Student Submissions for The Meadow Win CCHA Awards
One of the greatest joys about creativity is the ability to share it with an audience who interprets the artistic expression for themselves, making the meaning behind a powerfully written story, visually stunning painting, or an exciting cinematic feature ignite our innate desire to explore subject matter unknown to us. At TMCC, The Meadow is one platform where students blend their original verse or prose for those to read and reflect on its messages while appreciating the talent and commitment our community and country have.
So it’s exhilarating when two of our own, Richard Martin and Heather Arbuckle, took home second and first-place awards, respectively, at the Community College Humanities Association Awards (CCHA) for their poems “Ode to a Newport” and “I’m Nobody to Judge” from the 2022 issue! Not only do students gain an understanding of how valuable submitting their portfolios can be, but the bonus of reading accomplished writers offers them a glimpse at the extensive collection of career possibilities.
Being published is incredibly rewarding, but being selected over hundreds of others as one of the top three in the Pacific-Western region is pure euphoria. Stay enthusiastic about where your active imagination will take you next, but remember to take pride in your craft, and doors may open that you never knew existed.
Lindsay Wilson, TMCC English Professor, is proud of Martin and Arbuckle for their dedication to their literary passions, explaining their ability to incorporate profound ideas into their writing while maintaining a sense of clarity for the reader.
“Heather Arbuckle and Richard Martin are excellent students who have taken multiple creative writing classes at TMCC. I enjoyed watching them develop as writers in different courses. Heather Arbuckle’s ‘I’m Nobody to Judge’ shows a real keen eye for the telling concrete detail within a character on the page, and what I love about the poem is how she moves subtly towards empathy while still seeing the darkness in the world,” said Wilson.
“Richard Martin’s ‘Ode to a Newport’ is a very different poem that integrates personal with national history while blending biblical references. The poem is not just his story. It's part of our collective story,” Wilson continued.
Whatever your interests, there are opportunities to present your singular voice. Modern living means immersing ourselves in the worlds of others and gaining a better perception of what fascinates diverse groups of people. You never know who your work may resonate with.
“Submissions highlight the wonderful work of our students and give them personal affirmation, including how our classes foster their growth. It achieves national recognition for our school and journal when they win or place in competitions. Winning awards like this two years in a row supports why I’ve been saying The Meadow is one of the top five community college literary journals in the country,” said Wilson.
Wizard’s Warehouse and Rotary Club of Sparks Donations Impact Lives
Thanks to tireless community support for struggling students, Wizard’s Warehouse is brimming with canned meals, fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins, the abundance of gracious donations teeming throughout the year, especially during the holiday season. The gratifying impact your charity leaves on those struggling to cope with drastic living expenses rampant across Northern Nevada is apparent in recent statistics from the Food Bank of Northern Nevada.
The total amount distributed by Wizard’s Warehouse in 2023 was a whopping 23,116 lbs. of food! 31% of that is fresh produce, noting an increase thanks to honest, sustainable growing vendors aiming to put nutritious food into the bellies of hungry individuals and families. Additionally, the Food Bank reports that TMCC fed 2,214 people and served 847 households. That type of selflessness is breathtaking to behold, the kindness of strangers once again characterizing no matter where we come from, what our background is, or what we’re grappling with personally, uplifting our fellow humans is what gives us our strength.
Katie Paul, Counseling Coordinator, discussed how the extraordinary compassion of donors exemplifies TMCC’s dedication to our students, providing an accessible college journey transcending academic constraints by providing access to quality instruction and prosperous careers.
“From Fall 2022 to 2023, Wizard’s Warehouse has seen our pantry usage double. Thanks to our partnership with the Food Bank of Northern Nevada and our generous TMCC and Reno communities, we have kept it stocked,” said Paul.
“Our campus food pantry has an enormous value for under-resourced students, and we could not keep it running smoothly without these donations. Lack of access to nutritious food and personal hygiene items can create a huge rift in their lives, sometimes leading to missed classes or worse—stop out. I cannot thank our community enough for contributing to their success,” Paul continued.
Celebrate the goodwill shown toward others and change the lives of those fighting for lifelines to preserve their higher educational dreams through a gift of your own. Degree completion can be challenging, especially when crises arise that blindside you, stunting all the progress made during the semester. The giving season reminds us that we can make a tangible difference for the less fortunate, and what an awe-inspiring number of items our institution has accumulated to do so.
Visit the Dandini Campus, Meadowood Center, or Pennington Applied Technology Center at your earliest convenience to obtain whatever will ensure you or your family sleep comfortably with the knowledge that the supplies you require are secure.
VPAA Dr. Jeffrey Alexander receives an initial $1,000 check from the Rotary Club of Sparks.
The network connecting our organizations is expansive, each branch adding something distinct and instrumental to our combined efforts for student elevation and finishing on track. By happy fortune, one such non-profit organization, the Rotary Club of Sparks (RCS), encouraged early donations so other enterprises might qualify for a matched endowment. Without hesitation, the Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA) and Foundation and Grants Office began raising funds for this initiative.
Sixteen benefactors pledged their money, and soon enough, they garnered $3,727 to distribute to underprivileged students depending on the services Wizard’s Warehouse and the Student Emergency Resource Fund provide! Exceeding the initial $1,000, the RCS stayed true to their word and echoed the grand sum, a unity of caring hearts and minds and progressive ventures trying to do their part for the next generation of leaders.
New Department of Labor Grant Builds Pathway to Infrastructure Jobs
Fantastic news for the TMCC community, especially those seeking careers in innovative and constructive technologies! The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA) awarded the Foundation and Grants Office with the Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs Grant Program grant, aimed at creating and sustaining apprenticeship programs to reinforce the region’s workforce, meeting the demands of the rising Advanced Manufacturing sector. As Nevada continues to evolve through technological and scientific means, the desire for professionals to be the driving force behind future instruments and processes is undeniable and felt across the industry.
Students enjoying their work during a Manufacturing class at the Pennington Applied Technology Center.
TMCC plans to cultivate existing workforce partnerships and enlist the help of public agencies, local and national corporations, and large and small advanced manufacturing employers to conceptualize and implement at least 500 pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships that are trade-intensive and competency-based. We all have to begin somewhere, and with an impressive selection of worthwhile options available to you, there's still time to discover a field that empowers your interests while sharpening your skill set.
As the breadth of our programs reaches strategic corners of the cultural and economic landscape within our state, we're changing the impression of what people believe community colleges are capable of, maintaining our core values of inclusivity, accessibility, and affordability, and a shining example of how any person inviting education into their life can see fruitful results and a kinetic upswing in their interpretation of the world's occupational conditions. Across all departments, TMCC's greatest asset is its students, and with our shared vision of developing successful and responsible experts, the employment possibilities will continue to mount.
For more information, please visit The Meadow, Wizard’s Warehouse, and Advanced Manufacturing websites.