Former Mass Comm Student Shoots YouTube Video About Building 3 Completion

         SMYRNA – Former Mass Comm student Anthony Czeluzniak recently posted a news video at YouTube about the completion of Building 3 on the Motlow Smyrna campus.

         The video, which was shot shortly before the new building was completed, features interviews with student Zion Williamson, Tennessee State Rep. Mike Sparks, and professors Jenna Caviezel and Charles Whiting. The third building was dedicated on Dec. 17, 2019.

         Czeluzniak, who graduated with honors in 2018, currently serves as editor-in-chief of the Collage and president of PRSSA at Middle Tennessee State University.

         To watch the video, visit https://youtu.be/tn5aTFrW7x4. 

New Building to Improve Educational Experience on Motlow’s Smyrna Campus

By Anthony Czelusniak

Motlow Buzz Staff Writer

SMYRNA, Tenn. – The new 80,000-square-foot building will provide Motlow’s Smyrna campus with new classrooms, offices and more to improve the educational experience available from Motlow State Community College.

 On Friday (March 23), the groundbreaking ceremony for the new building will make history. The building is expected to take 18 months to complete and will be ready for the 2019 fall semester.

The third building will include a new library, student lounge, bookstore and administrative offices. When it is completed, the current bookstore will become the all-new Media Center. The Tutoring Center will move from the Student Success Center in the Mary Lou Apple Building to a renovated space within the Arthur L. Walker Jr. Building as well.

The brand-new classrooms will provide more space for the expected record increases in student population. According to the enrollment fact book provided by Motlow, student enrollment in the 2016 fall semester was 5,144 throughout all the campuses, a growth rate of 11.1 percent from the previous year. The Smyrna campus accounted for nearly half of that population and growth.

Because of this population increase, educators are struggling to find appropriate rooms for their classes. For example, Professor John Hart teaches multiple literature classes in computer labs.

“As much as we love the second building, we have outgrown it,” Hart said, sharing what the new building will mean to him and his students. “We look forward to having more classes, offices and places for students to study and socialize.”

A new student lounge will bring the possibility of an outside food vendor to set up inside the building. This possible addition will be great for students and staff who do not want to travel, or do not have the ability to travel to the restaurants on nearby Sam Ridley Parkway.

The new building will also bring with it possibilities that haven’t been thought of yet. With more than 80,000 square feet on three floors, there will be a lot of room for growth within Motlow’s Smyrna campus.

Eventually, the campus will have five state-of-the-art buildings surrounding acres of beautiful green space.

Former Deputy Assistant Director of the Secret Service Speaks at Motlow Smyrna

By Anthony Czelusniak

Motlow Buzz Staff Writer

         SMYRNA, Tenn. – Former Deputy Assistant Director of the Secret Service Lynda R. Williams spoke at Motlow’s Smyrna campus, discussing her career and personal life for Black History Month.

         Williams is a 28-year veteran of the Secret Service. She retired in 2017 and resides in Middle Tennessee, teaching criminal justice at Middle Tennessee State University. She takes the opportunity to speak at colleges and other events to help spread her message.

         Williams’ speech at Motlow focused on the ideas of individuality and not conforming to the ideals and beliefs others may have.

         “I may not be the orator the Dr. [Martin Luther] King was or have the prominence and wealth of Oprah, but I still am somebody," she told her audience. "I don’t let others define me. We need to claim ownership of what others say about us and what we don’t like about ourselves. Be the best me I can be.”

         When she was promoted to a special agent, she received some backlash against her promotion but did not let that dissuade her.

         “I did not need to be small or petty, and act like them," she added. "I returned any negatives with positives, and I let my light shine.”

         Williams also spoke about working a demanding job and having a family. Because of her position as special agent, she was assigned to advance teams. These teams would arrive at locations where the president or vice-president were going to visit, and arrange for security, lodgings and other logistical matters weeks in advance. This led to her not seeing her then husband or daughter more than once or twice a week.

         “I’d land at the airport on a Saturday, drive home to spend time with my daughter and husband, and then drive back to the airport to return to my duties,” Williams explained, “but the special agent in charge was kind enough to use his credentials to let me use the phone on the airplane for a few minutes each night to talk to them.”

         While on assignment in South Africa, Williams was fortunate to meet with Nelson Mandela on multiple occasions.

         “It was the highlight of my career to meet Nelson Mandela," she said. "He was so kind, inspiring and larger than life.” 

         While she was assigned to South Africa, she brought her daughter with her to let her experience more of the world.

         “There’s a whole other world out there,” Williams explained.

         She has traveled to almost every state in the country as well as a large amount of European, Asian, and South American countries. She considered this travel to be one of the best parts of her job.

         “I’m so blessed to be able to see the things I do,” she said, adding, “plus I’m getting a paycheck to do it.”

         Williams concluded her speech with a story of how she met Maya Angelou. While Williams was unable to get a picture with Angelou, she did receive a personal letter from the famous poet, singer and activist. The note concluded with a passage from the poem “Still I Rise” by Angelou. Williams concluded her talk with a similar message.

         “In spite of others, you too can rise.”

         Williams began her career in 1988 as a uniformed officer at the White House after answering an ad in the newspaper created by the Secret Service. After three years, she was promoted to a special agent and investigated financial crimes such as counterfeit and fraud. In 1997, she was assigned to the Vice Presidential Protective Division.

         In 2003, Williams was promoted assistant to the special agent in charge of the Washington Field Office. This was the first time an African-American woman was promoted to a supervisory role in a major field office. In 2008, she was promoted to secret service attaché of South Africa, where she oversaw operations in Sub-Saharan Africa, West Africa, and the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

         She returned to Washington in 2011 and was appointed to special agent in charge at the Office of Congressional Affairs. Williams was appointed to the Senior Executive Service as the deputy assistant director of the Office of Human Resources in 2015. In this role, she served as the chief security officer, developing, implementing and managing the agency’s programs and strategies.

Professor John Hart to Host Hamlet-Fest

By Anthony Czelusniak

Motlow Buzz Staff Writer

         SMYRNA – Associate Professor of English John Hart extends an invitation to all students for his two-week seminar on Shakespeare’s "Hamlet" starting Feb. 5.

         Hamlet-Fest will be held from 2-3:30 p.m. in room 127 of the Arthur L. Walker Jr. building on Feb. 5, 7, 12 and 14.

         Shakespeare’s "Hamlet" is one of the most influential of Shakespeare’s plays. It is also Hart’s personal favorite work of any author. He believes that the themes in the play are universal, even in modern society.

         "'Hamlet' captures a time in everyone’s life when people aren’t in sync with the world around them," Hart explained. "Hamlet is faced with a problem that he isn’t ready for. It’s a good metaphor for deciding who you are going to be.”

 

         Hart said that each class will be self-contained, and participants won’t need a background in the play to understand the discussion. Each day, Hart will show clips from a variety of different portrayals of Hamlet. Actors include Benedict Cumberbatch, David Tennant, and more.

Hart believes that seeing Shakespeare’s work performed is a far better approach than just reading the plays.

         “Shakespeare is meant to be seen, not read," he added. "Different actors read it their own way, and that makes it far more interesting than if you had read it yourself.”

         Hart hopes that most students take something personal away from Hamlet-Fest. He believes that there is something for everyone in the play, even those people who think they don’t understand it.

         Hart concluded by saying, “The major theme is still relevant to people today. Why do good people have bad things happen to them?”

The Scoop on D2L and MyMotlow Banner (Part Two)

By Anthony Czelusniak

Motlow Buzz Staff Writer

            Last issue, Motlow Buzz readers received insights on the inner workings of D2L from Dean of First Learning Terry Durham. Now it’s Cindy Logan’s turn to explain some of the details of MyMotlow Banner.

            MyMotlow Banner is similar to D2L in that it is provided by a separate company called Ellucian. However, unlike D2L, Motlow’s IT department is able to build custom modules for MyMotlow Banner to increase functionality whenever the need arises. 

“Examples of [custom modules] include orientation, testing and proctoring sign-ups or specific program applications, like nursing or medical lab tech programs,” said Logan, who serves Motlow as chief information officer.

            MyMotlow Banner is used by students year-round, but during class sign-ups and when the final grades are being posted, the usage will increase significantly.

            Logan explained that these usage spikes are not a problem at all “unless we happen to be monitoring system statistics and the spikes go unnoticed.”

            Managing MyMotlow Banner is not an easy task. Maintenance is needed continuously to provide service. The size of MyMotlow Banner goes beyond what the user can see.

            “Banner is a vast system that brings together hundreds of functional processes, supported by several thousand database tables,” she said. “In addition, there are several other software systems that interface with Banner to provide additional functionality needed by the college but not provided by banner.”

            One of the biggest challenges for the maintenance of MyMotlow Banner is scheduling. MyMotlow Banner is in use throughout the year, meaning there will always be some disruption of service.

            Logan added, “We usually try to schedule those windows late in the evening and on weekends when fewer users are on the system. We also do our best to avoid times when we know usage will be high or when a major event is occurring.”

            When asked if there is anything students or faculty can do to make managing MyMotlow Banner easier, Logan asserted that it is not the responsibility of students or staff to worry about managing MyMotlow Banner.

            “The primary responsibility of faculty is to teach, and the primary responsibility of students is to learn. Faculty and students should never be burdened by the Banner system but should always be prepared to report to IT or Motlow leadership when they feel the system is a burden or is not performing as it should.”

            Logan reiterated how important it is to keep account login information safe.

            “Students see only their own student or financial aid data, employees see their own employment information, faculty/advisors see only their own students, and faculty see only their own courses,” Logan said.  “Protecting one’s user-ID and PIN is critical to maintaining security of one’s own data.  Never share your user-ID and PIN number and periodically change the PIN to ensure security.”

            Students and faculty who need assistance can contact the Help Desk at Extension 1510 (on-campus) or (931) 393-1510 Option 1 (off-campus) or helpdesk@mscc.edu.

Oskar and Emilie Schindler Exhibit Coming to Motlow State Community College

By Anthony Czelusniak

Motlow Buzz Reporter

         SMYRNA, Tenn. – Motlow’s Smyrna campus will host the Oskar and Emilie Schindler Exhibit for four days in October, giving students a chance to learn more about their lives.

         Wall panels for the exhibit will display previously unpublished photographs, maps and narratives that describe the heroics the Schindlers showed during World War II. The display will show more than what director Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film “Schindler’s List” starring Liam Neeson was able to. Students can look forward to an in-depth look at the lives of the Schindler family as they risked their lives to save thousands of Jews from Nazi concentration camps.

         The exhibit will be on display during regular campus hours from Oct. 23-27 (Monday-Friday) inside the lobby of the Marylou Apple Science – Technology – Allied Health Building. Admission is free. 

         Dr. Lucy Craig, professor of Criminal Justice Studies and director of the International Education and Study Abroad program, led the efforts to bring the exhibit to Motlow's four campuses. Co-sponsoring the event is the Tennessee Consortium for International Studies, which is working to make international studies a core program for higher education throughout the state.

         "This is such an exciting way for our students, staff and faculty to learn more about an important part of world history," said Associate Professor of History Heather Koller. "I am excited and happy that this has been provided for the Smyrna Campus and encourage everyone to take advantage of this opportunity!"

         The exhibit follows the story of the Shindlers' lives as they outsmarted overpowering might to save more than 1,000 Jews from peril. Their story was made famous by Spielberg's black-and-white film. 

 

         Motlow students, faculty, administrators and staff can also see the exhibit in McMinnville (Oct. 9-12), Fayetteville (Oct. 18-20), and Moore County (Oct. 30-Nov. 1).

         Motlow will host the 11 annual TnCIS Conference on International Education from Nov. 2-3 in Eoff Hall on the Moore County campus. The keynote speaker will be Professor Erika Rosenberg, personal biographer for the Schindlers. Harald Zintl, head of the Bayern Academy and the Regensburg Regional Office of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Germany, will present the keynote address, "Learning from History for Democracy and Human Rights, The Oskar and Emilie Schindler Exhibit."

        

###

Fall Festival to Bring Pumpkins, Volleyball and Food to Motlow’s Smyrna Campus

By Anthony Czelusniak

Motlow Buzz Reporter

            SMYRNA, Tenn. – Motlow’s Smyrna campus will host its Fall Festival on Oct. 31, providing plenty of activities to relieve midterm stress and accumulate Tennessee Promise service hours.

            Fall Festival will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in the STAH Lobby and on the grassy areas between the two buildings on campus. Free activities such as pumpkin painting, a poetry session, cornhole, and volleyball will be available. There also will be a bake sale at the “Flavors of Fall” booth. Food trucks will be on hand to provide refreshments to participants.

            Despite the immense growth in the number of students attending Motlow, Fall Festival committee member Candace Grissom is confident that every student will have a chance to participate.

Associate Professor of History Heather Koller and Academic Dean Elizabeth Fitch enjoy Fall Festival in 2016

            “The faculty and staff have done an excellent job stepping up to help make this happen,” the English professor said.

            The Fall Festival is a great opportunity for students to earn hours toward their Tennessee Promise service requirements. Volunteers are needed for both set-up and cleanup of the four-hour event. Grissom says this will make it easier for the college’s busy landscaping staff. 

“We don’t want Motlow’s professional landscaping team cleaning up after the festival all by themselves,” she added.

Contact Grissom at cgrissom@mscc.edu for more information on how to volunteer for Fall Festival.

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.