Motlow Buzz Launches E-News Version for Email

   SMYRNA, Tenn. -- The Motlow Buzz e-newspaper has launched an e-news version for email to provide breaking news that impacts students, faculty, administrators and staff.

   The Buzz's e-news will be distributed via email every two weeks with a major emphasis on happenings at the Smyrna campus. The publication will feature highlights from its blog site at http://www.MotlowBuzz.Blogspot.com.

   "We're thrilled to expand The Motlow Buzz to include an email platform," said Charles Whiting, an instructor of Mass Communications who launched the online publication as a experiential blog for students several years ago. "It will provide more career-building opportunities for students, while providing a way to share timely news on an ongoing basis."

   Whiting added that members of the Motlow family are encouraged to participate as news gatherers and reporters. The Buzz will include breaking news, timely features, photos, student spotlights, student club news, a calendar of events, and more. Readers will be able to read longer stories and see more photos at the blog e-newspaper site.

   "Eventually, we hope to expand The Buzz to include happenings columnists on all four campuses," Whiting noted.

   To sign up for The Motlow Buzz, visit http://eepurl.com/cTLVTb. Individuals are encouraged to use their official MSCC email address when they sign up.

   Follow The Buzz at http://www.Twitter.com/MotlowBuzz and http://www.Facebook.com/MotlowBuzz.

   For more information or to submit story ideas, write us at cwhiting@mscc.edu or rshelton@mscc.edu.

SGA to Offer Free Meals and Snacks for New and Returning Students

                SMYRNA, Tenn. – The Student Government Association will welcome new and returning students to the Motlow Smyrna campus with an edible gift – Free food!

                Students can visit the STAH Lobby at various times from Aug. 28 till Sept. 1 for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack items. They are also welcome to share their interests and concerns with SGA members during the organization’s regular weekly meetings at 9:30 a.m. on Fridays.

                Here’s a schedule for the free meals and snacks provided by the SGA during “Welcome Week”:

                * Aug. 28-29 (Monday-Tuesday) – The SGA will provide donuts for breakfast and pizza for lunch and dinner.

                * Aug. 30-31 (Wednesday-Thursday) – Students will enjoy surprise “Grab and Go” items for breakfast and hots dogs for lunch and dinner.

                * Sept. 1 (Friday) – Tables will be laden all day with snacks such as fresh fruit and muffins.

Food Trucks to Offer Chicken, Fish, Sandwiches, Buns and More

SMYRNA, Tenn. -- Students won’t have to leave Motlow Smyrna's busy campus for lunch this fall. Starting Aug. 29, they will be able to walk out to a food truck offering items such as fried chicken, fish, sandwiches and buns.

“I wanted to share exciting information regarding the food trucks at Motlow Smyrna,” said Michelle Griffith, executive secretary for the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. “Trucks will visit campus for the Week of Aug. 28 and also for the month of September.”

The food trucks are provided as a convenience to Motlow students, faculty and staff, allowing them the opportunity to remain on campus for meals. The trucks can be easily found in front of the Mary Lou Apple STAH Building. Be sure to check the daily schedule for the times of each truck.  Menus for each truck are posted in the Student Lounge, the upstairs student study area, and the library.

Here’s the schedule (so far) for the next two weeks (subject to change):

* Tuesday (Aug. 29) – Visit the Chicken Shack Express for wings, fish, sandwiches and more from 10:45 a.m.-6 p.m.

* Wednesday (Aug. 30) – Deezies Hot Chicken will serve up hot chicken and waffles from 10:45 a.m.-2 p.m.

* Tuesday (Sept. 5) – The Chicken Shack Express will return from 10:45 a.m.-6 p.m.

* Wednesday (Sept. 6) – Buns on the Run will offer “Nashville’s best buns” from 10:45 a.m.-2 p.m.

                The dates and times for other food trucks will be announced soon.

Beware Motlow Drivers: You Could Be Ticketed

                SMYRNA, Tenn. – Motlow Smryna will be busier than ever this fall, with hundreds of additional students (and many more vehicles to park). That’s why it’s so important to follow the college’s parking and safety rules. Otherwise, you might have a fine to pay.

                According to Motlow Director of Public Safety Ray Higginbotham, the college has developed a policy to help facilitate the orderly and efficient flow of traffic on all campuses, to provide a safe atmosphere for both pedestrians and motor vehicle operators, and to provide order with regard to parking within limited space. 

“It is critical that everyone review this policy in order to understand their responsibilities and ensure they are adhering to the policy,” Higginbotham said.

As enrollment numbers continue to increase, parking spaces will become more limited and motor vehicle traffic on each campus will continue to increase.  He encourages students, faculty, administrators and staff to get their vehicles registered and to correctly place assigned decals on their lower back windshields as soon as possible. The decals, which never expire, are free to students and $10 for faculty. To register and receive a decal, visit the front office in the Smyrna Classroom Building.

Motlow Smyrna adds a temporary parking lot for the fall semester.

The Motlow State Public Safety Department is responsible for enforcement of the Parking and Traffic policy.  Officers of the Motlow State Public Safety Department will be monitoring parking and traffic on campuses to ensure all vehicles are properly decaled and parked in the right place.  Motlow State Community College requires the registration of vehicles and/or the issuance of permits on campus for effective enforcement of campus traffic and/or parking regulations.  Everyone should pay close attention to assigned parking spaces, such as spaces marked for “Handicap” parking, “Faculty/Staff” parking, “Student” parking, and “Visitor” parking.  Students, faculty, staff and visitors must park only in the appropriately designated areas.  Students, faculty or staff, should never park in “Visitor” parking.

“Do not park on any grassy areas unless signs indicate it is allowed,” he added. “Violators of our Parking and Traffic policy will be ticketed.”

Higginbotham noted that the old hang tag-style parking permits, which were hung on rearview mirrors, are no longer allowed and must be replaced immediately with a current parking permit decal.  If one has a hang-style parking permit, it must be removed immediately and discarded. Citations will be issued for vehicles that do not have the Motlow parking permit decal in the correct location. 

The entire Parking and Traffic policy can be viewed at http://www.mscc.edu/policies/docs/5-10-08-00-parking-taffic.pdf.

Resources Available to Aid New and Returning Motlow Students

By Anthony Czelusniak

Motlow Buzz Reporter

            SMYRNA, Tenn. – The Student Success Center and the Library on Motlow’s Smyrna campus will offer services to help new and returning students perform at their best this semester.

The Student Success Center is ready to assist students in various ways. Individuals are standing by to help students choose their major, prepare for graduation, and register for classes. Academic coaching and advisement is also available. Completion coaches assist instructors when their students are performing poorly or not attending classes, speaking with the students to help find solutions for whatever issues they face.

 “Our goal is to help you reach your goals,” said Assistant Director of Student Success Sidney McPhee.

Student Success is standing by to help.

The Student Success Center, which is located on the first floor of the STAH Building, will hold workshops on study practices and time management later in the semester. Stay tuned for more details. Learn more about the center on its website at http://www.mscc.edu/student_success/.

The MSCC Smyrna Library also provides plenty of resources to help students both on and off campus. More than 3,000 books, magazines and other periodicals are available for checkout. Laptops are available to loan for a one-week period. Student ID cards are issued at the library, providing savings at area businesses such as Zaxby’s, Camino Real, and the Smyrna Bowling Center. Students can even receive discounts for tickets to Nashville Predators Thursday night home game, as well as the purchase of Microsoft Office products. A more complete list of discounts is available at the library.

The Library offers a wide range of resources.

The library, which is located in the Smyrna Classroom Building, also has various online resources. Databases and online catalogs hold plenty of reliable sources for essays, complete with pre-made MLA citations. Thousands of eBooks and streaming media files are also hosted on the databases.

Hours and online resources can be found on the library’s web page at http://www.mscc.edu/library/index.aspx.