Category: Uncategorized

On Monday, we will be hosting our annual Earth Day celebration on campus! From 11-2 there will be activities for students to participate in to learn more about Earth Day. When students make a pledge and write it on the Earth Day Pledge Board, they will receive a free Earth Day t-shirt!

There will be free food as well, hot dogs, hamburgers, and ice cream from We-Li-Kit Farm. We will have a couple vendors and you can plant your own flower in a QV mug to take home with you!

My favorite part of the Earth Day celebration is the Trash to Treasure tables. People can bring in items to donate and on Earth Day we put out all the items and they are open for people to take for free! If you have items that you would like to donate, the collection is happening today in Room C127 at the Danielson campus from 12-6. I love being able to purge and get rid of the things that I don’t need or use anymore and the bonus is that I can find something that I really love for free in exchange! Don’t miss the Earth Day celebration on Monday, see you there!

This past Saturday, I had the opportunity to sing with the Acappella club at Voices in Concert. The event was a fundraiser for the QVCC Foundation and also Killingly High School. The show was packed with talented performers from our community. The Foundation also held a silent auction which helped to raise even more money for student scholarships at QVCC. One of the reasons that I love QVCC so much is the amazing support that we receive from our community and Saturday was another great example of that, over 800 people showed up to support the event.

I have been involved in different groups on campus since I started here at QV but this is my first semester with the Acappella club. I have really enjoyed singing with this group and have been able to learn a lot. Getting involved on campus is a great way to make the most of your time at QVCC. While you may not get the same experience as a 4 year school because students don’t live on campus, getting involved in clubs and other student groups gives you a chance to meet new people and try different things that you may not have done before. I have been singing my whole life but I have never sang acappella before. Even though it’s my last semester I am still glad that I was able to join this group and try something new.

If you haven’t joined a club on campus yet, you should check out our club list and find a group that interests you! We have many groups meeting regularly and we are always adding to the list. Not seeing something that interests you? Start your own club! It’s really easy to do and I’m sure you will find others on campus who are interested in joining. All you have to do is find the president and treasurer of the club and ask a faculty or staff member to be your club advisor. Once you have those people, fill out the club form, come to a Student Government meeting and you’re official! Get involved and make the most of your college experience here at QVCC!

Last Wednesday, Fall Festival was held on the Danielson campus by the Student Government Association (SGA) and it was a huge success! Events like Fall Festival are fun but SGA has a lot of planning to do so thanks to everyone who showed up.

We had a variety of activities and things for students to take home with them. One of my favorite give aways was the QV mason jar mugs from the President’s Office! Look at these!

One of the staples of Fall Festival is The Big Green Pizza Truck so we brought it back again this year. The artisan pizza is always sooo good and they cook as much as all the students can eat! Check out some photos I got of the truck and students enjoying their pizza.

We also got to have Cedar Knoll Farms back on campus with their two beautiful horses who gave wagon rides to students. This is always a big hit!

What did you guys think of Fall Festival? Were you able to make it? We had a great day with yummy food, fun activities, and more! It’s always a nice break from the craziness of the first month of school. I know it’s one of my favorite events of the fall semester. I’m obsessed with fall!

Did you know that 41% of community college students attend school part-time and work full-time? 22% of students attend school full-time and also work full-time! Whether you are a student attending full-time or part-time your schedule is probably pretty busy. For me, I’m a full-time student taking 5 classes, and I also work 3 jobs. I have a crazy busy schedule so I understand all the struggles you face as a busy community college student.

I’m Roxy Huckaby and Thriving in Chaos is a blog about my life at QVCC. Anything from student life and student activities to trying to keep up with everything else going on in life, because we all know that sometimes that’s hard. I work in the Student Success Center, I am President of Student Government and I’m also a Student Ambassador. To say the least, life is crazy!

It’s been a pretty long week for me, what about you?

The Quinebaug Valley Community College acapella group will have their first performance of the academic year singing the National Anthem at the QVCC Foundation Annual Golf Tournament, Wednesday, September 19, 2018.

The group is in its second year at the College and has added more than ten new faces to add to the core group from last year.   The group is under the direction of Elle-Jordyn Goslin, QVCC Director of Alumni Affairs.  Goslin, who is actively involved the local performing arts community in Northeast Connecticut, will be in the upcoming performance of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, at The Little Theater on Broad Street beginning October 11.  Goslin stated, “The group is filled with talented and dedicated musicians who are willing and eager to perform. Our students at QV are extremely talented and it’s important they have an outlet to share their music. I know everyone will be just as impressed as I am when they hear them sing!”

Released: September 18, 2018

Secretary of State Denise Merrill, State Representative Anne Dauphinais, Windham Town Councilwoman Rose Reyes, and Pomfret First Selectwoman Maureen Nicholson (left to right in photo) participated in a panel discussion on Women in Government on Monday, March 26. Topics included why they ran for office, how they won, and what challenges they faced as women.

‘The following is a letter sent to the panelists by student Heather Vogt:

I was at the discussion Monday afternoon where you talked about being a woman in politics. I would first, like to thank you all for coming, and second, to say thank you for inspiring me. I attended my first Democratic Town Council meeting tonight where I was not only made a member, but also voted Co-Vice Chair. I could not have said yes if it had not been for you all yesterday. Each of you said that you started out small, and said yes when asked to serve your towns. Tonight I was asked and I said yes. Though attendance was small the other day, just know that your time was worthwhile.

Photo below shows student Heather Vogt with
Pomfret First Selectwoman Maureen Nicholson.

Kevin Champagne never dreamed he would be a college student. Originally from Baltic, he graduated from Windham Tech in 1981 having completed the electrical course program. He spent eight years at Electric Boat, lived in Atlanta, and worked in construction, all the while battling the demons within – addiction, depression, the inability to hold a job. He ended up homeless.

But something inside told him he could get out of the endless cycle his life had become. He was fortunate to find support from local physicians and therapists as he started his road to recovery. He applied for disability benefits and then found a counselor who recommended he consider going back to school.

“I felt like I finally had someone on my side, who really listened to me,” said Kevin. “I was not comfortable with what I was doing with my life. I did not want to live on disability indefinitely. After 17 years in recovery, I wanted to make a better life for myself.”

However, the idea of going to college at his age—more than 36 years after finishing high school—was daunting. “I always hated school,” he said. “How would I fit in? My preconceived notions about college education kept me away. I didn’t think it was possible for someone like me.”

But in late August last year, Kevin walked in the door of Quinebaug Valley Community College, submitted an application, applied for financial aid, and completed placement testing—all within one week. Several days later he was sitting nervously in a classroom..

Much to Kevin’s surprise, he discovered that it was possible for him to attend college and succeed. Starting with two courses in the fall semester, one of which was “the first English class I ever enjoyed,” he gradually assimilated himself into the college culture. “I love the diversity of the student body,” he explains.

Kevin credits his professors, the library staff, and the Student Success Center for providing the help he needed to navigate his first year as a college student. Now in his second semester, he feels “connected” to QVCC and has an extended family of students and staff who provide “a lot of backing and support.”

“Now I know it is possible for someone like me to attend college,” says Kevin, adding, “it makes you feel good inside.” His next goal is to make the dean’s list—in his words, “a big deal.” While he is thinking of transferring into the drug and alcohol recovery counselor program at Manchester Community College, he now realizes that success in colleges means he can do anything he wants.

“When life throws you a curve ball, you learn to hit a curve ball,” he laughs, adding, “so that’s what I’m doing.”

The Immigration Detention and DACA (IDD) Clinic at UConn Law School is offering legal consultations for people who have lost, or will be losing, protection they previously had under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or Temporary Protected Status (TPS) programs.

The consultations will provide advice on possible immigration avenues and assistance on DACA renewal for those who qualify, but the IDD Clinic is generally not equipped to provide further representation.

The consultations will be performed by teams of law student interns under the supervision of an experienced attorney.  Consultations and any other services will be free of charge (except for potential filing fees) and will likely require two or more meetings at the UConn Law School in Hartford.

If you would like a consultation with the IDD Clinic, please contact Jon Bauer, at jon.bauer@uconn.edu or 860-570-5205, or Anna Cabot, at anna.cabot@uconn.edu or 860-570-5460.

Released January 22, 2018

English adjunct Kelly Cecchini has been actively involved and in the forefront of bridging the gap between high school readiness and college requirements. Her work in this field has been recognized on a local, state and national level.

She was asked to contribute a chapter to the newly published collaborative book, Deep Reading: Teaching Reading in the Writing Classroom.

Kelly was invited to speak on two panels at last year’s National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) conference in St. Louis. The first panel concerned authors’ respective chapters in Deep Reading. This included Kelly, Dr. Jason Courtmanche from UConn, and Dr. Sheridan Blau from Teacher’s College at Columbia University. The second was a National Writing Project panel which examined the grant (written by Kelly, Jason Courtmanche, and Amanda Lister from Manchester High School)  to provide professional development for argument writing at Manchester High School.

Kelly is currently working on getting grant funding for a new project (with Patrick Sullivan from MCC’s English department and Dr. Ellen Carrillo, director of first year writing at UConn, Waterbury), in which they hope to conduct interviews with high school students, community college students, and UConn seniors to examine when confidence in reading and writing ability – and love of reading/writing – falls off and why.

Artists who want to test their creativity and push their artistic limits are invited to Quinebaug Valley Community College for this year’s 24-Hour Comics Day. The day of extreme cartooning allows 24 straight hours for amateur and professional cartoonists of any age to challenge themselves to write, draw and letter an entire 24-page comic in 24 hours. This year’s 24-Hour Comics Day starts at the QVCC Cafeteria at 3 pm on Friday, October 6th, and continues through 3 pm on Saturday, October 7th.

Creating comic art can be lonely work. 24-Hour Comics Day provides an opportunity to stretch creative muscles and get invigorated by working alongside a group of fellow artists.

This annual international festival of comics creation draws in young and old, experienced and novice. Don’t let a lack of experience or materials keep you away – previous participants have been as young as 7, and have used supplies ranging from a box of crayons to top-of-the-line drawing pencils. “Celebrity” 24-hour comic book creators include: Neil Gaiman (“Sandman”), Erik Larsen (“Savage Dragon”), Steve Bissette (“Swamp Thing”), and 24-hour comics inventor, Scott McCloud (“Understanding Comics”).

Artists who complete the challenge may submit copies of their comics to be included in the official 24-Hour Comics Collection hosted by the Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Museum & Library.

For more information about the event, contact Jakob Spjut, QVCC associate professor of engineering science, at 860-932-4156 or visit https://qvcc.edu/event/24-hour-comic-book-day/ or www.24hourcomicsday.com.

Released September 29, 2017