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Bucks Holds Forum to Raise Awareness About Human Trafficking
Allegra Cressman of Worthwhile Wear, a nonprofit that serves human trafficking survivors, speaks March 7 about how to end modern-day slavery. Human trafficking is a crime that deprives millions of people of their dignity and freedom, as at-risk populations are exploited for labor or commercial sex. According to the U.S. Department of State, an estimated 27.6 million people are currently victims of trafficking worldwide, and, sadly, many of them are often hidden right in front of us.
Bucks County Community College seeks to raise awareness of this major problem by inviting the public to a free forum at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, March 7, in-person and online. Allegra Cressman, Director of Programming at Worthwhile Wear, will speak about how the nonprofit is working to end modern-day slavery.
Worthwhile Wear provides a residential program to help survivors of human trafficking with counseling, education, and training. The organization also operates thrift stores in Plumsteadville and Collegeville to help fund its mission and to offer employment opportunities to women in their programs.
As Director of Programming, Cressman oversees the development of Worthwhile Wear’s housing, employment, and community-based outreach and empowerment programs for survivors of human trafficking. Prior to joining the team, she was the Executive Director at Family Promise of the Main Line, and before that spent 19 years as the Housing Program Director at Keystone Opportunity Center.
Cressman’s talk takes place at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, March 7, in the Gallagher Room, located inside the Rollins Center building on the College’s campus at 275 Swamp Rd, Newtown, Pa. The event will also be streamed live online for those who register in advance.
The event is sponsored by the College’s office of DEI Programs and the Bucks Catholic Student Association. To learn more, contact diversity@bucks.edu.
Unveiling the Supernatural: Bucks County ParaCon!, Saturday, March 9
First Annual Paranormal Conference Set to Thrill Audiences on Bucks County Community College’s Newtown Campus Get ready for a spine-tingling adventure into the unknown as Bucks County Community College presents the inaugural Bucks County ParaCon! This one-day extravaganza, dedicated to all things paranormal, will take place on Saturday, March 9, 2024, from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., on the College’s Newtown Campus (275 Swamp Road, Newtown, PA 18940) in the Zlock Performing Arts Center.
Bucks County ParaCon! promises an immersive and electrifying experience for attendees, featuring a lineup of esteemed speakers, captivating presentations, and an array of vendors offering intriguing merchandise related to the supernatural world. Hosted by Eric Mintel and team member spirit medium Dominic Sattele, this event is a must-attend for enthusiasts of ghosts, Bigfoot, UFOs, and beyond.
Special guest speaker Nick Pope, renowned for his work as the host of History Channel's Ancient Aliens, will share his insights and experiences in the realm of ancient mysteries and extraterrestrial phenomena. His presence adds an extra layer of excitement to an already star-studded lineup of speakers.
Attendees will have the opportunity to delve into the mysteries of the paranormal with engaging presentations by renowned experts in the field. From discussions on ghost hunting techniques to explorations of extraterrestrial encounters, each session promises to enlighten and enthrall audiences.
Additional speakers at Bucks County ParaCon! include:
1-1:45 p.m. Jim Krug: Experienced ghost hunter and founder of a leading paranormal investigation team.
2-2:45 p.m. Eric Mintel and Dominic Sattele: Eric is host of the event and a passionate advocate for paranormal exploration; team member and spirit medium Dominic Sattele, offers unique perspectives on communication with the other side.
3-4 p.m. Nick Pope: Special guest speaker.
4:15 – 5 p.m. Bill Birnes: Noted author and investigator, sharing his expertise on UFOs and government conspiracies.
5:15- 6 p.m. Tom Carey: Renowned UFO researcher and author, shedding light on Roswell and other infamous cases.
6:15- 7 p.m. Eric Spinner: Paranormal investigator and author, delving into the world of cryptozoology and mysterious creatures.
Attendees can browse the offerings of vendors in the adjoining theater lobby area, where a variety of paranormal-themed merchandise will be available for purchase. There is ample free parking, food trucks and a lobby (cash) bar. CosPlay welcomed!
For more information about Bucks County ParaCon! and to purchase $45 general admission tickets, please visit the Zlock Performing Arts Center.
Bucks County Community College Announces Presidential Search Finalists
The Presidential Search Committee appointed by the Bucks County Community College’s Board of Trustees announced today that three finalists have been selected in the search for the College’s next president.
Following Dr. Ganther’s mid-October announcement of her resignation as president effective in December, the Board retained RH Perry, a national search firm specializing in higher education to conduct the search. Without the luxury of having a sitting president during this search, Board Chair Thomas Jennings knew that the Board had to act swiftly in order to have the executive leadership position filled by July 1. Seventy-five applications were received and after careful consideration, the search committee narrowed the field to three finalists.
The finalists are...
John C. Boyd, Ph.D., President, Mayland Community College
Patrick M. Jones, Ph.D., Chancellor and Professor of Music, Penn State Schuylkill
Evon Washington Walters, Ed.D., President, Northwest Region, Community College of Allegheny County
Bios and resumes for each candidate are available on BCCC’s website.
The three candidates will take part in the final round of the search process which includes open forums, conducted in person but also available virtually, with faculty, staff, and students. The finalists will visit BCCC on February 26, March 4, and March 7, 2024.
“We are looking forward to the face-to-face meetings with the candidates in the coming weeks,” Jennings says. “Each candidate has amassed significant accomplishments in their higher education careers to date. We are excited to learn about their vision and aspirations for Bucks and the communities we serve.”
After receiving and carefully reviewing feedback from the college community, the Presidential Search Committee will make their recommendation to the full Board of Trustees. Following deliberation by the Board, an announcement of the College’s sixth president will be made public.
Bucks to Host Recovery & Mental Health Community Resource Fair on March 9
The Collegiate Recovery Program at Bucks County Community College will be hosting a free Recovery & Mental Health Community Resource Fair with 30+ community organizations participating The Collegiate Recovery Program (CRP) at Bucks County Community College is hosting a free Recovery & Mental Health Community Resource Fair on Saturday, March 9 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will be held in the Linksz Pavilion on the Newtown Campus (275 Swamp Road, Newtown, PA 18940).
During the resource fair, members of the community will be able to speak with more than 30 organizations from Bucks, Montgomery, & Philadelphia counties to obtain information about resources and support pertaining to: collegiate recovery programs; substance use disorder and recovery; harm reduction; mental health; suicide; grief; eating disorders; domestic violence; and sexual health and wellness.
The event will also feature a keynote speaker, Nicholas Emeigh, Associate Executive Director for NAMI Bucks County PA, an affiliate of NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Nicholas Emeigh is a mental health advocate and public speaker with eight years of continuous recovery from mental illness and substance use. He is also a survivor of three suicide attempts. A Bucks County resident, Emeigh proudly serves the NAMI mission providing help, hope, awareness and opportunities to the county’s 600,000 residents.
For more information about this event or the CRP, email collegiaterecovery@bucks.edu.
About the Bucks Collegiate Recovery Program
CRP supports students at Bucks County Community College affected by substance use disorders. The program offers a safe, sober and confidential environment to connect with peers and CRP staff. Highlights of the program include:
Weekly support groups for students in recovery and/or struggling with substance use disorder.
Access to substance use disorder and mental health community resources.
Campus-wide harm reduction training and distribution of Narcan and Fentanyl/Xylazine test strips.
Weekly support groups for those who have loved ones struggling with addiction.
Annual recovery-based events focused on breaking the stigma of addiction, treatment, and recovery.
Three Artists in “Construction Time Again” Exhibition to Present Artists’ Talk
Starting at 5:30 p.m. on February 28 in the Zlock Performing Arts Center on the Newtown Campus of Bucks County Community College, Philadelphia-based artists Diane Burko, Nicolo Gentile and Kristen Neville Taylor will discuss their artworks featured in the exhibition, “Construction Time Again” on view nearby in the College’s Hicks Art Center Gallery. All three artists respond to social, cultural, architectural, ecological, and environmental events that locally and globally impact all human lives through different media and concepts in their artworks.
In 2023, Diane Burko attended the LABverde residency in Brazil. The experience invigorated the artist’s pursuit to “[celebrate] the sublimity of the landscape by honoring the intricate geological and political webs that shape the identity of a place” in her art practice. Burko’s diptych paintings on view in the exhibition, “Deforestation 1” and “Deforestation 2”, illustrate and represent the charring of the landscape; a violent act displacing Indigenous peoples who have inhabited Amazonia for thousands of years.
Nicolo Gentile’s figural aluminum casts on weightlifting equipment specifically address the demolition of the building that once housed the 12th Street Gym in Philadelphia—a vital hub for the neighboring gay community that closed in January 2018 after serving 4,000 members for 30 years. A ghostly presence permeates Gentile’s sculptures—vestigial reminders of the members whose space held community.
Land use and resource evolution are central themes in Kristen Neville Taylor’s recent body of work “End of Days.” With personal ties to glass production and installation; her father worked as a glazier installing windows in skyscrapers, Taylor’s pâte de verres, videos, and sculptures describe myths and lore around the evolution of the sand mines of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. The once 1,000 active mines have mostly vanished leaving massive lakes of tropical hued water- tinged with cyanobacteria.
Discussion topics and questions for the artists during the artists’ talk will include: “How does each use research in their creative processes?”; “What does the adage ‘Think Globally, Act Locally’ mean to them now?”; and “How can artists make the world more peaceful?” After the discussion, the audience will have the opportunity to ask the artists questions.
The artists’ talk and discussion will be moderated by Hicks Art Center Gallery Exhibitions Associate, Clifford Eberly. This event is free and open to the public.
The Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturdays from noon – 4 p.m.
For more information, please visit Hicks Art Center Gallery and follow on Instagram @bcccartscomm.
Bucks County Community College Hosts Voting Rights Panel Discussion
County and state officials will address how to ensure a fair and safe election Thursday, February 15 at Newtown Campus and online as part of Black History Month events To commemorate Black History Month, Bucks County Community College invites the public to a Voting Rights Forum at noon Thursday, February 15, at the Newtown Campus and online.
“The 15th Amendment gave African American men the right to vote in 1870, but even with this Constitutional right, it was denied to most African Americans until the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965,” said Kevin L. Antoine, the College’s Associate Vice President of External Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer. “It’s vital that we remain vigilant to protect voting rights in order to sustain our democracy.”
Antoine will moderate the discussion with the following panelists:
State Representative Joe Hogan, 142nd District
Diane Ellis-Marseglia, Bucks County Commissioner and member of the Board of Elections
John Jordan, 1st Vice President, Bucks County NAACP
The discussion gets underway at noon Thursday, February 15, in the Gallagher Room, located in the Rollins Center of the Newtown Campus at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., 18940. The panel discussion will also be streamed live online to those who register in advance.
The event is sponsored by the College’s Office of External Affairs and DEI Programs, and is among several educational forums at Bucks County Community College to encourage dialogue on issues surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion. To learn more, visit the DEI page or contact diversity@bucks.edu.
