A Bladen Community College Campus Weekly.
Vol. VII, No. 2
January 15, 2015
Judge Gore to keynote MLK program
Bladen Community College will present a program celebrating the anniversary
of the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King on Tuesday, January 20, at 11 a.m. in the
auditorium. The keynote speaker for the program is newly elected District Court
Judge Fred Gore, who serves Judicial District 13 which includes Bladen, Columbus and Brunswick counties.
A native of Brunswick County, Judge Gore graduated from West Brunswick
High School. After graduation, he enlisted in the North Carolina Army National
Guard and completed basic and advanced training before returning to North Carolina to attend college. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration
with a concentration in marketing from University of North Carolina – Charlotte
in 1998.
He worked in the business world for several years before applying for law
school in 2002. While a student at Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, Virginia, he completed over 300 hours of community service and was selected to Who’s
Who of the American Law Students in 2003-2004.
Shortly after he earned his Juris Doctorate in Law in 2005, Judge’s Gore’s National Guard unit was mobilized to Iraq from 2006 until 2007. During the tour he
served as a noncommissioned officer and
was awarded the Army
Commendation and Army
Achievement medals for his
service. After returning to
the United States, he joined
the Durham District Attorney’s office in 2008, where
he served for three years.
While in Durham, he was
commissioned as a Judge
Advocate General (JAG)
officer in the North Carolina
National Guard.
He returned to his home
area in October 2011 working in the District Attorney’s Office serving
Bladen, Columbus and
SEE SPEAKER Page 5
From the office
of the
Vice President
for Continuing
Education
Bladen Community College has recently been approved to offer three additional career pathways
through the Basic Skills Plus Program. Qualified students may receive a tuition or registration fee waiver
for the approved courses that provide employability
skills, job-specific occupational or technical skills
training. This program allows students who are actively pursuing their high school credential to also
achieve a credential in nursing assistant or one of the
newly approved programs: pharmacy technician,
welding technology, and early childhood.
Currently six students are enrolled in pharmacy
technician through continuing education and one student is enrolled in welding through curriculum. Basic
Skills Plus students also have the opportunity to take
the Workkeys® assessments that lead to a Career
Readiness Certificate: Reading for Information, Applied Mathematics, and Locating Information. Basic
Skills Plus is a great way for students to achieve their
high school credential as well as other credentials
leading to employment. For additional information on
this program, contact Travis Locklear, Director for
Basic Skills at 910.879.5587.
Sondra Guyton
District Court Judge Willie “Fred” Gore
Upcoming Events
January 15 - Book buyback at the Bookstore 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. and 2 - 5 p.m.
January 15 - Upswing Online Tutoring Service Representative in Building 1 Lobby 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
January 19 - College closed for Martin Luther King Holiday.
January 20 - Dr. Martin Luther King Program in Auditorium at 11 a.m. Featured speaker is District Court Judge Fred Gore.
January 26 - 911 Rescue Remembrance Project Presentation at Library at 11 a.m. Truck on display in front of Library.
January 27 - The BCC Writers Series features a program by Dr. David LaVere at 11 a.m. in the Library (See Page 6).
BCC Birthdays through January 21: Crystal Dowd, January 19.
Faculty
andthe
Staff
Spotlight
Lighting
candle
Kim Gardner - Administrative Assistant
Though not a very well-known face around campus, Kim Gardner, a BCC
alumnus, serves a very important function as an administrative assistant for
BCC Foundation Director Linda Burney.
A native of New Jersey, Ms. Gardner moved to Bladen County with her
mother and most of her siblings after the death of her father. She was 12 years
old at the time and entering the eighth grade. She attended Bladen County
schools until she left school to marry. She later earned her high school credential through the Basic Skills program at BCC. She says she wishes she had
continued her education at the time but returned to work instead. For the nine
years before returning to school, she worked as the bookkeeper at Bo’s Supermarket in Elizabethtown.
In 2011, she decided to return to school to earn a degree and enrolled at
BCC.
“When I was young, I had always wanted to work in an office job,” she said.
“So I decided to earn a degree in Office Administration.”
While a student, she began working as a work study in the BCC Foundation
office. In 2013 she graduated with honors. Initially a part-time employee, she
is now a full-time employee of the college.
Ms. Gardner and her husband, Robin, have two grown children—a 23-yearold son and a 20-year-old daughter. They are also the proud grandparents of a two-year-old grandson.
Additions to the Honors lists for the fall semester
Six students have been added to the honors lists for the Fall 2014 Semester. To qualify for inclusion on the President’s List,
a student must be considered full-time and have maintained a grade point average of 4.0. To qualify for inclusion on the Dean’s
List, a student must be considered full-time and have maintained a grade point average of between 3.5 and 3.99. CONGRATULATIONS! The students are:
President’s List
Luis Araujo-Tinoco and Erica Butler
Dean’s List
Jordan Hayes, Elizabeth Pearsall, Holly Rains and Kaitlin Valliere
Be Proud of Yourself
Are you a creative writer, artist, photographer, or poet? Do you want your work
published in a literary magazine? Do you want to add an accomplishment to your
resume and get a free copy of your college's literary magazine that you can show to
friends, colleagues, children and grandchildren? This is your chance to share your
work with others and be proud of yourself. Submit your work for publication in the
Ink Quill to Dr. Joyce Bahhouth by March 1, 2015. You can reach her at
[email protected] or at 910.879.5540.
Make your BCC experience more than just a credential
Join one or more of the many student activities and clubs available on campus. Many of these clubs
are now organizing for the semester and looking for new members. Among these clubs are the Student Government Association, the History Club, the Criminal Justice Club, the Ink Quill Society, the
honor societies (membership for these are by invitation) and others. Check around and see what it
available. You will be glad you did!
Registrar’s Office still accepting
applications for graduation
Signing up for Upswing for the Spring
Semester.
Sign-up for the online tutoring service Upswing is ongoing and is
available at the Upswing website. The online tutoring service is
available to students taking most of the courses offered at
BCC...and it is FREE. Tutors are available 24/7 for immediate
tutoring or students can schedule a tutoring session for a later time
or date. Upswing Ambassadors Robin Novak and Katiesha Hayes
are available at the LEC to help students who desire help in accessing the service. They will be available at the LEC for the
spring semester at the LEC.
.Felisa W illiams 879.5560
BCC ADNs can earn BSN
The BCC Registrar’s Office is still accepting applications from students who complete requirements to earn
degrees, diplomas and certificates for this year. That includes students who completed requirements any of these
credentials during the fall 2014 semester, or will complete
requirements during the spring or summer semesters of
2015.
Though the deadline was November 26, 2014, students
may still apply. To pick up a graduation application packet,, go to the Registrar’s Office in Building 2, Room 116 or
118. Students must complete the graduation application
Upswing representative on campus
Thursday
Individuals who complete their associate degree in nursing at BCC
can earn their bachelor’s in nursing through the Bridge Program offered by University of North Carolina-Pembroke. BCC is proud to
Morgan Intrator, a representative of the Upswing online
partner with UNCP to create a seamless opportunity for Bladen
County registered nurses to continue their education through UNCP’s tutoring service will be on campus on Thursday, January
15, 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Upswing display in the lobby
bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program. The articulation
of Building 1. He will be assisted by BCC’s Upswing Amagreement, known as the Bridge Program, allows registered nurses
(RNs), who graduate with an associate’s degree in nursing, to trans- bassadors Robin Novak and Kateisha Hayes in explaining
how the service works and how to access it.
fer up to 62 credit hours into the RN to BSN program. This opporFelisa Williams 879.5560
tunity to complete more transferrable credit hours on the community
college campus eases time and financial barriers registered nurses
often face as they return to school to further their degrees. Pre-licensure
nursing students and general education students are also encouraged to
learn more about the program, as careful selection of general education
courses now provides students with a successful path to an accelerated
In a program offered through a grant, Bladen
nursing degree in the future. For more information, contact Michelle
Community
College is offering individuals the opNorris, BCC Nursing Faculty and RN-BSN Liaison, at 910.879.5541 or
portunity to earn certification in five different areas
email [email protected].
through the Microsoft IT Academy. The grant that
funds the certification examinations is available for
this fiscal year. It provides the opportunity for certification in Microsoft Office Excel 2013, Microsoft
Office Word 2013, Microsoft Office Powerpoint
Bladen Community College’s Campus Crusade is up and running
2013, Microsoft Office Access 2013 and Microsoft
for the spring semester.
Office Outlook 2013. During last fiscal year 13 BCC
Student meetings
faculty, staff and students earned certification in one
Tuesdays - 12:00 - 12:30 p.m. in the LEC Conference Room.
or more of the areas. These certifications can enA light lunch is provided at this meeting.
hance employability and can be beneficial not on employment resumes, but also enhance chances of proFaculty and Staff Meetings
motion in your current job.
Faculty and Staff meetings will be held twice monthly. Dates and times
Don’t miss this great opportunity. For more inforof the meetings will be announced in advance of the meetings.
mation on taking one or more of the exams, call Cynthia McKoy at 879.5566 or Chad McKenzie at
College Chaplain Schedule
879.5640.
Tuesdays - 12:30 - 1:30 in the Library for informal counseling.
Thursdays - 12:00 - 2 p.m. in the Library for Bible study and informal
counseling
Twyla Davis 879.5516
Microsoft IT Academy offers
certifications at no cost
Campus Crusade up and running for the
Spring Semester
Learning Enhancement Center
regular hours of Operation
Don’t miss program on Dr. King
A program on Dr. Martin Luther King will be presented in the BCC
Auditorium on Tuesday, January 20, at 11 a.m. The featured speaker
is recently elected District Court Judge Fred Gore, who presides in
Brunswick, Columbus and Bladen counties. The program is presented
by the BCC Diversity Committee.
Mark Coleman
The Learning Enhancement Center will return to its
regular hours of operation with full tutoring services
on January 12.
Monday: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday - Thursday: 8:30 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Friday: 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Felisa Williams 879.5560
From the Green Technology Committee
Remember the goals that drive development in the rapidly growing field of Green Technology?
They are:
Sustainability - meeting the needs of society in ways that
can continue indefinitely into the future without damaging
or depleting natural resources. In short, meeting present
needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
“Cradle to cradle” design - ending the “cradle to grave”
cycle of manufactured products by creating products that
can be fully reclaimed or re-used.
Source reduction - reducing waste and pollution by
changing patterns of production and consumption.
Innovation - developing alternatives to technologies—
whether fossil fuel or chemical intensive agriculture—that
have been demonstrated to damage health and the environment.
Viability - creating a center of economic activity around
technologies and products that benefit the environment,
speeding their implementation and creating new careers
that truly protect the planet.
Kathy McGurgan 879.5668
BCC Men’s Basketball Team season in
progress
The Bladen Community College Men’s Basketball Team has
formed and the season is in progress. All games are played at the
Elizabethtown Middle School Gym (formerly East Bladen High
School) and admission is free.
All games are on Saturday. The remaining games on the schedule
are:
DATE/TIME
OPPONNENT
January 17, 6 p.m.
Grace Church of God
January 24, 9 p.m.
White Lake Baptist Church
January 31, 8 p.m.
Calvary Church
February 7, 7 p.m.
Elizabethtown Baptist Church
February 21, 5 p.m.
Clarendon Baptist Church
February 21, 8 p.m.
Bethlehem United Methodist Church
Playoffs will begin February 28 and continue through March 28.
New NC LIVE lineup available
The BCC Library is offering a new lineup of resources for 2015
through 2017. These resources may be accessed through the
library’s webpage or through www.nclive.org. The library staff
has created a library guide detailing the new NC LIVE resources.
See a Library staff member for the password to access the site.
Sherwin Rice 879.5646
Notice on BCC Bookstore renovation
Extended Bookstore hours of operation
The Bookstore will have extended hours of operation
through January 15. Hours on Monday through Thursday
will be 9 a.m.—2 p.m. and 4 - 7 p.m. Regular hours—9
a.m. until 2 p.m.—will return on January 20.
Cassie Campbell 879.5573
Beginning on February 2 the BCC Bookstore will be closed for
renovation. The process is expected to take at least a month to
complete. Students are encouraged to go by the store and p0ick
up any textbooks and other supplies they may need for classes
before the renovation begins. The physical store will be closed
during the renovation period and inventory will be placed in storage. However, the bookstore will have a small service window
located adjacent to the vending machines in the Student Lounge.
The service window will be open from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Monday through Friday to assist students.
Cassie Campbell 879.5573
What is QEP?
Stay in school and graduate.
You’ll be glad you did.
Having problems with a subject?
Stop in at the Learning Enhancement Center and ask
for assistance from a tutor. Tutoring assistance is available in person as well as online.
January 2013 marked the
implementation of the college’s QEP, Quality Enhancement Plan, which is
designed to enhance student
learning through problem
solving. Students will learn
to use the 4 P ProblemSolving Action Plan to tackle
assignments and make decisions. Make sure you have
your P’s— Plan, Prepare,
Practice and Produce.
Twyla Davis 879.5516
Speaker from front
Brunswick counties. Shortly after moving back to his home area, Judge
Gore was again mobilized with his National Guard unit, this time to Kuwait. During this tour of duty, he served as the Chief Prosecutor and Officer in Charge for the Brigade’s legal team. For his service he was
awarded the Army’s Meritorious Service Medal and Commander’s Coin
for Performance.
He rejoined the local District Attorney’s office after returning from
Kuwait in November 2012 and decided in February 2014 to seek an elected office to serve the district in a higher capacity. He ran for the office of
District Court Judge and was elected on November 4, 2014.
He is active in his church and community; where he is a member of Big
Macedonia Baptist Church, a member of Prince Hall Masonic Lodge
#786, and a member of the Executive Board of the Cape Fear Council of
Boy Scouts of America. He has served in the North Carolina National
Guard for 22 years.
Judge Gore has twin sons and presently resides with his family in Columbus County.
Resource Fair set for Saturday
Need answers about what resources are available in Bladen County
to help with a variety of issues, such as how to apply for an EBT
card, how to apply for childcare assistance, how to apply for Medicaid, who to talk to about getting a high school credential, who to talk
to about returning to school, who can help with applying for
healthcare insurance, help for individuals with disabilities in finding
employment, and many other issues? The NC Works Career Center
of Bladen County is presenting a Agency Information and Resource
Fair on Saturday, January 17, at the National Guard Armory in Elizabethtown. Bladen Community College will have representatives to
explain various programs. The agencies and programs and issues for
which they will provide information are as follows:
 Bladen Community College (Job Ready Information)
 Bladen Community College (General Education)
 Bladen Community College (GED & High School programs)
 Bladen County DSS Food and Nutrition Unit (EBT applications)
 Bladen Crisis Resources & Services
 Bladen Health Department—Young Families Connect
 Duke Community Education—Partners in Caring (HIV screening)
 Former Offender Services Information
 Men and Women United for Youth and Families
 NC Healthcare Enrollment
 NC Works Career Center (Employment Information)
 Vocational Rehabilitation
Willis earns TestOut PC Pro
certification
In December, Montreal Willis completed requirements
for Test Out PC Pro certification. The certification is
evidence of the ability of the holder to install, manage,
repair, and troubleshoot PC hardware and Windows
Operating System software. The certification was
earned in conjunction with the CTS 120: Hardware/
Software Support course. For information on earning
one or more of the certifications, call Lee Anne Bryan at
879-5653 or email her at [email protected].
BCC facility use by non-affiliated agencies
In this and future issues of The Flyer, we will publish a list of outside agencies who have scheduled use of college facilities:
DATE
EVENT
TIME
FACILITY
January 15, 2015
January 29, 2015
North Carolina Institute of Medicine
National Safety Council
Con Ed program location changes
The Continuing Education Compensatory Education and
Adult High School classes that have been held at the Elizabethtown Community Building are scheduled to be moved to
the Elizabethtown Middle School effective January 12.
Sondra Guyton 879.5634
1 p.m.
9 a.m.
Auditorium
Auditorium
Rescue Remembrance Project
Presentation
On Monday, January 26, Elizabethtown Fire Department Assistant Chief Jamie Smith will give a brief history of the Rescue
Truck from 911 in the Library and the truck will be on display
With the new semester underway, the LEC has been at or near capacity for much of the time during the past two weeks.
LaVere to kick off Writers Series in spring semester
Author and history professor Dr. David LaVere will return to Bladen Community College on
Tuesday, January 27, 2015 to kick off the spring semester Writers Series. He first gave a
presentation at BCC on The Lost Colony in 2011. This time his presentation will center on the
Tuscarora War 1711-1715.
Born in New Orleans, Dr. LaVere earned a bachelor or arts in history and journalism and a
master of arts in history from Northwestern State University in his native Louisiana. He completed a Ph.D. in history from Texas A&M University. He is also a former Marine infantryman.
His specialty is American Indian History and he teaches several graduate history classes at
the University of North Carolina - Wilmington, and researches on Southeastern Indians, especially those in the Carolinas.
He has published seven books: The Tuscarora W ar: Indians, Settlers and the Fight for the
Carolina Colonies (2013), The Lost Rocks: The Dare Stones and the Unsolved Mystery of Sir
Walter Raleigh’s Lost Colony (2010) Looting Spiro Mounds (2007), The Texas Indians (2004);
Contrary Neighbors: Southern Plains and Removed Indians in Indian Territory (2000).
David LaVere
Business plan competition and seminar series on tap
Do you have a garden that overproduces? Do you have an idea for what to do with some extra acres of land? The Small
Business Center at Bladen Community College, the Bladen County Extension, and NC Real Enterprises have an opportunity for
you!
Join other entrepreneurs at the Bladen County Extension Office for a seminar series and business plan competition and turn
your idea into a money-making business! Thanks to a grant, scholarships are available for individuals to participate at no cost
for the chance to win a first place prize of $500 or second place $250 prize.
The seminars start on January 26 for four weeks. This opportunity will show you how to take your idea or existing business
and grow it.
For more information or to apply for the scholarship, call 910.879.5572.
There was an introductory event on January 13, 6 - 9 p.m. at Bladen Community College to highlight the series and business
plan competition.
The competition and seminars are sponsored by the Small Business Center at Bladen Community College, the Bladen County
Extension, and NC Real Enterprises, but is open to all Bladen County and surrounding county residents.