We Heard It Through the Grapevine That...

* Faculty Mentors are Needed: Tennessee Promise offers faculty members and others the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of students in Rutherford County and beyond. At last report, nearly 3,000 mentors were still needed as the Dec. 6 deadline approached. To volunteer or learn more, visit https://tnachieves.org/mentors/apply/new-mentor-application/

* Three Motlow students were recently elected Smyrna Freshman SGA Officers: Marina Hana (freshman president), Bryna Green (freshman senator), and Tamara Diallo (freshman senator).

* Professional counseling is now offered to Motlow students. Helpful resources and contact information are provided at http://www.mscc.edu/counseling/

* The Thanksgiving weather outlook from the Old Farmer’s Almanac looks splendid: “Well, we have good news for those who aren’t big fans of the white stuff: According to our long-range forecasts, much of the United States will avoid receiving more snow on Thanksgiving, and will instead be graced with sunny, clear skies for the holiday. This, along with colder-than-normal temperatures (but not colder than last year’s frigid temps), will make for a pleasant yet chilly Thanksgiving Day—something to ultimately be thankful for!”

* The “50 Stories/50 Stops” Reading Campaign needs readers for various school visits this fall. To express interest, contact Christy Glenn at cglenn@mscc.edu.

* A “Family Fun Day” is being considered for the Smyrna campus on April 17, 2020. Check out a similar event that occurred on the Moore County campus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev8D4ZEWjxQ  

(If you’re heard anything through the grapevine, please share it with us at cwhiting@mscc.edu or rshelton@mscc.edu)

We Heard It Through The Grapevine That...

      

         * Front page news! Dr. Michael L. Torrence will become the new president of Motlow State Community College if the Tennessee Board of Regents agrees. http://www.dnj.com/story/news/2018/03/08/motlow-state-may-have-next-president-tuesday-if-tbr-agrees-recommendation/407328002/

Dr. Michael L. Torrence

         * Thomas Brookshire and his wife are leaving soon for Florida. We can't believe it. He is a dear member of the Motlow family who has always been there to help with everything technical, always coming to the rescue. We can't thank him enough, but we're very happy for them.

         * Winners of the "Unplug and Read" Smyrna Library competition have been announced. Reading the most/longest were students Benji Barnard and Jazzmin Mitchell, staff member Bridget Carlson, and faculty member Megan Johnson. Benji read a whopping 5 hours and 30 minutes.

         * An Adjunct Faculty Career Fair will occur from 5-7 p.m. March 27 in MLA 204/205. Info: (615) 220-7802 or AdjunctCareersSmyrna@mscc.edu

         * "Celebration 2018" (April 13) will present awards to full-time faculty, staff and adjunct faculty. If you know anyone who has gone above and beyond, send a nomination form to Ramona Shelton at rshelton@mscc.edu by March 23.

         * Individuals have until March 14 (Wednesday) to buy tickets to attend the Gala Preview Cocktail Party on March 17 and the Motlow Masquerade Gala on March 31. Order tickets: www.mscc.edu/gala2018

        

         * Students have until March 15 (Thursday) to turn in their Intend to Graduate Forms.

         * A CPR Class will be offered on the Smyna campus on March 23. The class will also include how to use the AED machines. This is the same day as the groundbreaking, so you could make a day of it. Register: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1k75QKbLfe-2MeQ-YdcERP9XuJjWv3nfeCLF1YUgXnsQ/edit?usp=sharing

         * Commencement 2018 (for Smyrna graduates) has been set for 4 p.m. May 5 on the Moore County campus with guest speaker Krissy DeAlejandro, executive director of TnAchieves.

         * Congratulations to Scott Cook, who soon will be joining Madisonville Community College in Kentucky. His going-away celebration will occur from 1:30-2:30 p.m. March 13 (Tuesday) at Forrester Center in Moore County.

(Send your "Grapevine" news to Charles Whiting at cwhiting@mscc.edu or Ramona Shelton at rshelton@mscc.edu.)

We Heard It Through The Grapevine That...

                  * Our Motlow Smyrna Environmental Science class was featured in a photo that appeared in the January issue of the Music City Center's Green Times. https://www.nashvillemusiccitycenter.com/sites/default/files/media/Holiday/january_2018_green_times.pdf

                  * The Smyrna Library handles the campus Lost and Found. A number of items have already been turned in. Stop by to see if the collection includes something you've misplaced or lost.

                  * Groundbreaking for the new building will occur on March 23, with construction beginning on April 2. Construction on a new entrance and parking lot will begin at the same time. The building will be ready for classes in August 2019.

                  * New faculty include Carmen Lopez (Spanish), Nathan Fisher (Chemistry), and Felicia Brown (Sociology).

                  * Motlow needs faculty and staff to volunteer for its marketing campaign. Interested? Contact Terry Bryson at tbryson@mscc.edu.

                  * Barnes and Noble in Murfreesboro will donate a percentage of all sales on Feb. 10 to Read to Succeed. Mention "Read to Succeed" on checkout.

                  * Motlow has created an online list of students who made the Dean's List or Honor Roll. Check it out: http://www.mscc.edu/deans_list

                  * Smyrna's Honors English 1010 class used an innovative new subscription service rather than a textbook. Now the students are famous! Check out their photo in Journal of the Month: https://www.journalofthemonth.com/info/course

(Got news? Send your tips to cwhiting@mscc.edu or rshelton@mscc.edu)

 

We Heard It Through The Grapevine That...

* The Motlow State Community College Public Safety Department was recently awarded a $2,500 grant through the Tennessee Highway Safety Office. The grant funds will be used as part of THSO’s mission to reduce traffic crashes, injuries and fatalities through local highway safety initiatives.

* Feb. 9th is the deadline to nominate former Motlow students for the Motlow College Foundation’s Distinguished Alumni Award. Contact Lane Yoder at lyoder@mscc.edu for more information.

* The Smyrna campus library gate count grew from 95,587 in 2016 to 104,683 in 2017. What an accomplishment for Paige Hendrickson and her team!

* All Motlow Campuses are tobacco free and smoke free. This includes e-cigarettes, chewing tobacco products, and vaping.

* Motlow’s Smyrna campus is the largest in population with 2,224 students.

* Santa accidentally left his suit in Stanley’s tool shed.

We Heard It Through The Grapevine That...

                  * Sidney McPhee has been chosen as a participant in the TBR 2017 Maxine Smith Fellows Program.

                  * The Motlow Smyrna Library is going to be open for extended hours during pre-finals week and finals week.

                  * TN Reconnect will begin next Fall semester. Jeremy Mills and Allison Barton have been holding event nights to field questions and provide information to potential students, including posting Facebook videos of the sessions (presumably for anyone who could not make it in person).

                  * Students must complete eight TN Promise/FYE community service hours before the Dec. 1 deadline.

                  * Student Affairs has provided generous funding for the purchase of "hot beverage" supplies for all four campus libraries.

                  * Dec. 1 is the deadline for faculty members to submit an application to become a Tennessee Promise student mentor. Rutherford County only has 62 percent of the mentors it needs to serve the next incoming class of Tennessee Promise students. 

                  * Construction on the new (third) building is expected to begin next March.

(Stacy Dowd and Paige Hendrickson contributed to this column.)