about Douglas Adams, I suggest
reading this book to get an idea of
what you've been missing.
The main character is a detec-
. tive by the name of Dirk Gently,
but he's not your ordinary detective.
He calls his investigative
technique the "holistic
approach," which involves the
"interco_nnectedness of all things
that happen to him as he tries to
solve a case."
While on an investigation, Dirk
literally runs into an American
journalist by the name of Kate
Schechter. At the time of their
meeting, Kate is involved with an
inv.estigatioIL,oL ... her._ own,.. _w.hich
turns out to be related to a case
that Dirk is working on. Together.
this strange pair solves an even
stranger case: a case that has gods,
like Odin and Thor, walking the
Earth:
So if you'd like to read ~ diff~rent
type of detective novel, this is
definitely one _yo~_ ~houldn 's miss .
The book for this review was supplied
by The Intimate Bookshop, Eastland
Mall, Charlotte, NC, phone 568-36aa.
■
Photo by 'lorn Covington
spending a lot of time waiting for
planes that were delayed because of
the monsoon. She also recalls the
intense summer heat, and she found,
the poverty in India to be "staggering."
Yet despite the heat and the pov-
____ _,e.rty,~she...founcUndians to b.e. "gentle,
gracious, and non-aggressive.
They never pushed you. . .They
never felt resentful or jealous of the
West. They loved Americans. You
never felt that they were blaming
others for the state of their poverty."
Ms Henderson saw this attitude
· as a result of Indian culture
and religion, ' 'because Hinduism
teaches that you'll be reincarnated
if you don't learn all the lessons
you need to learn in life. You are
what you are because of a previous
life, which is karma. They (the
Indian people) don't judge people
so much by what they have as by
who they are: This is the great
spiritualness, I think, which one
finds in India."
Indeed Indian art, culture, and religion
are very closely related. One
of the art objects that Ms.
Henderson brought back to the ·
States is a small bronze statue of
one of the primary Hindu gods ,
Shiva. In this form Shiva is depict ed
as a cosmic dancer; he is Shiva
Nataraja (Lord of the Dance). He is
the Creator-Destroyer. According
to Ms. Henderson:
he carries the flame because
fire destroys, but out of the
ashes will come a new life.
In his other hand he holds
a kettle drum symbolizing
that sound was one of the
first elements that was ere-
Evie Henderson. CPCC Art Instructor
ated. He is in a dance pattern,
because the whole cycle
of life is considered to
have a rhythm. He stands
on a dwarf-monster which
symbolizes ignorance. As
Shiva dances, he crushes
ignornnco. . 1,n - Intiia igner
ance is considered to be
part of evil. Knowledge is ·
held in high esteem.
----
Ms. Henderson hopes that her
newly acquired knowledge of
Jp.dian civilization, one of the old~.
est in the world , will benefit her
students at Central Piedmont. She
believes that an outgrowth of her
Indian travels is her ability to share
some of the richness of Indian art ,
religion, and philosophy with
others. It was her own culturally
_ diverse background that in part inspired
her to~ study Indian life.
(She is of Chinese ancestry and
grew up in Jamaica before coming
to this country to study advertising
and art.)
Some of the projects she is plan- ·
ning which are part of these
Indian studies include co-produc~
ing, along with Stan Floate, an
audio-visual program on pattern
and design i~ Indian art to be made
available to . school teachers; researching
the tree as a symbol in
Hinduism and Buddhism; and putting
together a slide presentation
on signage (signs, billboards, etc.)
·in India. This interest in signage
sfems from -· -Ms. Henderson's
advertising· background and her
interest in advertising and typography.
She teaches both these
subjects at CPCC.
Ms. Henderson stated that some=
Page 3
t'imes people will ask her, "Are you
still working on India? Didn't you
get finished with that last year?"
To which she responds that she has
not yet completed her Indian
studies. Let's hope, for both her
sake and ours, that she never does
complete her studies as she continues
to learn about other peoples
and we in tum continue to learn
through her.
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~ SELL BOOKS FOR CASH :
: CPCC BOOKSTORE ~
~ BUYBACK PERIOD ~
May 18, Thursday ........ 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
May 19, Friday ........ 10:00 am - 2:30 pm
May 22-25 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday ........ 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
May 26, Friday ........ 10:00 am - 2:30 pm
HARDBOUND OR PAPER
WE BUY ALL BOOKS HAVING A NATIONAL
RESALE VALUE
FOREIGN IN THE USA
(WHAT IT'S LIKE)
A Short Story by Abdinur Mohamed Ali
International Student-from Somalia
Hussein and John met on their way to the United States aboard a TWA
plane . Hussein was from a rich family, an ambitious young man, full of
integrity, loved by both his family and friends. He always wanted to travel
overseas, but he had never had the chance because he used to run the
family business. However, his dream came true that night.
John, however, was from a middle class family. He used to work in a
store which belonged to his father. His father worked hard to save every
penny he could to send his son to school in the United States.
Both these young men realized that they were going to the same destination
when Hussein politely asked John , who was sitting next to him on
the plane, about the system of education in the United States. John
responded to him politely and said he was going to the United States for
schooling as well.
Suddenly Hussein became interested in the impression John had of the
United States. He began to ask many questions, but the feedback he got
from this new foreign friend was negative. Neither Hussein nor John
really knew what kind of life style existed in the United States, but since
they were going to different states, they decided to stay in touch.
After forty-eight hours, the foreign students awakened to their first
morning in the United States. Hussein believed that every morning, you
. have to knock on your neighbor's door to greet them and to ask them if
they need any help. He knocked on the door opposite of his apartment ,
. and said, "good morning!" to them which was one of the few English
words he knew, but he got a bad response which gave him cold chills. His·
neighbor asked what he wanted . When he couldn't give a specific reason
for knocking at his door, the neighbor said to him, "GET LOST! "
Hussein went back to his apartment with a broken heart. He swore that
morning to himself that he would never do that again in his life.
Hussem v1sl1e t e sclfooTTliat ne was to attend after he recovereo from
the jetlag of the trip. He was told to register for his classes soon. Going
to school was fun for him but what tore his heart apart was lack of
cooperation from the students in his classes. Every day after his classes,
he would think of back home, how his former classmates had interest in
each other's work and helped each other out . But he calmed himself
down with the saying "nothing is perfect."
It has been proven that we are always lacking something1ri wherever we
are and with whatever we have. At the same time, Hussein was wondering
who was wrong, he or the American society? He had · nightmares
about what he was going through. He was alone and there was no one
who could help him.
The money he paid for his studies was ten times more than the tuition
fee of the native students, but that never bothered him. Yet in his
country, foreign students study free in the most prestigious universities.
Another day, Hussein was driving his car downtown, when he asked a
policeman where he could park. Because of his mispronouncing "park,"
as "bark," the policeman thought he had a loose screw in his head and
told him to "bark" anywhere he wanted. Hussein appreciated the generosity
of the policeman, and parked in front of a fire hydrant which was
near to him. He was fined a hundred dollars for that and was told to show
up in court. When the ticket was given to him, he was totally frozen and
could barely start his car. After the tragedy, he drove back to his apartment
and called some foreign friends to tell them what had happened
and ask them what might happen to him in court. He was convinced
that he was wrong, and the only way he could get himself out of this
mess was to pay the fine, otherwise he might enct' up in jail.
Hussein , who tried to pull himself together when this happened to him;
told the story to his closest friends. He was told that his problem was his
English and that he should get more practice speaking properly. Hussein
was wrapped up in himself; in his mind he was in a room surrounded by
mirrors, everywhere he turned he saw himself. He was a prisoner of
self-reflections. But when his friends suggested to him to apply for a
job in a restaurant in order to improve his English and to make contact
with many English speaking people, he found his way out of the room
of mirrors.
· The other night, Huss-efo was working and was proud of the improve-ment
in .his English, when a customer asked him where the "john" was, he
(Continued on page 11 I
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JILL ON RECORD
by Jill Bolick
Staff Writer
OH YES I CAN
David Crosby (A&M Records)
The past few years have been
quite a struggle for David Crosby,
but he's finally winning the battle
and the music is richer for it. This
year's reunion of Crosby, Stills,
Nash and Young and the release of
their new album AMERICAN
DREAM paved the way for David
Crosby's solo effort on "Oh Yes I
Can."
From the hard driving rock displayed
in "Drive My Car," the
jazzy melody of "Flying Man" and
the bluesy sound of "Drop Down
Mama," the diversity of the music
is truly inspiring; it also carries
some powerful messages. For example,
"Lady in the Harbor" is a
song about the Statue of Liberty
and "how many eyes, through
WE LOVE OUR
HORNETS
by Dean Eason
Staff Writer
The Queen City gave whistles
and applause during a parade, Monday,
Apri1 24, 1989, to its NBA
team, the Charlotte Hornet~. Although
the Hornets did not have a
victorious season in scores, they
led the ranks with the support of
fans .
The streets of uptown Charlotte
were lined with fan s, fans, and even
more fans, all ready to catch a
glimpse of their favorite player.
Some Charlotte firefighters contributed
their time to this event to
dispense confetti from atop buildings.
The parade ended at THE
CHARLOTTE OBSERVER building
where a stage hold ing the team
and honored speakers awaited.
Hugo, the team mascot, kept the
crowd at a climax of excitement by
dancing to some of the music usually
heard at the games.
Let 's face it, we love our Hornets,
win or lose.
how many tears saw the promised
land when they saw you," and in
"Monkey and the Underdog"
David Crosby tells about his
fight with drug addiction.
This is one album I highly
recommend, because with his solo
effort, David Crosby has proven
that "oh yes [he] can."
Records for this review were supplied
by The Record Exchange, 925 N
Wendover Road, Charlotte, NC, phone
364-9400.
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WBTV Film Crew With Chip Hope
No full textWBTV Channel 3's film crew (Jamie Marlowe, audio, Tony McMehan, cameraman) with Chip Hope. Chip appeared as a specialist on WBTV's Top 'O The Day. A variation of this photo appears in Inside CPCC, Volume 4, Number 12
Tom Petty at Westinghouse
No full textTom Petty graduated from Central Piedmont with a diploma in welding in early 1970. Westinghouse hired him in March 1970 as a welding trainee, and in 1971, he was promoted to a class A welder. He also received his diploma in heating and air conditioning in 1976, and his associate's degree in environmental systems design in 1979. In 1979, he was promoted to field service technician and worked on the cold side of nuclear generators, welding tubes to tube plates. During that same period, Central Piedmont also hired him to teach welding part time. Photo and information from Inside CPCC, Fall Quarter, Volume 5, Number 13
The Spark, Volume 27, No. 1
No full text11 CENTRAL
PEO/v\ONT 88tfi&Nl1Y
TAYLOR HALL 205, P.O. BOX 35009 OCTOBER 1989 VOL. 27 NO. 1
HUGO ENROLLS AT CPCC INSIDE
T"HIS ISSUE
Photo by Angelina Korin i,
I
This huge tree lying in the middle of SbutH Laurel AYenue in Charlotte is but one of ma ny such
example, of Hugo's destruct ive power.
NEW SGA OFFICERS ' .
Dean Eason
Assistant Editor
ELECTED.
The time for new Student Government Association officers came quickly
as the Summer quarter came to a close . The officers were elected and have
begun this quarter with great hopes of bettering this campus. The officers'
positions are: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Parliamentarian,
and Information Officer. The persons who filled these openings are:
President: Darrell K. Helms
Vice-President: Dean Eason
Secretary: Yvonne PowellTreasurer:
Daniel Palmer
Parliamentarian: Greg Kiser
- Information Officer: Daniel L. Barrier
Congratulations to these fine people who will do a tremendous job for
· SGA.
Darr.ell Helms is a student in the Architectural Technology program.
Darrell says, "I am very proud to be a student at CPCC." Darrell holds a diploma
in Auto Body Repair and has been enrolled in the Architectural
Technology program for four quarters. "I would like to see SGA and the
clubs on campus become stronger and work together more," Darrell says.
Darrell plans to graduate in the Fall of 1990.
Dean Eason is a College Transfer Student. He intends to transfer to UNC-Scott
Friddle
Editor
, September 22, 1989, Hugo the
Horrible hit Charlotte. Although
the eye of the hurricane did not
pass close to Charlotte until six in
the morning, it was evident three
hours earlier that Hugo was on his
way. High winds accompanied by
multi-colored lightning and the
thunderclap sound of cracking tree
limbs woke many Charlotte residents
from their sleep. It was a time
of fear and amazement for many.
People were in fear of their houses
being destroyed and they were
amazed that· a hurricane could
affect this city so drastically.
Many people did not expyct Hugo
to make it this far, so they were
e STUDENT GUIDE TO
CPCC
e cPCC BOND
REFERENDUM
e LOST AND FOUND
REVISITEO
totally unprepared for a storm o
this magnitude. No one was prepared
to be without power for a
few days, much less two weeks in
some cases. The power outage
fo rced the closing of most gas stations,
causing lines reminiscent of
the mid-70's gas shortage. New
terms, such as "price-gouging" and
(Continued on page ~ ,
Photo by Troy Brailey
SGA officers for Fall '!N are: Seated. left to ril!ht: Greg Kiser. Parliamentarian; Daniel Palmer.
Treasurer: Daniel L. Barrier. Information Offtcer. Standing: Darrell K. Helms. President: ·
Yvonne Powell. Secretary: Dean Eason. \'ice-President.
Charlotte and then to Campbell University where he plans to graduate.
Dean would like to be a Youth Pastor/Counselor. On campus Dean is in-
( Conintued on page 10)
-
.:..i..
Page 2
LOST· AND FOUND REVISITED
Jill Bolick
Staff Writer
As some of you may'(or may not)
know, I told of my experience with
Lost and Found in the summer
issue of THE SPARK. I had lost my
reading glasses and the person who
found them had given them to his
teacher, who had turned them in to
Lost and Found. When Lost and
Found told me they didn't have my
glasses, I decided to write ari article
about my experience.
Just before the first staff meeting
for the fall issue of THE SPARK,
Mary Murchison, who is the Student
Adviser for THE SP ARK, told
me that a very nice lady by the
name of Trix Butt was now working
in Lost and Found and would
like for me to come over and see
the work she had been doing over
there. Trix had read my article and
was understandably upset because
just before the summer paper came
out, she had been working on improving
the storage · area where the
found items are placed.
I am happy to say that Trix has
done a remarkable job on cleaning
things up at Lost and Found . She
has started a notebook to keep
track of any items that are brought
in . Each item has to be written
down in the notebook along with
the date it was found, who found
it, and a description of the item.
In addition, if anyone wants to report
an item they have lost, that
also goes into the notebook with
· Jhe date, name of the person, and a
description of the item. When a
person comes in to claim an it~m,
they have to sign for it in the note-
' book.
Trix then took me into the storage
area. Walking into that room
was like the difference between
night and day! There was no more
junk lying around and you could
actually move! There was a box full
of keys that had been found and
turned in ; and there was also a box
with a few textbooks that had been
found. Trix hopes to eventually get
some key tags so they can hang the
keys on them.
She also told me that any items
that are brought in are kept in her
desk drawer for two weeks and it
is then put into the storage room.
Although my glasses weren't
found during this "housecleaning,"
I feel a lot better knowing that the
chances have improved! So, to Trix,
I would like to say a great big
"THANK YOU" and keep up the
good work. Now if we could only
do something about that_ interoffice
mail!
STAFF
Editor ....... .......... ..... ..... Scott Friddle
Assistant
Editor ........ .......... ...... Dean Eason
Photography
Editor ... ...... ..... .......... Angelina Korinis
Advertising
Assistant .................... Mary Peronto
Staff Writers .. ..... .... ...... Jill Bolick
Peter Bustetter
Dean Eason
Scott Friddle ,
Nancy J. Smith
Staff Photographers .•.... Troy Bailey
Angelina Korinis
Phalicia McCraw
Nancy J . .Smith
Staff Artist .... .......... .. ... William Bullock
Staff Cartoonist .. .......... Doug Williams
Typesetter ............. .. ..... Mary Peron to
Student Publications
Advisor ..... .... '.· ..... ..... Mary Murchison
Director of
Student Activities ...... Ross Surphlis
THE SPARK is a news publication
financed by student
activity fees and written and
published by student journal-
. ists for the CPCC community.
It is not an official col-
, lege publication. Any -v,iewpoirzts
expressed should not
be interpreted as representing
official CPCC positions.
Letters to the Editor should
be sent interoffice to Taylor
Hall 205 or. through the U.S.
Mail to .THE SPARK, CPCC,
P.O. Box 35009, Charlotte, ·
N.C. 28235,
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• t ;
♦ •
; Did you lose any keys last quarter? f • . t
• ♦ • ♦ Why not check with the Student Activity Center. + • • ♦ ♦ • • f VE 111. t
♦ ♦ • • ♦ . ♦
♦ We have lots of lost keys! ;
• • ♦ ♦ • • ♦ . ♦ • •
'······························································· (Continued from page 1 )
"non-perishable food" became a
part of our vocabulary. A few 'of us
got tired of answering the question:
"Have you got your power back
yet?" (Power, what power?)
Hugo also affected CPCC. The
school did not lose power, but it
did lose most of its security people,
most of whom were off-duty Charlotte
police. Without proper security,
on-campus classes could not be
conducted with an assurance of
safety (or both instructors and students.
There was only slight physical
damage on campus to Belk and
Garinger- b~ildings, and .-of course
the everpresent tree limbs here and
ALL INTERESTED
STUDENTS
The Accounting
Careers Club is currently
active and seeking members.
Group projects and
social events planned!
there, b-ut--no'-m-ajor-damage-. ....,.,._.,........,..,.,.,..1--.=-=-~'-SeeBrao'Zo'fi'I', an~' -+-- -
The people who experienced the member, or call
wrath of Hurricane Hugo will never · 342-6944 Monday
forget. It. could be many years be- through Friday.
fore the physical evidence of
Hugo's passing disappears entirely .
Until then we will constantly be re-minded
of the power of Mother
Nature .
Editor's Note: THE SPARK welcomes- opinions to the contrary from
both students and staff on any material in this publication, including
cartoons r.md advertisements, as we'll as opinions stated in articles.
Please address all responses to THE SPARK, 205 Taylor Hall, CPCC,
or mail to PO Box 35009, Charlotte, N.C. 28235.
On
+he
campus ...
/
+
Page 3
FALL FEST: NOT TOO FESTIVE
Fall Fest Photos by lroy Bra iley
STARK RAVEN entertai ned students in the Student Activ ity Center during Fall Fest
on September 20.
Soggy students also escaped the pre-Hugo ra in by vis it ing the cl ub booths to huy lun ch.
raffle tickets. and to get information on d ub acti vi t ies.
Drafting Supplies
from
~srAEDTLER
I Get the highest quality- drafting supplies-get Staedtler.
We have famous Mars leads and pencils, as well as
Marsmatic 700 technical pens. Plus other well-known
Staedtler products, including erasers, triangles, compasses,
T-squares, templates, and more.
10% ALL STAEDTLER PRODUCTS
October 9-13
CPCC Bookstore
HOST INTERNATIONAL
The Marriott Company
Come join our sales associate team today
\ in our gift shops and enjoy:
• Top pay for experience ·
• Exciting airport environment
• Excellent benefits
• Paid vacations
• Monthly incentive programs
Apply in person, Old Terminal Road ( off · West Blvd~.)
from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday- Friday
EOE M/F/H/V '
*
TYPING AND WORD PROCESSING SERVICE
WORDST AR, LOTUS, D-BASE III
IBM LETTER-QUALITY PRINTER, 3 .00/PAGE
SALLY DEMART - 552-1265 *
.
View from a bakony overlookmg student club booths in the Mall during a break in the rain.
• Elalne Rockey Art Gallery ei l • :s 1.., l Discount Art Supply Center
i!:i! ~ 20%' ., ., • l!a = 1 . · . D1scouNT • • , •
= hi ct: -• :, .. -~ OFF ILL SUPPLIES , .• 4 .. iII!•h-, ~ . . t,H , .... ~ . ----&--'-'------ !: :! :i... 5°' EXTRA ti._ :::: •• ~ ,. orrr- e~ = .a .-. sTuDENT D1scouNT • • • .
111 D "' IIIN TIii 111 YM ffllEIT I.I. ~ ~ .. ii , ·, , H1ECIAL •TEH
• an lilft4 ill ~• ·~ • i . ◄ . ., ... .. ,.. .. •4tr ART ULLEIIES '
Experienced horseman to offer riding lessons for
chil .. ren and adults. Horses available for pleasure
riding or trail riding, Eng!!sh or W~stern style.
Call Steve Mullis at Little Mexico Stables.
Day: 704-342-6423 Night: 704-385-9690
Visitors Welcome!
Page 4
CPCC NEEDS YOU '•
STUDENTS URGED TO VOTE
ON NOVEMBER 7
On Tuesday, November 7, 1989,
students of Central Piedmont Community
College, like other voters in
Charlotte-Mecklenburg, will have
the opportl,mity to make a difference
for CPCC. Included in the November
election is a Bond Referendum
package of 8.7 million.
The bonds package for CPCC will
assist the College in keeping its
commitment to educational access
and excellence in Charlotte and
Mecklenburg County. Successful
passage of the bonds will permit (1)
the renovation of Garinger Complex,
(2) the renovation of the
Learning Resources Center, and
(3) the acquisition of property near
the main campus - Sunnyside Com.
plex and the 7th Street Complex
- and two off-campus center
sites.
Garinger Complex, anchored by
Garinger Hall which was built in
1925, sits in a floodplain . Plans for
the renovation of the Garinger
Complex include the updating of
electrical distribution and heating
and air-conditioning systems and
improving the aesthetics and efficiency
of the buildings. Most im- -
portantly, renovation will allow the
move of the College's mainframe
and computer labs, currently lo-cated
in Garinger Complex, 10 feet
below the floodplain, to other
facilities. The move will safeguard
the College's computer sys-tems,
improve computer lab space,
and increase available general
classroom space.
Renovation of the Learning Resources
Complex involves the Learning
Resources Center and Pease
Auditorium. Returning Learning
Resources Center space to its original
purpose. - library space -- will
be the focus of the renovation of
the Center. First-, second-, and
fourth-floor renovations of the Center
will convert classrooms, offices,
and storage space to much-needed
areas for library expansion in
collections and services. A part of
the renovation will include the in- ·
stallation of a computerized card
catalog, permitting student access
via computer to CPCC's collection,
other on-line reference databases,
and the collections and resources of
other on-line libraries.
The planned Pease Auditorium
renovation will completely overhaul
the theatre. As both an educational
and performance facility, the
theatre will be greatly enhanced.
The third element of the CPCC
portion of the County Bond Referendum
package is the acquisition
of property. Property adjacent to
the College on 7th Street between
Independence Boulevard and Central
Avenue would be purchased
and renovated to house the Cor-
_A./,orlion Afterna.live~
CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTER
e FREE PREGNANCY TESTING
e CONFIDENTIAL COUNSELING
e POST ·ABORTION COUNSELING
e 24 HOURS • 7 DAYS HOTLINE
372-5981
1311 E MOREHEAD ST
WE CARE
WE WANT TO HELP
porate and Continuing· Education
Center.
In addition to the acquisition of
property adjacent to the College,
the bonds will provide the College
with the resources to acquire two
sites of approximately 60-80 acres
each. One site is proposed for the
NE quadrant of the county and one
for the SW. These county areas are
experiencing and will continue to
experience rapid growth. Development
of comprehensive off-campus
learning centers on these sites will
help ease the crowded main campus
in the center of Charlotte where all
available land for expansion has
been used or will be used. Signifi-
Photo by Troy Brailey
I
cant growth to provide student
access · and to keep pace with the
educational demands of Charlotte
and Mecklenburg County will be
made possible through this element
of the bonds package for CPCC.
CPCC students are reminded to
register to vote if they are not currently
registered. Vote- November 7
to make a difference for student
access and educational excellence
at CPCC!
Phyllis A. Barber
~•~a.~~~6(;L4r}~~~~•.o~
~~'30\Jl!+'CA-(~•-0 • o ~~~1 i~-PTA Thrift Store ,ej~
O ~ Supporting our schools and 17&. • ♦ t ~°) Serving our comn.mnity ~
6!. New and Used Merchandise ♦
~ Clothes Toys Coats Books
O Ac:cessories Appliances • Q
,Jeans Housewares °-•,._
◊-~ ~-... 0 -
3609 South Boulevard .
TUES - SAT - IO a.m. - 5 p.m. t;/_~ Queen Citr Shopping Center _, ♦ :'% . Telephonec 525-8366 iJ
a OPEN YEAR-ROUND I
• ~:~~p~o~~n~~~,r-~- ..~(»=6P--9g~yμv~◊. ,~
r+-
VOTE "YES" NOVEMBER 7
1989 MECKLENBURG COUNTY BOND ISSUES
School Bonds $80,130,000
Three new elementary schools in the county's southwestern, eastern, and northern areas.
One new middle school in the southern part of the county.
Renovations in 30 schools across the county.
j
- . ©
11tf:'. "ll~\~v'NE:~7 <9Nf/NU't.7 ! ! !
Addition of 179 classrooms.
Expansion of media centers and/or cafeterias in 28 schools throughout the county.
Relocation of maintenance center.
Continuation of asbestos removal program.
'}) .,-v>,1"'fw11; c.,/\1:1..tmt '{ou11~ 1>1tv ,o~A'( tn'\\ ::VV11J A 11~μS.,vE' (-iE' -s,,.m.i:: •• •
,-.;:::y r 1\le:' \\L""1 l"U\N',, '"Ill N\4Wl IN VQ./\lt,1
...__)
Ullll\l\I\
t.f:. fl.\R" ,,, NUC.L'EA~ WA'-rTr:°
"P"MP IN M~(l<LftJ~R'i., 1-----W.\N'N. 1\\(-" f ,?.A, "AS,
~\NhLL "< NJ~V lb %'65 a¼FJ.oTIE.'7
All{ Vo\.Wli.Nr '7ANul:.'R. LEVE:L- .AfT~
iili1{ '\UWN AuA"" '7Ditl • •,
Flood Control Bonds 15,820,000
Land acquisition, design and development of -new Latta Plantation Park entrance.
0
~ (1;
l.
-· ,.:·
I~~~~~~~~::~ ·
~~'?-} 'i~ r< ""3f-E /::J; AINf :
0~,μAt-J, ~ Looklr-1 1 ' -
Historic preservation projects at McDowell Park, Campbell Creek Greenway, and Latta Place.
Renovation and expansion of Harrisburg Landfill Engineering Maintenance Facility. : •• , Ji:; ANV I\E 1'\\!S /JIA'{b~.-'1l-c~m Land acquisition for greenways and parklands. -MOlllB'?- ~1
- A C<Y.N• 1 rr-rE f:' f-f I\ '1£ l-wl\'-,
/\l.f10 uo~t> a'P ,:
Community College Bonds (CPCC) 8,730,000 A :, oi: ~ II
-r\\A"f WHITE Ai-JD ,
\/'(\l.L '(3~ 11-\£1i:.
ENOU(JI~ "\b \'-.J~N \J 011:f,> ·n'AT 1-IE:R.
Ol7Po>IE"'1' Ir-I 1\'C u.F'Cb,.,,.,,N4 (.Lfr,no•-1
~~ ';/11\0Kl:oj) Vc,T It-I l-\1 , " - I/II\V()i:\"~17£C1S1C>N..S 6K O\= C.\'EN
' · _ C,\\JIN0 A 1)8:,Ertf
WTVI Bonds 1,700,000
Construction of a 15,000 square foot facility in the UNCC area.
County Building Bonds 1,357,000
Renovation of second floor of Marshall County Services Ceriter to house the administrative
sections of Park and Recreation and Environmental Protection Departments.
Itldffl~VOf l OlUV .u-.1hJlr.:!· .,,.=! • ~· .
VOTE NOVEMBER 7, 6:30 AM - 7:30 PM
For more information, call 358-0983
AN INVITATION
TO JOIN
SUPPORT OUR
COMlVIUNITY
COLLEGE
1989 -1990
- PURPOSE OF SOCC
Support Our Community College - SOCC
is organized for the following purposes:
• To work for the welfare of
community college students,
secondary education, and the
improvement of instructional
opportunities for all.
• To inform members of SOCC, the
community, and elected officials of
issues directly affecting community
colleges of the state, in general, and.
Central Piedmont Community
College, in parti_cular.
• To encourage members of SOCC to _
e·xercise their rights and privileges as
citizens and to accept leadership in
civic affairs.
• To enable members of SOCC to speak
with a common voice on matters
pertain ing to the continuing welfare
of Central Piedmont Community
College.
MEMBERSHIP OPEN TO
All
STAFF -- FACULTY -- FRIENDS -STUDENTS-~
ALUMNI
~ CMRrr( --rt:A. .--::,-~
'2.00
□ Business Membership · _ _
Return to:
Hoke Griffin
SOCC Treasurer
Central Piedmont Community
College
P.O. Box 35009 .
Charlotte, North Carolina 28235
Page ti
~
Ii;
<tr
Cv!
1'1-- ·
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(.
ct:
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li:=
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®
Announcing
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT CONFERENCE
at
Mars Hill College
Mars Hill, North Carolina
October 20 - 22, 1989
COST: S25.00 (Includes Rcgis1ra1ion fee, two nights' lodging,
and five meals)
R·eglstration Deadline: Friday, October 13
For further information, contact the following
person on your campus:
• no provision has been ■ ade for children: call Jan Adair or Scott
Freese for more infor ■ ation! 875-2883, 568-7716
:E)aai.d.:1on ~ec.LL'<-lty c::EE.'WLCE.!1
GET PAID TO STUDY
IF YOU: WE OFFER:
• Are over 18 • Top Pay
• Have Transportation • Paid Holidays
• Have a Phone • Paid Vacations
• Have No Criminal Record • Free Uniforms
• Have a High School Education • Flexible Hours
CALL 525-0330
R. KAY WILLIAMS, M.D.
GYNECOLOGY & GYNECOLOGIC SURGERY
1012 S. Kings Drive
Suite 624
Charlotte, North Carolina 28283
Telephone 377-6848
. . -. C-O. -N-C.E -R.N .I N. G. F.OR BUSINESS STUDENTS ONLY
OPPORTUNITY CALLING
PHI BETA LAMBDA, The National Organization for College Business Students,
will hold an -organizational meeting in
Van Every l 08
Thursday, October 19, 1989
11 :45-1 :00 p.m.
Refreshments will be served .
We will elect officers and select delegates for the National Conference .
PBL has one goal, and one goal only-to help you be better prepared for
y.ou r p-lace i.n the. w ond.e rfu.l w or-ld of .bu sine.ss . ••• ◄
CPCC Judo -Wins Over· NCSU and ASU
Four members of the CPCC Judo
Club and their coach, Phil
Rasmussen, trashed NCSU and ASU
September 29 and 30 in their first
intramural judo tournament. Phil
Rasmussen, Media Production, took
first place in the Kata (form) Division.
Bukley Cullom won first place
in the men's heavy weight division,
while Huseyin Yem took second
and Pedro Elguera third in the same
division . Cullom also took first
place in the men's middle weight
division. The team also took first
place team trophy for the tournament.
The tournament was the first in-tramural
judo tournament held in
North Carolina, with approximately
40 students and coaches participating.
Phil Rasmussen's demonstration
of the Goshin Jujitsu forms
highlighted the- competition and
brought resounding applause from
the audience and judges. Rasmussen
also held a clinic after the tournament
which covered self defense
and competition techniques.
The club is open to CPCC students,
faculty and staff. New members
are always welcome . Fot more
' °informati~ . .,, .. c'ont; ~t 'r-t'.,~ '-phil
Rassmussen, LR-118, 342-6703.
Phil Rasmussen
FIND OUT
WHERE
You~RE G.OING
BEFOREYOU
GETTHERE.
COMPUTERIZED
CAREER PLANNING
,. - ·~_.._...._.._~.
---·---
·~---· ~ 1 ~ 9 -= -i
'la;~ i, 'Se ~,~
~~,~~
The Student Employment & Career
Planning Center, Garringer 239 3
Inside CPCC, Fall Quarter, Volume 5, Number 13
No full textInside CPCC takes a closer look at CPCC's Connections, a live talk show hosted by Marshall Maddox and Saunie Wood. The Spring Quarter's cover stories focus on Central Piedmont graduate and Vietnam veteran Tom Petty, Cuban native and Central Piedmont graduate Miguel Suarez, and Central Piedmont alumna and actress Kim Morgan Green. Petty received his diploma in heating and air conditioning in 1976 and his associate's degree in environmental systems design in 1979. Suarez graduated with a degree in welding in 1974. This issue also includes a feature article about bond money that could renovate the Garinger Complex and the Hagemeyer Learning Resources Center as well as make it possible to acquire new property for off-campus centers. Lastly, this issue focuses on the senior interpreter in Central Piedmont's Special Services Department, Sam McCord, and other notable members of the Central Piedmont community, such as Claude T. Williams, Mabel Belton, and Emma W. Brown.On Our Cover
CPCC alumnus Mike Suarez
welds a hydro turbine rotor at
General Electric Service Center
in Charlotte.
Read how Suarez escaped
Cuba and Tom Petty survived
Vtetnam to later train at CPCC
in welding and find success in
their chosen careers. Cover
photo by Tom Covington and
Mike Slade.
Fall Quarter, 1989
Volume 5, Number 13
Roy Parker, editor
Fay Vogelbacher, editorial assistant
Mike Myers, contributing writer
Peg Robarchek, contributing writer
Carol Timblin, contributing writer
Terry Hoover, contributing writer
Janice Cromar, graphic designer
Tom Covington, contributing photographer
Mike Slade, contributing photographer
Craftsman Printing Company, printer
© Copynght 1989 by Central Piedmont
Community College. For reprint rights,
contact Roy Parker, CPCC, PO Box
35009, Charlotte, NC, 28235
Ruth G. Shaw, President
5,000 copies of this public document
were printed at a cost of 1.04 per copy.
CPCC is an equal opportunity institution
Dul you know?
• Average ratio of students to teachers in an American school classroom
In 1955 - 27:1
Average ratio today - 18: 1
At CPCC today - 19: 1
• Number of nations
In the world - 186
In CPCC's student body - 101
• Number of high school diplomas issued this year
By East Mecklenburg - 678
Through CPCC - 720
• Number of hours per day CPCC's Radio Reader Service is on the air - 24
• Average student age
This year - curriculum: 30.5 Extension: 36:5
Last year - curriculum: 31.6 extension: 38.3
• Fall Quarter Classes -Sept 6-Nov. 21
• Auditions for CPCC Theatre's Fall Comedy-Sept 11-12, 7-9 p.m. - Pease
Auditorium - 342-6568
• Charlotte Repertory Orchestra -Oct 8, 3 p.m., Nov. 19, 3 p.m. - Pease
Auditorium - 5 general admission -342-6618
• Alumni Association Tour of Charleston, S.C. - Oct 13-15 - 342-6089
• Winter Quarter Registration - Current fall students register Oct 30 & 31; Regular
Registration Nov. 1 & 2 and Nov. 6-9; Final Registration Nov. 27 & 30; Telephone Registration
for current fall students Oct 30 & 31; All other students Nov. 1-28, 342-6970
• Thanksgiving Holidays - Nov. 23-26
• Dance Central "Christmas Oratorio" - Dec. 8-1 O, 2:30 p.m. & 8: 15 p.m. - Free -
Call for reservations -342-6618
• Dance Central "The Nutcracker" - Dec. 15-17, 2:30 p.m. & 8:15 p.m. - Free - Call
for reservations - 342-6618
• Alumni Association Nursing Home Visit - Dec. 15 -342-6089
• Christmas Holidays - Dec. 20-Jan. 1
• Martin Luther King Holiday-Jan . 15
• Alumni Association Ski Trip-Jan . 1990 - Call for information -342-6089
Connectiom
CPCC ~ live TV talk show discusses
serious, timely topics
Story by Terry Hoover
eraldo and Oprah aren't
the only ones bringing
controversy to television.
,..._,...t..,-1 Charlotte now has
Marshall and Saunie, also. The two
are hosts of CPCC's Connections, a
live talk show that offers viewers the
opportunity to call in and discuss
some of the more serious issues of
the day.
Jo Ellen Wade, a member of
CPCC's Media Production
Department staff, is producer of
Connections and the person primarily
responsible for determining its
content.
"The whole point of the show is to
present a forum for our students and
the community on issues of the day
and to have people prominent in the
areas we cover available to actually
provide information and be accessible
if people want to ask questions,"
she explains.
Viewers are encouraged to react
to points raised during the show and
to ask the panel of experts questions.
Tapes of the show are made
available to faculty and staff members
for use as teaching tools and
Wade frequently gets requests for
the tapes from other schools in the
area.
Marshall Maddox and Saunie
Wood alternate as hosts with
Maddox handling socio-political topics
and Wood fielding discussions
on childhood and family issues.
Connections is signed for the
hearing impaired, a service, Media
Production Department head Don
Ambrose admits, that strains both
the studio facilities and the show's
budget since it requires an additional
camera and technician.
"We feel it is an important service,
though, so we do it anyway," he
says. "Central Piedmont is committed
to making all its programs as
accessible as possible and we want
this show to be available to anyone
interested in the topics we're covering."
Wade is particularly excited
about some of the technological
feats the crew has managed to
achieve on a very tight budget.
"We recently had Dr. T. Berry
Brazelton, one of the most famous
and respected pediatricians and
developmental experts in the country,
as a guest," Wade says. "We
had originally just planned to speak
with Dr. Brazelton by phone from his
office in Boston. As it turned out, Dr.
"Central Piedmont is
committed to making all
its programs as accessible
as possible and
we want this show to be
available to anyone
interested in the topics
we're covering."
Brazelton graciously agreed to go to
a local community college in Boston,
where they videotaped him as he
spoke with us. They then shipped us
the tape and we edited it into the
program. Carol Gestwicki, an instructor
in our Early Childhood Education
program, was our local expert. She
and Saunie Wood discussed Dr.
Brazelton's comments and related
them to local situations. We had
quite a few very good calls on that
program."
Wade hopes to see more such
innovations during the show's next
season. "As always, funds are a
problem," she says. "We're restricted
to what we can do by the amount
of money and personnel we have,
but I think this shows what we can
do with a little imagination and a lot
of cooperation ."
Producer Jo Ellen Wade and hosts Marshal l Maddox and
Saunie Wood plan the content for
future Connections programs.
Story by Roy Parker
hen the explosion
knocked Tom Petty to
the musty jungle
ground in the Mekong
Delta, all he could think was he'd
been hit. But by what? Loud pops.
Bullets clipped lush foliage and leaf
fragments floated down like green
snowflakes.
Petty's ears still rang from the
explosion. The rapid gunfire around
him faded into the surreal background
of shock. A sharp pain in his
leg forced him to look at his tigerstriped
camouflage pants. A large
spreading crimson stain on his
upper right pant leg begged the
question. How bad?
Petty's squad leader, Lieutenant
J. G. Thompson, was the first to
reach him. "I asked him for water,
but he wouldn't give it to me until he
saw where I'd been hit," Petty
recalled.
He and the other six men in his
squad, a U.S. Navy Special
Operations Group, had just been
inserted into the jungle in June
1967. The North Vietnam regular
army ambush stopped them cold.
Two other men were seriously
wounded. Another squad of seven
rejoined Petty's group to keep them
from being overrun.
"Then when I went in the
Navy, I worked in a small
craft operations and did
a lot of welding. When I
got out of the Navy and
came back to Charlotte,
CPCC had exactly what I
was looking for- it was
a local institution with a
complete welding program,
and it was inexpensive."
2
Survival to Success
Out of the Vietnam jungl,es
and up the corporate ladder
The firefight continued for another
hour until two U.S. Army gunships
laid down enough fire to set up an
LZ (landing zone) to get both
squads out. An outpost and two
hospitals later, Petty recovered and
had the option to return to the
United States or go back to his unit.
He decided to stay.
Today that's all a distant memory.
Yet like any war veteran, the memories
bubble up frequently.
Tom Petty is more than just a survivor.
He's a success and an example.
The welding career he chose
when he entered CPCC in April
1969, a few months after he completed
his four-year stint in the Navy,
has been very good to him.
"My high school had a couple of
welding machines and I got interested
in the whole process. Then when I
went in the Navy, I worked in small
craft operations and did a lot of
welding. When I got out of the Navy
and came back to Charlotte, CPCC
had exactly what I was looking for -
it was a local institution with a complete
welding program, and it was
inexpensive."
While Petty was in school, the
welding program at CPCC played
an important role in the start-up of
Westinghouse's Charlotte Turbine
Generator Plant. Located on Lake
Wylie with over 500,000 square feet
of air-conditioned manufacturing
space, the plant was dedicated on
September 25, 1969.
Dick Baker, manager - Human
Resources, recalls how the New and
Expanding Industry program provided
funds for training employees
through CPCC. "Otto Lockee, director
of Continuing Education for
CPCC, coordinated training of four
to five hundred welders and machinists.
CPCC held classes right here at
the plant. Availability of people and
the training necessary for those
people through CPCC was certainly
one of the factors in Westinghouse's
decision to locate the plant in
Charlotte."
So when Tom Petty graduated
from CPCC with a diploma in welding
in early 1970, Westinghouse seemed
to be a logical choice to look for a
job. They hired him in March as a
welding trainee and in 1971 he was
promoted to a class A welder.
Over the years Petty continued to
study at CPCC. He received his
diploma in heating and air conditioning
in 1976 and his associate's
degree in environmental systems
design in 1979.
Westinghouse recognized his
broad-based knowledge and skill
"It's one of the best
institutions a community
can have because it's
accessible to anyone.
Young people who want
to get involved in industry
have a great opportunity.
I recommend CPCC
every chance I get."
and sent him all over the United
States to repair turbine generators on
site. In 1979 he was promoted to field
service technician and worked on the
cold sicfe of nuclear generators,
welding tubes to tube plates. During
that same period, CPCC also tapped
Tom Petty on the shoulder and hired
him to teach welding part time.
In July 1985, after 15 years of service,
Westinghouse promoted Petty
to supervisor of generator and
exciter manufacturing, a key position
at the Charlotte plant.
Does he feel that CPCC had a
hand in his success? "Absolutely,"
Petty answered, adding , "it's one of
the best institutions a community
can have because it's accessible to
anyone. Young people who want to
get involved in industry have a great
opportunity. I recommend CPCC
every chance I get."
Tom Petty at Westinghouse.
Story by Roy Parker
s Miguel Suarez sat in
Rancho Bolleros, the
Havana, Cuba airport, on
April 17, 1962, he tried
not to appear nervous. Were the
false papers he carried and the
name he'd assumed going to work?
If the communists found out who
he really was, he'd never get on the
Pan Am four-engine prop plane to fly
to freedom in America. He'd end up
back in jail; this time it would be for
years.
He felt like a fish in a fishbowl.
Windows surrounded him and all the
other potential passengers. The
newly backed Castro inspired
Cuban militia prowled with machine
guns. Immigration officials moved in
constantly to search people and
check papers again and again.
Suarez prayed no one would recognize
him as the same man who had
backed the contras during the failed
Bay of Pigs invasion on April 17,
1961 , exactly one year ago.
If he got out, he planned to send
for his wife, who was one month
pregnant with their first child. They'd
figure out how to get her out later.
Late that afternoon after what
seemed like the longest day of his
life, Suarez boarded the plane and
flew to Miami. There he found a new
life. It was tough at first - he couldn't
speak English. But he was determined
to succeed.
He worked odd jobs in Miami for
22 months: painting ships and houses,
loading and unloading freight,
mowing lawns, anything that would
make him enough money to live on
and to send home for the care of his
wife. Just getting money back to her
involved weaving a web of secrecy.
The black market exchange was
treacherous, but Mike - that's what
everyone called him now - found a
way to make the system work for him.
After 22 months Suarez moved to
Washington, D.C. With help from the
4
Escape to Freedom
From Cuba to America to CPCC
and a successful, career
First Baptist Church in Hyattsville,
Maryland, he flew his wife and child
out of Cuba to Mexico, then from
Mexico to Panama, an elaborate
scheme to eventually get them to
America.
It worked. Suarez was reunited
with his wife and saw his 13 month
old daughter for the first time.
One year in Washington proved
to be enough. "Too cold," Suarez
said. "We had to move south." They
moved to Charlotte in 1964.
He got a job at a trucking
company loading and unloading
freight. The pay was good, but he
knew he needed a skill.
"I flunked a placement
test because I didn't read
English. Don't speak it
real good either. But that
was no problem, because
CPCC had English classes
for people like me. I
could still get in. "
"I heard about CPCC through
other people and Zi lda DePaula who
was teaching there," Suarez said in
a heavy Spanish accent reminiscent
of Ricky Ricardo. ""So I went down
to register. I flunked a placement
test because I didn't read English.
Don't speak it real good either. But
that was no problem, because
CPCC had English classes for people
like me. I could still get in ."
"But when I went to register,"
Suarez said with a twinkle in his eye,
"they told me the class was full. I
told this lady at the counter, 'I want
you to know something. If you let me
walk out that door without any class
to take, I never come back.'
"She looked at me and say, 'Please
don't go. Let's see what we can get
you in that doesn't require passing
that placement test in English.'
"We looked over the list together
and she say, 'Here's one. How about
welding?' I smiled and say, 'That's
good. Sign me up."'
Everyth ing went fine the first week
of class. Suarez learned quickly. But
then it came time for a written test. "I
told the instructor, Bob Wallace,"
Suarez said, "that I have to go. I
can't pass no test in English. He
looked at me and asked, 'Mike, can
you read English at all?' I say, 'Yes,
but I cannot write in English. I can
write in my language, but not
English.'
"Bob smiled and said, 'Okay,
then write your answers in Spanish
and translate them back to me."'
And so it was. Bob Wallace, who
still teaches welding at CPCC,
worked hand in hand with Mike
Suarez. After two years, Suarez
graduated with a diploma in welding
on December 21, 1974.
In 1976 Mike Suarez landed his
dream job at General Electric Service
Center in Charlotte, welding in the
power generation department. He
has become a turbine technician and
GE depends upon him so heavily
they frequently send him all over the
country .and overseas, anywhere
around the world where they n13ed his
skill.
What about his family? He and his
wife have raised two daughters who
have both graduated from college:
Sylvia graduated from Queens College
with a degree in Music Therapy
and Marlene graduated from UNC -
Charlotte with a bachelor's degree in
English. His wife, Sylvia, graduated
from Winthrop College in 1974 with a
master's degree in Spanish and
teaches Spanish at North Mecklenburg
High School.
His dangerous journey to freedom
has had its rewards.
Mike Suarez grinds a hydro turbine rotor at
General Electric.
,1
l
i
j
I
Story by Carol Timblin
Time: November 7, 1989.
Place: Polling places around
Mecklenburg County.
Scene: Voters are pulling the levers
on CPCC bonds.
The 2.3 million of the
package wi ll pay for removing
asbestos and renovating the
Some funds from two previous bond issues are being used for the first phase of this C(
"We put a great deal of
thought into what the
college needed in order
to best serve the community.
We didn't ask
for anything that wasn't
needed."
Garinger Building, which includes
upgrading the heating, air conditioning,
and ventilation systems. The
result - the useful life of the building
will be significantly extended.
Over 4 million of the
bonds will go for the purchase of
two tracts of land. From 60 to 80
acres in size, one site will be on the
west side of Charlotte near Arrowwood;
the other, on the east side
near Mint Hill. Dr. Bill J. Priest, consultant
hired to study college growth,
identified these locations as areas
showing the greatest potential
growth. The bonds will also provide
money to complete the purchase of
land and property on Sunnyside and
7th Streets, which includes the 7th
Street Detoxification Center, an
insurance building, and a private
residence near the main campus.
"Compared with all other
community colleges in
the system, public universities,
and private colleges,
we are exceeding
all building use standards."
"The general feeling among faculty
and staff is that CPCC needs to
grow but we can't go any further
where we are," said Joe Barwick,
head of the college's Futures
Committee, a group established by
CPCC president Dr. Ruth Shaw, to
help the college plan for the future.
Barwick added,"The one central
campus cannot adequately serve all
the needs of the community. We are
limited now because of space. We
cannot serve any more students
now than we are serving. In developing
satellite campuses, one of our
greatest concerns is that the
school's philosophy of serving all
types of students will continue."
William Claytor, chairman of the
Board of Trustees, said, "As important
as our main campus is, we're
going to have to provide access to
other areas. It's becoming more difficult
to get people to come across
town to go to classes, and land is
getting more expensive in the
uptown area. We are going to have
to take our message to the citizens of
this community instead of expecting
them to come to the main campus to
receive it."
7
Story by Mike Myers
"/ remember it as though it were
yesterday I was in the 5th grade
and the play was Santa s Spectacle
at the Childrens Theater. I tried to
steal not Just the scene but the
whole play, even though I didn't
have a speaking part. "
- Kim Morgan Greene
"No, I don't mind being cast as
the scheming, seductive o