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Photos by Krista Torralva

Bloodmobile on campus

Tuesday and Wednesday the Coastal Bend Blood Center will be hosting a blood drive on the Del Mar College East Campus. The "bloodmobile" will be in front of the Harvin Center from 8:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, and from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. According to Marketing of Donor Development, Allison Merrick, 85% of the blood collected by the Blood Center comes from their mobile drives. In total, the Blood Center sees roughly 42,000 donors annually and receives their goal of 30,000 units of blood. Full story

Videos

Construction Woes

April Moore

Bob Hall still undergoing construction

About 10 construction crewmen poured concrete onto the steel reinforced structure about 8:30 a.m. then scurried away to avoid injury and get off the lifted construction as it gave way into the Gulf of Mexico. Bob Hall Pier, was 15 feet above the beach before it collapsed Monday, Jan. 24 morning, destroying a new pavilion under construction. Full story

Security Measures

DMC implements emergency plan

With school shootings making the media in recent years, Del Mar College, and other colleges and universities across the country, are taking new security measures to protect the safety of their students. Within the past few years, DMC officials have developed an emergency plan to immediately alert faculty and students about minor and major emergencies on campus. Full story

Del Mar Goals

DMC town hall meetings

Strategic Planning Advisory Committee set out six goals

The DMC Strategic Planning Advisory Committee will be hosting three Town Hall Meetings this week at various times and locations listed below on Thursday and Friday to discuss the DMC Strategic Plan for 2009-2014. Full story

Education

Continuing education

Preparing students for employment opportunities

 Del Mar College offers a widespread range of continuing education courses to help students meet their goals. Courses range in areas from computer courses to healthcare, food management to job preparation, language development, real estate and more. The courses are designed to enhance employment opportunities and prepare individuals with job skills necessary to enter the workplace. Full story

YouTube it

Associate professor goes beyond the classroom

Some are familiar with the term " YouTube it" and if one were to YouTube "Todd Ehle," —Associate Professor of Violin of the Del mar music department— 113 results would appear on the computer screen. His videos can also be found under nickname "professorv." Three years ago Ehle started posting Violin Lesson's on YouTube and has about 4.2 million views to this day. "Back when I started doing this, there was only one other guy doing lessons like I did. Now, ton's of people are doing it," said Ehle. Full story

Top Half

April Moore

Recognition for military friendly campus

Del Mar College was selected number 55 of 194 colleges and universities for inclusion in the Military Advanced Edu­cation's 2010 – 2011 4th Annual Guide to Military – Friendly College and Universities. "For being on the list for the first time ever, I believe being in the top half is great," said Sandra Valerio, interim dean of student engagement and retention, "although I'm never satisfied and believe we can do better." According to "Coming Home," magazine DMC has been designated as a "Service members Opportunity College" (SOC) program, and is committed to serving the educational needs of service members and their dependents. Full story

Fewer Grants

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Proposed budget cuts for public education

 "Public education in Texas is facing billions of dollars in proposed budget cuts," according to the Associated Press. The budget will eliminate financial aid for all incoming college freshmen and new students, the Texas Grants scholarship program would drop more than 70,000 students over the next two years and four community colleges will be closed. "Fifty three percent of our students have some form of financial assistance. If the state does away with Texas Grants for incoming freshmen, we stand to lose between $650,000 to $700,000 a year," said DMC Director of Financial Aid Henry Garcia. Full story

Del Mar Budget Cuts

Dr. Fernando Figueroa

Figueroa talks about budget cuts and plans

As the 2011 spring semester begins, Dr. Fernando Figueroa, DMC provost/vice president of instruction, prepares for a new year. Figueroa, who started at DMC in December 2009, said he has good thoughts about DMC. “It’s a very cool place with a lot of energy, excitement, good tradition and history. What I was most excited about was the strong tradition in education and instruction,” he said. Figueroa moved to Texas because of his job. “It was a long route. Full story

Law Enforcement

Krista Torralva

CCPD still impounding uninsured vehicles

Local insurance sales decrease despite zero tolerance

 At the beginning of the new year, local insurance companies saw an increase in sales as a result of the recent Corpus Christi Police Department's zero tolerance on uninsured drivers policy. Now insurance agencies have seen a decrease, and most think it is due to less media coverage. "The first weekend of the new year people came in, but since it died down in the news no one comes in," John Asch, owner of Tejas Auto Insurance said. But that doesn't mean police are not still patrolling for uninsured and unlicensed drivers. Full story

Student Government

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New SGA activity for new semester

The Student Government Association (SGA) will be holding its first meeting of the semester on February 16 in the Harvin Center. Instead of the usual evening time, SGA President Tommy Lane believes that changing the meeting time to early afternoon will benefit the turn out at these open meetings. Although officers were elected last semester, the position of historian has still yet to be filled." This new semester brings more activity to the largest club on campus. The conferences will occur throughout the spring starting in early February. Full story

Art Walk

Tejano band shoots video

Bizarre guitar event benefits music department

The Coastal Bend Artists (CBA) and the House of Rock are teaming up to take the free monthly ArtWalk event to the musical venue to raise money for Del Mar College’s music department in the Bizarre Guitar event. On Feb. 4 the event will kick off, as per usual on the first Friday of the month, in Downtown Corpus Christi’s La Retama Park. Full story