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Bucks Cited as Top PA Community College for Transfer-Out Rate
A recent U.S. Department of Education report highlighting the top two- and four-year colleges and universities supporting student transfer was released earlier this month with groundbreaking data. Nearly 40% of students transfer at some point during their collegiate journey, and they lose more than 40% of their credits on average when they transfer from one institution to another resulting in lost time, money and all too often, the degree or certificate they are pursuing due to never completing their graduation requirements. As a result, the U.S. Department of Education has launched its “Raise the Bar: Attaining College Excellence and Equity” initiative with the goal of improving the student transfer process to boost degree completion by working with higher education leaders across the country.
The Department of Education study looked at a substantial sample of students who began their collegiate journey in 2014. Bucks County Community College has the highest transfer-out rate (44 percent) of Title IV students among Pennsylvania community colleges. Title IV funding refers to federal financial aid such as Federal Direct Student Loans and Federal Pell Grants. Of the 700 Title IV students who started a 2-year cohort in 2014, 311 of those enrolled at a 4-year institution within eight years. In addition, the Bucks County Community College and Temple University transfer partnership was recognized as having the best completion rate in the state.
“Students participating in the Temple University dual admission transfer agreement benefit from being conditionally accepted to Temple, having their application fee waived and access to merit scholarships up to $2,000 per year depending on their GPA,” according to Bucks’ Provost, Kelly Kelleway, PhD. Dr. Kelleway adds, “Bucks has dual admission agreements with 28 colleges and universities providing many options to students seeking a bachelor’s degree.” In total, the College has transfer and general articulation agreements with more than 66 institutions.
However, the Department of Education’s “Raise the Bar” initiative is not focused exclusively on four-year degree pathways. The effort involves improving access for students from all socio-economic backgrounds to succeed in whichever academic or occupational pathway they choose. In fact, the focus of the initiative in 2024 will be on improving completion rates and ensuring student outcomes lead to better employment and earnings potential.
Bucks County Community College stands ready to meet the needs of academic-minded and career-focused students alike. With 23 occupational degrees resulting in an associate degree and 27 short-term certificate programs, Bucks helps prepare students for entry-level positions in the workforce as well as career advancement in a wide gamut of professions ranging from culinary arts to diagnostic medical sonography, information technology to brewing and fermentation science, and furniture/cabinetmaking to firefighting. In total, there are more than 90 transfer and occupational majors available at Bucks. In addition, there are numerous career and technical education and training programs, many with funding provided through grants and free to eligible students.
"Skull Sessions" Group Art Exhibition Opens November 20 at BCCC
The Hicks Art Center Gallery at Bucks County Community College is pleased to announce the opening of the group art exhibition, “Skull Sessions,” on view from November 20, 2023–January 6, 2024. The Gallery is located in the Hicks Art Center building on the campus of Bucks County Community College in Newtown, Pennsylvania.
From realism to narrative installation, the artworks in the exhibition “Skull Sessions” represent a current survey of the range of genres in which artists amongst their art group peers are currently practicing.
The title of the exhibition takes its name from the strategy-building sessions that are more typically associated with athletics—especially football. In “Skull Sessions,” the art will speak for the artist with ideas shared and communicated to the viewers as if they are players on a united team. Like an art fair format, the artworks and installations in “Skull Sessions” will be arranged within the areas of Hicks Art Center designated to the following 20 different artist-run collectives and cultural organizations in the Bucks County and Philadelphia regions:
African American Museum of Bucks County
Art at Kings Oaks
Arts and Cultural Council of Bucks County
ARTWRKD
Automat
fjord
Grizzly Grizzly
Newtown Historic Association
Past Present Projects
Peep Projects
Pink Noise Projects
Rush Arts Philadelphia
Space 1026
Termite TV Collective
The Upstairs Gallery of Bucks County
Vox Populi
Zach's Crab Shack
The groups will be represented by artworks or displays from their board members, curators, directors, or members at large, some of whom do not often exhibit their own works collectively. “Skull Sessions” will offer a unique opportunity for the public to see the 20 participating artist-run spaces and cultural organizations in one location together for the first time ever.
There will be an opening reception on December 6, 2023, from 4–7:30 p.m. at Hicks Art Center. All are invited and welcome to meet the artists and cultural organizations’ members. Free and open to the public.
Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m.–4 p.m. and Saturdays from 12–4 p.m. Please note that the gallery will be closed in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday November 22–November 25. For winter break, the gallery will be closed from December 22, 2023–January 2, 2024.
For more information, please visit Hicks Art Center Gallery or call 215-968-8425.
[Image: Avtomat, Death Buy Adidas, digital print on acrylic, dimensions variable, 2010 courtesy of Rush Arts Philadelphia]
BCCC and UBCTS Announce First Partnership to Introduce Esthetics Program
Online information session Monday, December 18 at 6 p.m. Bucks County Community College and Upper Bucks County Technical School (UBCTS) are announcing the first partnership in the institutions’ history, teaming up to introduce an Esthetics Program for adults as well as high school seniors who are interested in pursuing a career in the field of esthetics. An online information session will be held Monday, December 18 at 6 p.m. to provide details about the program as well as potential student funding opportunities.
“Given the rapidly growing demand by Bucks County employers for workforce training and the national growth rate for the beauty services industry projected as high as 19% by 2030, we see this program as a natural collaboration with Bucks County Community College,” says Dr. Michael Herrera, Executive Director, Upper Bucks County Technical School.
The Esthetics Program, which will be administered by Bucks County Community College and held at Upper Bucks County Technical School, will cover a wide range of topics including skincare techniques, makeup application, waxing, facial treatments and more. Students will receive in-depth instruction and hands-on training in a modern esthetics lab simulating salon environments and equipped with the latest skincare technology and products. The program will be led by experienced instructors with a passion for esthetics and a dedication to student success through mentorship, career guidance and job placement assistance. Graduates of the program will have the knowledge base and skills to successfully complete the state licensing exam.
“This partnership represents a significant step forward in enhancing the educational and career opportunities available to students,” says Donna Kirn, Executive Director of Community Education & Professional Certification at Bucks County Community College. “It aligns perfectly with the College’s and UBCTS’s commitment to preparing students for a successful future and contributing to the local workforce by offering industry-relevant programs.”
Classes will be held Monday through Thursday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. beginning January 16 and running through June 20, 2024, at the UBCTS Bedminster Township campus located at 3115 Ridge Rd, Perkasie, PA.
Through the state-funded Aim and Attain Grant awarded to the Bucks County Department of Workforce and Economic Development, individuals who were previously enrolled in a degree or certificate program and were unable to complete it between 2021 and 2023 may be eligible to participate in the Esthetics Program at no cost.
To learn more about the December 18 online information session, call 215-968-8409 or email veronica.drumm@bucks.edu.
Tara Tamburello Named 2023 Bucks County Poet Laureate
Tamburello will read from her works Sunday, November 12, at Bucks County Community College in Newtown Tara Tamburello of Langhorne has been named the 2023 Bucks County Poet Laureate, officials at Bucks County Community College announced.
Tamburello, a published poet who works in marketing, rose to the top of 60 entries in the 47th annual contest, said Dr. Ethel Rackin, director of the poet laureate program administered by the College. The contest is sponsored by the Bucks County Commissioners.
Tamburello was raised in Bucks County, along the bank of the Neshaminy Creek. Her poetry and prose have appeared in Ghost City Review, Bone Parade, Rust + Moth, and other journals, as well as in anthologies by Vestal Review and Sans. PRESS. She is a past winner of the Bucks County Short Fiction Contest and was a runner-up for the poet laureate competition in 2021. She lives in Langhorne with her husband, two children, and cat, and she works on the Law School Admission Council (LSAC)'s marketing team. Aside from writing, she enjoys gardening, playing video games and music, hiking, and painting. You can find more of her work at taratamburello.com.
The judges this year were Philadelphia poet Courtney Bambrick and Brooklyn poet Joanna Fuhrman. Both judges commented on the strength of this year's entries.
Tamburello will be reading her poetry on Sunday, November 12 at 1 p.m. in Tyler 142 on the Newtown Campus. She will be reading with 2022 Laureate Tom Mallouk, and they will be joined by the three runners-up, Lake Angela, Kevin Taylor, and Melinda Rizzo. Courtney Bambrick will also be reading.
The Bucks County Poet Laureate program – the longest-running such program in Pennsylvania – is another way that Bucks County Community College contributes to the cultural heritage of the region. For more information, contact program director Dr. Ethel Rackin at ethel.rackin@bucks.edu.
Rising Star Alto Saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin Performs One Night Only on Nov. 17
The Zlock Performing Arts Center at Bucks County Community College is proud to present a unique evening of jazz music with rising star, alto saxophonist, and arranger Lakecia Benjamin on Friday, November 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Voted, “Rising Star Alto Saxophonist,” in the 2020 DownBeat Critics Poll and, “Up and Coming Artist of the Year,” by the Jazz Journalists Association, charismatic and dynamic saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin fuses traditional conceptions of jazz, hip-hop, and soul. Benjamin’s electric presence and fiery sax work has shared stages with several legendary artists, including Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, and The Roots.
Phoenix, the latest and fourth studio album from Benjamin, was released earlier this year and was produced by the multi-Grammy-award winning Terri Lyne Carrington featuring a star-studded line up of specially curated guests: Dianne Reeves, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Patrice Rushen, Sonia Sanchez, Angela Davis and Wayne Shorter.
Tickets start at $30 and are free for current Bucks County Community College students with valid student ID. For more information and to purchase tickets visit the Zlock Performing Arts Center. For group sales, please call: 215-968-8469.
The Zlock Performing Arts Center is located inside the Gateway Center building on the Newtown Campus of Bucks County Community College at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, PA. Parking is free. The theater is equipped with audio-loop technology for the hearing impaired.
Learn ‘Teachings from the Turtle Clan’ from a Lenape Chief on Nov. 8 at Bucks
Lenape Chief Chuck Gentlemoon DeMund will speak at Bucks County Community College at the Newtown Campus and online to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. To commemorate Native American Heritage Month, Bucks County Community College invites the public to “Teachings from the Turtle Clan” at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 8, on the Newtown Campus and online.
Join Chief Chuck Gentlemoon DeMund for a discussion of the history, current issues, and cultural practices of the descendants of the original inhabitants of Lenape Hoking. Chief DeMund is keeper of ceremony and intertribal liaison for the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania.
Among current issues is an effort to get the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to officially recognize the Lenape Nation, as neighboring states Delaware and New Jersey have done. That effort has been underway for more than 30 years, and as recently as last May, the Lenape and their supporters rallied in Harrisburg. Although several lawmakers and other officials have pledged their support of the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania, this has yet to lead to action.
Native American Heritage Month was officially proclaimed as the month of November in 1990. But as early as 1915, efforts began to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the United States. To learn more, visit Native American Heritage Month's website.
“Native Americans did not come to the United States from the southern border or Ellis Island – they were here long before the Europeans and the Africans,” noted Kevin Antoine, J.D., the College’s Associate Vice President of Community & Government Relations and Chief Diversity Officer. “The Lenape people, before the arrival of Europeans, had advanced environmental and agricultural practices that are accepted and used today.”
“Teachings from the Turtle Clan” with Chief Chuck Gentlemoon DeMund takes place at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 8, in the Orangery Building on the campus at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., 18940. Admission and parking are free.
The presentation will also be streamed live on the internet to those who register in advance.
The event is sponsored by the College’s Office of Community & Government Relations and DEI Programs, as well as the Newtown Township Human Relations Commission.
It’s among several educational forums at Bucks County Community College to encourage dialogue on issues surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion. To learn more, contact diversity@bucks.edu.
"Art That Blooms" Floral Design Exhibition Blossoms at Bucks
Prepare to be enchanted by a symphony of colors, forms, and artistic expressions as the Bucks County Community College Continuing Education Floral Design Department and Student Art Department proudly present the Second Annual "Art That Blooms" exhibition. This three-day event on the College’s Newtown Campus (275 Swamp Road, Newtown, Pa. 18940) is themed "Line Color Form" and promises to be a celebration of creativity and beauty, merging the worlds of floral design and visual arts for an unforgettable experience.
Event Details
Title: Art That Blooms
Location: Bucks County Community College, Newtown Campus, Hicks Art Center
Dates: November 10-12, 2023
Opening Night: Friday, November 10 (Invitation Only).
Admission is free, and the public is welcome to attend from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, November 11, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, November 12. Ample free parking is available.
Highlights of the Exhibition
Designer of the Year Competition: Witness the brilliance of talented student floral designers as they compete for the prestigious title.
Student Showpiece Exhibitions: Admire the artistic prowess of budding talents as they showcase their finest creations.
Live Demonstrations: Be captivated by live demonstrations from both art and floral design students and instructors, offering a glimpse into their creative processes.
Immersive Exhibits: Immerse yourself in captivating exhibits that explore the theme of "Line Color Form."
Special Gallery: Explore a special gallery featuring floral design interpretations of student artwork.
Kids Floral Design Make and Take: Engage young minds with hands-on floral design activities on Sunday November 12.
Live Art Department Demonstrations: Witness the magic of screen printing, wood turning, glass blowing, and foundry work.
Prominent Participants: The stars of the exhibition are the student artists and designers, with commentary from floral design instructors.
Awards Ceremony: Join us on Sunday afternoon, November 12, for the awards ceremony, where Showpiece and Designer of the Year winners will be celebrated, along with the People's Choice award.
Artistic Inspiration: The theme, "Line Color Form," was chosen to allow students to explore and apply the principles and elements of design that they have been studying.
“Better Together: A Community Lecture” with Visiting Artist Aram Han Sifuentes
The Committee on Cultural Affairs at Bucks County Community College is pleased to present “Better Together: A Community Lecture” with visiting artist Aram Han Sifuentes on Wednesday, October 25 at 6:30 p.m. in the Gallagher Room, Rollins Center, Newtown Campus. This event is free and open to the public.
Artist and activist Aram Han Sifuentes’s work confronts social and racial injustices, interweaving fiber, social practice, performance, and pedagogy to consider themes of immigration, labor, and protest. Many of her projects, such as the ongoing Protest Banner Lending Library, aim to make art more accessible to the disenfranchised, especially immigrants of color. Since 2016, Sifuentes has brought communities together to sew protest banners, creating a creative outlet of resistance for those who cannot attend protests for their own safety.
Join Sifuentes for a lecture on their practice’s trajectory, exploring how they make political statements and engage communities through participatory art.
About Aram Han Sifuentes
Aram Han Sifuentes is a fiber and social practice artist who creates participatory projects that center immigrant and disenfranchised communities. Her work often revolves around skill sharing, specifically sewing techniques, to create multiethnic and intergenerational sewing circles, which become a place for empowerment, subversion, and protest. Solo exhibitions of her work have been presented at the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, Chicago; Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago; Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago; Pulitzer Arts Foundation, St. Louis; moCa Cleveland, Cleveland; and Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles.
She has received numerous awards including a Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship, 3Arts Award, 3Arts Next Level Award, Map Fund Grant, and Joyce Award. Her project Protest Banner Lending Library was a finalist for the Beazley Design Awards at the Design Museum (London, UK) in 2016. She earned her BA in Art and Latin American Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, and her MFA in Fiber and Material Studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is currently a professor, adjunct, at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a board member of the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) fighting for Citizenship for All 11 million undocumented immigrants and adoptees.
Bucks County Community College Marks Hispanic Heritage Month with Free Events
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Bucks County Community College invites the public to two free events designed to educate students and the community alike: Latino Business Roundtable on October 12, and Afro Brazilian Culture and Civil Rights October 17.
On Thursday, October 12, the Latino Business Roundtable takes place at the Gene and Marlene Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks.
Moderated by Rafael Collazo, executive director of UnidosUS Action Fund and founder of the BombaLive podcast, the panel discussion includes:
Joel Berrocal, executive director of the National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce and broker with the Radcliffe Insurance Group
Sara Gibson, J.D., loan officer with Advisors Mortgage Group
Jose Tilapa, owner of Keystone Boxing & MMA Gym
Lorena Escalera de Rivera, financial center manager with Penn Community Bank
Berrocal and Collazo took part in a similar event last year, when they were among five panelists discussing the Puerto Rican Experience in Bucks County and Beyond.
“I am honored to be part of this distinguished panel during Hispanic Heritage Month,” noted Berrocal. “Together, we will openly discuss our experiences as Hispanic business owners and community leaders, highlighting both the successes and challenges we have encountered along the way."
“Hispanics comprise 19% of the U.S. population and are the second-largest ethnic group after non-Hispanic whites,” added Kevin Antoine, J.D., Associate Vice President of Community and Government Relations and Chief Diversity Officer at the College. “The roundtable discussion will educate the public on the business successes and challenges of this second-largest ethnic population in the country.”
The Latino Business Roundtable takes place in-person at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, October 12, in the Student Commons area of the Epstein Campus, located at 1304 Veterans Highway, Bristol Pa., 19007.
Next, travel to South America to learn about Afro-Brazilian Culture and Civil Rights on Tuesday, October 17, in the Gallagher Room on the Newtown Campus.
Keynote speaker João Victor Nery Fiocchi Rodrigues is a sociology Ph.D. candidate at the University of Pennsylvania. His research focuses on the anti-colonial struggles of the Black diaspora across the Atlantic.
His dissertation work analyzes the relationship between race and citizenship in the process of state formation of Brazil, former Gran Colombia, and the U.S. during slavery and colonialism. Rodrigues earned his Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws degrees from the University of Brasilia, Brazil. He also studied at the University of Porto, Portugal as a Santander Luso-Brazilian scholar.
The program aims to start a dialogue between the two largest African Diaspora populations, Antoine noted.
“There are more Afro Brazilians in Brazil than African Americans in the United States,” Antoine said. “The language barrier – Portuguese versus English – has prevented a dialogue between the two groups, but both have had similar civil rights movements to overcome discrimination.”
To that end, the public is invited to learn more through the African Diaspora collection at the Bucks County Community College Library. The collection boasts more than 200 curated items, from books to DVDs, donated by Diedre H. Crumbley, a sociocultural anthropologist and retired professor of Africana studies at North Carolina State University.
Afro-Brazilian Culture and Civil Rights takes place in-person at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 17, in the Gallagher Room, located in the Rollins Center building on the campus at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., 18940. It will also be streamed live online. Register for the Zoom link.
The Hispanic Heritage Month events are among several educational forums at Bucks County Community College to encourage dialogue on issues surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion. To learn more, visit Diversity, Equity + Inclusion or contact diversity@bucks.edu.
Bucks to Hold Fall Open House at Newtown Campus on Saturday, October 28
Bucks County Community College will hold a Fall Open House on Saturday, October 28, 2023, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Newtown Campus (275 Swamp Road, Newtown, Pa. 18940). Prospective students will receive valuable information whether they are looking to start their collegiate journey, return to school, pursue a skilled trade, advance their careers or take non-credit courses for personal enrichment.
Attendees will learn about all that Bucks has to offer and have the opportunity to speak with academic deans and faculty about the robust range of academic and occupational programs. Representatives from Admissions, Financial Aid, Advising, Transfer Planning, Workforce Development, Continuing Education and additional resources will be on hand. Attendees will discover a vibrant student life including athletics and various clubs and organizations. Plus, prospective students and their guests will take a tour of the beautiful Newtown Campus and its modern facilities to experience Bucks County Community College firsthand.
Register to attend the Fall Open House. For questions, please email admissionsevents@bucks.edu.
Bucks County Community College Announces Paralegal and Legal Studies Open House
Bucks County Community College will hold a Paralegal and Legal Studies Open House on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Upper Bucks Campus (One Hillendale Road, Perkasie, PA 18944).
Attendees will learn about the College’s American Bar Association-approved degree and certificate programs which prepare individuals to work as paralegals or transfer to pursue a pathway to law school. Paralegal graduates are qualified to work in law offices, governmental agencies, or other entities in capacities or functions that involve the performance, under the ultimate direction and supervision of attorneys, of specifically delegated substantive legal work. Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public except as permitted by law.
During the open house, attendees will hear from Paralegal/Legal Studies faculty and Bucks alumni currently working as attorneys and paralegals. The will be on hand to provide information and tours of the campus.
Registration is not required for this event. For further information, contact the Department of Business + Innovation at business@bucks.edu or call 215-968-8227.
Explore “The Right to Read” with Documentary, Panel Discussion at BCCC
Free film screening at 7 p.m. September 21 will be followed by a Q&A panel with experts on the reading crisis in America as a civil rights issue. More than one-third of fourth graders in the United States read at a “below basic” level, according to a recent report by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Even more alarming, more than half of Black, Hispanic, and Native American fourth graders score “below basic” on reading tests, the report found.
“What good is winning the right to vote if we can’t even read the ballot?” asks NAACP activist Kareem Weaver in the “The Right to Read.” The 2023 documentary by Jenny Mackenzie and executive produced by “Reading Rainbow” host LeVar Burton addresses the literacy crisis as the greatest civil rights issue of our time.
Bucks County Community College invites the public to a free screening of “The Right to Read” at 7 p.m. Thursday, September 21, at the Newtown Campus. The documentary will be followed by a panel discussion featuring three educators and activists.
The following panelists will share their expertise on the topic after the screening.
Brooks Imel, Ph.D., is an independent educational consultant who works with neurodiverse students as an admissions counselor and executive function coach. His doctoral research focused on the cognitive processes involved in reading, and how comprehension differs when students read from screens versus paper.
Kevin E. Leven is co-leader of the Bucks County Anti-Racism Coalition, a nonprofit charity organization dedicated to educating, informing, and taking action on matters of racial justice. He is also a columnist for the Bucks County Beacon online publication, where he regularly contributes to the “Race Matters” monthly op-ed column.
Lynne B. Millard is Principal Leadership Coach and Special Advisor of School Impact with the School District of Philadelphia. In this dual role, the veteran educator develops and coaches new school leaders, and serves as a liaison between department leaders, key stakeholders, and the Deputy Superintendent.
“The Right to Read” documentary and discussion is sponsored by the College’s Office of the Provost, Bucks Wellness, DEI Programs, Library, and Social & Behavioral Science Department. Learn more about the film on The Right to Read website.
The free event takes place in the Zlock Performing Arts Center, located in the Gateway Center building on the Newtown campus at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., 18940. There is ample free parking.
“The Right to Read” is among several educational forums at Bucks County Community College to encourage dialog on issues surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion. To learn more, visit the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion page or contact diversity@bucks.edu.
BCCC’s Wordsmiths Reading Series Continues September 22
The Wordsmiths Reading Series, one of the longest-running cultural events at Newtown-based Bucks County Community College, continues its proud tradition of live readings with three exciting gatherings for the fall 2023 season.
On Friday, September 22, at 7:30 p.m., poets Joanna Fuhrman and Lynn Levin will read selected poems in room 142 of the historic Tyler Hall on the Newtown campus.
Fuhrman, an assistant teaching professor in creative writing at Rutgers University, is the author of six books of poetry, most recently To a New Era (Hanging Loose Press, 2021). Fuhrman’s next book Data Mind, a collection of prose poems about the internet, is forthcoming from Curbstone/ Northwestern University Press in 2024. Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming on The Slowdown podcast and in The Pushcart Prize Anthology and Best American Poetry 2023. Last year, Fuhrman became a co-editor of Hanging Loose Press after publishing with them since she was a teenager.
Levin, a poet and writer, is the author of nine books, most recently House Parties (Spuyten Duyvil), her debut collection of short fiction. Philadelphia Magazine calls the stories “vivid, funny, and quietly powerful” and says, “House Parties may break your heart, but it’ll never do it the same way twice.”
A Bucks County poet laureate and winner of the Bucks County Short Fiction Contest, Levin has published stories, poems, essays, and translations in Valparaiso Fiction Review, Elm Leaves Journal, Cleaver, Boulevard, Southwest Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, Mandorla, and other places. She lives in Southampton, Pennsylvania and teaches at Drexel University.
The next reading in the fall series, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, October 20, will feature poets Patricia Smith and Hayden Saunier.
The final reading for the fall comes on Sunday, November 12, at 1 p.m. when poet Courtney Bambrick and the still-to-be-chosen 2023 Bucks County Poet Laureate will read selected works.
Dr. Ethel Rackin, a Language and Literature professor at the College, is the director of the Wordsmiths Reading Series and Poet Laureate Program. Dr. Rackin has been organizing these public collaborations since 2010, shortly after she began her teaching career at Bucks.
The first Wordsmiths reading was in the 1960s, and featured Allen Ginsburg strumming on his guitar, and chanting verses to the audience as they swayed sitting on top of cushions on the floor. Since then, the series has featured dozens of outstanding and respected poets over the years. In recent years, the series has also featured renowned fiction writers. Poets featured in the series have won a host of awards, including the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book award, and the PEN Literary Award.
For more information on the Wordsmiths Reading Series, contact Dr. Rackin at Ethel.Rackin@bucks.edu.
Bucks County Short Fiction Contest is Open for Entries
The Fall 2023 Bucks County Short Fiction Contest is open for entries from Bucks County residents who are 18 or older and are not employees of Bucks County Community College. The deadline for submissions is 12 p.m. on Thursday, October 19, 2023.
The top three winners will receive gift cards of $200, $100, and $50, and will share their work at a celebratory reading in November with this fall’s final judge, writer Emma Copley Eisenberg, attending.
Stories must be previously unpublished, including in blogs and online platforms, and must be submitted online. Complete rules and the submissions link are available on the Bucks County Short Fiction Contest page.
Eisenberg’s first book, “The Third Rainbow Girl: The Long Life of a Double Murder in Appalachia,” is a work of hybrid nonfiction that mixes memoir, cultural criticism, and reporting. It was named a New York Times Notable Book and Editor’s Choice of 2020. Her debut novel, “Housemates,” will be released by Hogarth Books, a division of Random House, in June of 2024.
She is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Wesleyan University, and has taught creative writing at Bryn Mawr College, Temple University, and the University of Virginia, where she received her MFA in fiction. Raised in New York City, she lives in Philadelphia, where she co-founded and now serves on the board of Blue Stoop, a community hub for the literary arts.
The Bucks County Short Fiction Contest receives funding and administrative support from the Department of Language and Literature at Bucks County Community College. For further information, contact the contest director, Professor Elizabeth Luciano, at elizabeth.luciano@bucks.edu.
BCCC’s Brewing & Fermentation Science Program Partners With Moss Mill Brewing
BCCC’s Brewing & Fermentation Science Program Partners With Moss Mill Brewing Company to Release Centurion Ale
The STEM Department at Bucks County Community College is excited to announce the release of Centurion Ale, an exploratory beer release made possible by a collaboration between Bucks County Community College’s Brewing & Fermentation Science Program and Moss Mill Brewing Company in Huntingdon Valley, PA.
Centurion Ale, named after the College’s mascot and sports teams, was made with several malted barley grains from Proximity Malt; German Tettnang hops; and a German ale yeast strain. It has a deep amber color with an ABV of about 5.5%. The flavor is one of malt (biscuit) with just enough hop bitterness producing a well-balanced beer. Amber in color, Centurion Ale is available now on tap at Moss Mill Brewing Company as well as in canned 4-packs to-go. The artwork for the can was selected via a county-wide contest and the winner was Susan Alexander of Quakertown.
The College offers an associate of applied science degree in Brewing & Fermentation Science—the only brewing science associate degree in the Philadelphia metro area—to prepare students for employment within the brewing and/or fermentation industries. Students must be at least 21 years of age prior to registering for courses involving beer production. To learn more about the 60-65 credit program, visit the Brewing & Fermentation Science page.
Bucks County Community College and Moss Mill Brewing Company anticipate that this will be an ongoing partnership, with each new Brewing & Fermentation Science cohort having the opportunity to be a part of the brewing process.
Moss Mill is located at 109 Pike Circle, Unit D, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006, and is open Wednesday and Thursday from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
BCCC Hosted Its Second Annual President’s New Student Convocation
Continuing the tradition launched last year, Bucks County Community College (BCCC) held the Second Annual President’s New Student Convocation on Thursday, August 31 at the Newtown Campus (275 Swamp Road, Newtown, PA 18940) in the Gymnasium. Convocation is the official introduction to academic life at the College and welcomes new students and their families with a ceremony to mark the milestone.
BCCC’s president, Dr. Felicia Ganther, introduced the inaugural event in 2022. “The start of our students’ academic journeys is an exciting time for them and for the College— it’s a new beginning, the next step on their pathway to their educational and life goals—and the entire college community is happy to celebrate the occasion.”
This year’s keynote speaker was Bucks County native Karen Gross, founder of She Rocked It, a media and mentorship platform, who was accompanied by acclaimed musician Tim Motzer. Together, the duo presented the Rock-It Roadmap™, a series of six lessons for a courageous life, education, and career. Through words and music, Gross energized the new students to raise their unique voices, follow their audacious dreams, and build a supportive community at Bucks.
“We’re proud to keep this tradition going for our new students and really let them know how monumental this moment is in their academic careers,” said Dr. Rodney Altemose, Interim Associate Vice President of Student Affairs at BCCC. “The start of a new academic year is always an exciting time, and we’re celebrating in true Bucks style.”
BCCC Launches 47th Bucks County Poet Laureate Competition
The search is on for the 47th annual Bucks County Poet Laureate, according to Bucks County Community College (BCCC) Professor Ethel Rackin, Ph.D., director of the longest-running poet laureate program in Pennsylvania.
The contest is open to Bucks County residents over the age of 18 who have not previously served as poet laureate, said Rackin, who teaches language and literature at BCCC, where the program is based.
Each entrant must submit 10 original poems of any style or length along with an entry form to the college’s Language and Literature Department. Entries must be submitted online by Friday, September 8, 2023. The winner receives a $500 honorarium, a proclamation from the Bucks County Commissioners, and will be featured at a Fall reading and reception at Bucks County Community College with the previous year’s poet laureate, Tom Mallouk.
Poetry of any kind is welcome. The entry requires 10 poems, any style, form, or length. All work must be original, published or unpublished, typewritten or word-processed, one poem per page, in black ink. The poems and entry form must be submitted online. There is no charge to enter the contest, but there is a limit of one entry per person.
Two judges will blindly select the winner. The preliminary judge will narrow the entries down to a few dozen for the final judge, who will choose the winner and three runners-up from the pool of finalists.
The 2023 final judge will be Joanna Fuhrman. Fuhrman, an assistant teaching professor in creative writing at Rutgers University, is the author of six books of poetry, most recently To a New Era (Hanging Loose Press, 2021). Fuhrman's next book Data Mind, a collection of prose poems about the internet, is forthcoming from Curbstone/ Northwestern University Press in 2024. Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming on The Slowdown podcast and in The Pushcart Prize Anthology and Best American Poetry 2023. Last year—after publishing with them since she was a teenager, Fuhrman became a co-editor of Hanging Loose Press.
The preliminary judge will be Courtney Bambrick. Bambrick is poetry editor at Philadelphia Stories. Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Inkwell, Invisible City, New York Quarterly, Beyond Words, The Fanzine, Philadelphia Poets, Apiary, Schuylkill Valley Journal, Mad Poets Review, and Certain Circuits. She teaches writing at Thomas Jefferson University’s East Falls campus in Philadelphia.
The Bucks Poet Laureate Program is one of the oldest in the country. It also holds a High School Poet Contest every spring, yet another way that Bucks County Community College contributes to the cultural heritage of the region.
For more information, contact Ethel Rackin at ethel.rackin@bucks.edu.
Evolve Arrives to Sculpture Walk on Newtown Campus
The Hicks Art Center Gallery is thrilled to announce the recent addition of Wendy Liss’ Evolve to the Sculpture Walk on the Newtown Campus of Bucks County Community College. Evolve by Wendy Liss is the latest addition to the Sculpture Walk on the Newtown Campus of Bucks County Community College. In the fall of 2022, Clifford Eberly, Exhibitions Associate at the Hicks Art Center Gallery began a conversation with Liss and invited her to create an original piece for the site after researching sculptors in the region and seeing a video of her discussing her site-specific installation at Sculpture in the Glen III, located in Gladwyne outside Philadelphia in the fall 2021.
Eberly explained, “What struck me about Wendy’s approach to placing her sculpture, Presence, was how she responded to the environment by finding a tree trunk in situ for the base and adding moss to make it appear as though the clay body was born out of the ground.”
In her studio, Liss and Eberly discussed the location and scale of the campus site, and Liss set about making drawings and creating maquettes for the piece after several site visits. She collaborated with Tom Ransom, a metal fabricator, who created the steel support portal that is bolted to the salvaged base of the sculpture. Evolve is a site-specific work and is brilliantly positioned so when viewed from a distance or up close, the steel ring shifts its visual volume from a thick curving ribbon to a thin encircling orange line contrasting with the sky while framing the rhythmic organic shape of the ceramic elements within.
Inspired by nature and the human figure, Liss works out of her studio in the suburbs of Philadelphia where her creative process is driven by the energy and environment that surrounds her.
Liss earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts (‘84) and an Art Education Certification (‘85) from Moore College of Art in Philadelphia, PA. Her work is shown throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and is available through InLiquid, The Art Shop at Moore College of Art and Design, and Parisa Rugs & Decor in Old City, Philadelphia. Currently she is exhibiting in Claybash at the Hunterdon Art Museum in Clinton, NJ on view until September 3. On First Friday in October 2023 her work will be featured at Parisa Rugs & Decor in Old City, Philadelphia.
The community is invited to view Evolve 24 hours a day, 7 days a week located along Linden Lane on the Newtown Campus of Bucks County Community College. To schedule a free Sculpture Walk tour, email Clifford Eberly at gallery@bucks.edu.
Gene and Marlene Epstein to Fund 100 Scholarships for Lower Bucks Students
Gene & Marlene Epstein are partnering with the Bucks County Community College Foundation and are giving 100 local Bucks County high school graduates the opportunity for higher education! One hundred area high school graduates will receive a scholarship award thanks to a very generous donation from the Gene & Marlene Epstein Humanitarian Fund. Committed to helping students in need earn a degree or credential, Gene & Marlene donated to the Bucks County Community College Foundation.
"Figuring out how to pay for college should not be a barrier for a person who wants to make a better life for themselves. We want every student in Bucks County to know that there is a path forward for them at Bucks County Community College, and this scholarship will help you get started today. Don’t think you can afford college, well now you can!" says Gene Epstein, long-time supporter, and advocate of Bucks County Community College.
"We are honored and gratified by the generosity of Gene and Marlene. Their support of our students enables us to stand firm on our mission of providing accessible educational opportunities for our community," says Dr. Felicia L. Ganther, President of Bucks County Community College.
The Gene & Marlene Epstein Humanitarian Fund will award 100 scholarships to students who have financial need. In combination with students’ financial aid package, this fund will result in full scholarships. The full scholarship awards will be announced by the College’s Foundation by the start of the Fall semester which begins on August 23. Scholarship eligibility is based on financial need and is for recent high school graduates from Lower Bucks County. For consideration, students must apply for admission, and complete a FAFSA application. College admission counselors are available in person and virtually for consultations and for support in applying to Bucks.
"Every student’s story is different, but the financial gap in paying for college is still apparent. Through the generosity of Gene and Marlene Epstein, a student can earn achieve greater success in college without a financial burden." says Dr. Rodney Altemose, Associate Vice President of Student Affairs.
Gene and Marlene Epstein have been generous donors to the College for many years. In 2017, the Foundation in collaboration with the College’s Board of Trustees dedicated the College’s Bristol campus as the Gene and Marlene Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks.
"We are grateful for their commitment to helping others and serving the Bucks County community. Gene’s motto is, ‘what can I do to make someone’s life better today?’ Every day, through their philanthropy and advocacy, they answer this question with intention and with pride." says Christina Kahmar, CFRE, Executive Director, Foundation, and Interim AVP, Advancement at Bucks County Community College.
In addition to this new scholarship, the Bucks County Community College Foundation also offers more than 150 scholarship funds for students pursuing their education at Bucks. For more information about the scholarship, please contact scholarships@bucks.edu or 215-968-8416.
Bucks Launches New Weekend College Program
With the Newly Launched Weekend College Program, Students Will Earn Credentials Faster in as Few as Eleven Months, leading to an Exciting and In-Demand Career or Accelerating the Transfer Process to a Four-Year University Faster! Bucks County Community College announces the launch of the new Weekend College Program beginning on August 23. Students who enroll in the Weekend College option will prepare for a new, exciting, and in-demand career while quickly and affordably accelerating their path to the workforce or a four-year university. Courses start at just $687 each, including both tuition and fees. Financial aid, scholarships, and payment plans are available! Bucks proudly launches the Weekend College option in the following disciplines:
Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice
Associate of Science in Health Science
Paralegal Certificate
“In as few as 11 months, the ABA-Approved Weekend College Paralegal Certificate program will prepare individuals with the practical skills and knowledge needed to excel in the high-demand, high-earning potential paralegal field.” – stated Greg Luce, Dean of Business + Innovation.
These accelerated cohorts will meet Fridays and Saturdays using a hybrid model for students’ needs for flexibility. Enrolled students will be able to learn from and work with industry experts while participating in networking events with local employers, alums, and students. Additional opportunities will be offered through dinners and breakfasts with faculty and guest speakers. Workshops will also be provided for students, focusing on career development, interviewing skills, resume building, and more. Financial aid and scholarships are readily available.
“Bucks is already well known for developing successful graduates who are fully prepared for gainful employment throughout our region. That said, we fully acknowledge the reality that some potential students simply cannot afford to give up time during the workweek to acquire the skills necessary for advancement to the next level. This program addresses that need and provides a flexible pathway for these students to pursue their dreams on their schedule” – Jody Seutter, Interim Associate Provost & AVP, Academic Affairs.
“The nursing profession is a well-respected, high-demand career. Students are getting recruited even before they graduate from our program. We are well known for developing successful graduates who pass the licensure exam and are respected employees of a great variety of institutions in the county.” – Dr. Connie Corrigan, Dean, Health Sciences
“A Criminal Justice degree from Bucks prepares you for the workforce or to transfer to a four-year college or university. This program offers you the opportunity to earn your degree in an accelerated timeframe while learning from and working with experts in the field.” – Samantha Gross, Dean, Social & Behavioral Science
Classes are forming now for the Weekend College cohort that begins August 23! Interested students can request more information online or contact weekendcollege@bucks.edu.
*Disclaimer: Paralegals may not provide legal services directly to the public except as permitted by law.
Inaugural Building & Construction Trades Cohort Celebrates Graduation
Bucks County Community College celebrated six Building & Construction Trades Pre-Apprenticeship program students during their inaugural cohort graduation on June 15 at the new Center for Advanced Technologies on the Gene and Marlene Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks in Bristol, PA. Graduates of this 10-week program will be applying for union-registered apprenticeships.
The program, funded through a PA Department of Labor and Industry PAsmart grant and believed to be the first of its kind in Pennsylvania, consists of 288-hour curricula that provides the fundamental education necessary for graduates to apply for a Registered Apprenticeship Program to potentially secure a high-paying, family-sustaining job. Additionally, students earn OSHA-10 and Aerial Platform Lift Safety certificates.
Throughout the 10-week program, students experienced hands-on training in a variety of building and construction trade disciplines including sheet metal working, electrical, and plumbing.
Luke Millevoi of Conshohocken, a member of the inaugural cohort of students who graduated from the program, praised the learning opportunities it provided him.
“Through this hands-on training and classroom instruction, I’ve gained a comprehensive understanding of the trades, and I am confident in my ability to contribute effectively to the workforce. The Building & Construction Trades program has opened doors to a career that aligns with my passions and values while allowing me to contribute to a better future for all workers. I am grateful for the opportunities it has presented, and excited about the journey that lies ahead.”
Millevoi, who has already applied to be accepted into Steamfitters Local 420, also said that the program has helped him form strong bonds with his classmates and Bucks County Community College staff.
“I’ve developed friendships with fellow students and instructors who share the same passion for the trades, creating a network of support that will endure throughout my career.”
Anjeannette Parlin of Philadelphia, another member of the inaugural cohort, said she chose to enter the Building and Construction Trades program because, “it ties into what I want to do in life, which is real estate and development.” Parlin, who has applied to be accepted into Philadelphia Carpenters Local 158 and Sheet Metal Workers Local 19, said that she enjoyed every day being in the program and that, “these were some of the best weeks of my life. I’m forever grateful for the opportunity, the knowledge, the experience, and exposure that I’ve gotten from these past 10 weeks.”
The pre-apprenticeship program can accommodate as many as 32 students over the next two years thanks to the current grant funding.
George School Senior Named Bucks County High School Poet of the Year
Rhianna Searle, a senior at the George School, has been named the 2023 Bucks County High School Poet of the Year, officials at Bucks County Community College announced.
Searle, who was first runner-up in last year’s contest, rose to the top of more than 120 entries in the 36rd annual contest, part of the Bucks County Poet Laureate Program administered by the college.
For the first-place finish, Searle wins $300 and will be honored with a poetry reading on Saturday, May 13 from 2-4 pm in Tyler Hall 142 on BCCC's Newtown Campus. The event will feature winners, finalists, and judges.
The three poems Searle submitted for the contest were entitled “Steady,” “Sugar Snap Peas” and “Springtime Sonnet.”
The judges were Tom Mallouk (the current Bucks County Poet Laureate) and Nicole Steinberg (last year's BCPL).
In addition to the winner, the judges also named Olivia Cao, a junior Central Bucks High School South, as first runner-up. Second runner-up was senior Eva Houlton from New Hope-Solebury school. Third runner-up was Charlotte Smyth, a junior from Central Bucks High School West.
The three runners-up will also read from their works during the celebration.
The annual Bucks County High School Poet of the Year contest is another way that Bucks County Community College contributes to the cultural heritage of the region.
For more information contact Dr. Ethel Rackin, a Professor of Language and Literature at Bucks and the director of the Wordsmiths Reading Series and Poet Laureate Program at Ethel.Rackin@bucks.edu.
Winning poems
Steady
I slide into womanhood like a glove trying on different sizes testing the waters. Most girls bloom, are written in poems as flowers, green metaphors. I wonder if most of those poems are written by men. I am the knot of roots beneath the soil.
As time’s waters roll women are the river stones shifting but standing firm. My own mother smells of muscle balm and quinoa. She sounds like summertime. Women are strong like wintering trees. Stop calling their beauty ephemeral like cherry blossoms. Womanhood is also private fitting in the crevices between stonework and sheets fingers tracing Georgia O’Keeffe patterns; Like cacti in deserts, women hold their own water.
Sugar Snap Peas
“Let me call my anxiety, desire, then. Let me call it, a garden.” -Natalie Diaz, “From the Desire Field”
It’s not that poetry isn’t truth –it’s a trellis. I’d like to untie the knots of my fear like tendons turned tendrils reaching towards the light to transplant myself
to let myself be wild and patient
I wrap metaphors around my arms like casts after some time I can crack them off, peel them off, I become one not a comparison or a shadow but bones and being.
Anger is red. Love is peach colored anxiety No–love is blossoms turned fruit and even fear is fertile.
What I mean to say is I love younot in spite of but through
My love is never adjacent
Fear and love are the same poem at different stages of revision, the same sentence, rewritten, translated.
Springtime Sonnet
“And it’s over!” cry the leaves, as daybreak Chimes. And still and still…when I am leaning Here on you: it’s a sweeter kind of ache. Time is passing away, away, cleaning And rearranging. My ambitions changed. In hearts’ safe chambers, recollections sproutAnd melt as something soft becomes estranged. Now April comes around again with doubtOf Summer, then September. Trees turn green Again, and I will become old and new. And oh the tremor! Oh the thrill–eighteen! And yet…less fear when sitting here with you. We are young, and caught in April’s arm And now for just a moment, out of harm.
Learn About ‘Cultivating Your Resilience’ from Mental Health Expert at Bucks
Clinical psychologist Dr. Lise Deguire shares how to use cognitive tools of resilience to improve well-being at 12:30 Tue. April 25 at Newtown and online Bucks County Community College invites the public to “Finding and Cultivating Your Resistance,” a mental-health awareness program at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 25, at the Newtown campus and online.
The forum is presented by clinical psychologist Dr. Lise Dequire, who suffered third-degree burns on two-thirds of her body at age four, setting her on a journey of pain, hospitalizations and social ostracism. Yet she now lives a life of great joy, meaning, and purpose.
In her talk, Dr. Deguire uses these personal experiences to discuss psychological resilience, the cognitive tools of resilience, and how we can cope more resiliently with life’s challenges. The award-winning author of Flashback Girl: Lessons on Resilience from a Burn Survivor has appeared on NPR, NBC, ABC, FOX, Sirius XM, and numerous podcasts, and writes a blog for Psychology Today. Learn more about the speaker at www.LiseDeguire.com.
The event takes place in the Library Learning Studio on the campus at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa. It will be also offered live online to those who register at https://bit.ly/FindYourResilience.
“Finding and Cultivating Your Resilience” is brought to you by the Office of Community and Government Relations, and by the student-run Psychology Club. It’s among several educational forums to encourage engagement and dialog on issues surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion in the community. To learn more, visit www.bucks.edu/diversity.
BCCC and Philadelphia Building Trades Announce Historic New Partnership
Pre-Apprenticeship Program To Provide Students with Path To Union Membership Officials of Bucks County Community College (BCCC) and the Philadelphia Building & Construction Trades Council today announced the launch of the “Bucks County Community College Building & Construction Trades Pre-Apprenticeship Program”, which is believed to be the first of its kind in Pennsylvania. The 11-week course offers BCCC students the opportunity to study many skilled Building Trades disciplines.
Skilled building and construction workers are in high demand. To help fill the need, BCCC has partnered with local Building Trades unions to offer its students free training and career service assistance. The launch of this new program is funded through a PA Department of Labor and Industry PAsmart grant. Participants will learn from industry experts with extensive experience in their fields at the state-of-the-art Center for Advanced Technologies (CAT) on the Gene and Marlene Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks in Bristol, PA.
The 11-week, 288-hour curricula will provide the fundamental education necessary for graduates to apply for a Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) to potentially secure a high-paying, family-sustaining job. Additionally, students will earn OSHA-10 and Aerial Platform Lift Safety certificates.
“The Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council is ecstatic to be partnering with Bucks County Community College on this unprecedented new Pre-Apprenticeship Program,” said Building Trades Business Manager Ryan N. Boyer. “This innovative program, taught by our experienced Trades’ instructors, will provide students who are interested in a career in the unionized construction trades with industry-specific knowledge and a significant edge on other apprentice training program applicants.”
“Bucks County Community College is proud to join forces with the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council in this historic partnership,” said Dr. Felicia L. Ganther, President of Bucks County Community College. “Bucks is committed to providing students with pathways to meaningful and relevant career opportunities, and this collaboration furthers that commitment. We are thrilled to welcome our first cohort of students to this inaugural program!”
Joining Boyer and Dr. Ganther on the dais were BCCC Board Chair Tom Jennings and Associate Vice President Tracy Timby.
For many young people, a traditional four-year college degree is not a viable option, for various reasons. The Philadelphia Building & Construction Trades Council Apprenticeship programs provide young people with the opportunity to “earn while they learn”, along with entry into family-sustaining careers in the unionized construction industry, upon graduation. This unique Pre-Apprenticeship Program being offered by BCCC and the Trades offers participants a potential gateway into a highly-coveted Philadelphia Building Trades Apprenticeship Training Program.
The inaugural cohort of the BCCC Pre-Apprenticeship Program begins April 10, 2023 and will feature a total of eight students. With the current staff of seven Building Trades instructors, the BCCC Pre-Apprenticeship Program can accommodate as many as 32 students over the next two years under current grant funding.
For more information, contact Program Manager Christine Harvie at christine.harvie@bucks.edu.
Code Number Safe [Un]Safe Exhibition At Hicks Art Center Gallery
Hicks Art Center Gallery at Bucks County Community College is pleased to present a group exhibition of new and historic art works featuring U.S. and internationally based artists. Code Number Safe [Un]Safe will be on view from Wednesday, January 18 through Saturday, March 4, 2023.
The group exhibition will feature sculpture, painting, drawing, collage, assemblage, photography, and video works by:
Miriam Carpenter, Paul W. Evans, Helen Rebekah Garber, Hand Drawn Map Association (Kris Harzinski), Daniel Healey, Edward Ellis Hughes (Courtesy of The Petrucci Family Foundation), Barbara Martin, Kathleen McSherry, Neal Pressley, Lorna Simpson (Courtesy of The Petrucci Family Foundation), and Steina and Woody Vasulka (Courtesy of Electronic Arts Intermix).
The premise of the exhibition "Code Number Safe [Un]Safe" is built around the concept of numbers and numeric systems holding values for safety and stability or on the contrary- impermanence and oppression. The cohort of artists participating in the exhibition use numbers and numeric identifiers to describe personal, process and historical narratives through sculpture, painting, collage, or visual diagrams/images that symbolize spaces for realized well-being or vessels of conflict.
Artistic expression is often codified solely as a right-brain endeavor. However, many artists utilize left- brain processes, organically, out of preference or necessity, by sourcing a multitude of numeric systems to augment right-brain creative activities; in artworks deploying painting, printmaking, photography, video, assemblage, and sculpture in the exhibition “Code Number Safe [Un]Safe.” For example, Lorna Simpson’s photogravure and screen-print work, “Counting” employs various means of quantifying time, history, architecture, and the body(hair) with texts flanking three images while Barbara Martin’s expressionist paintings include repetitive marks or tallies to measure rhythm in dance. Enumeration for Paul W. Evans is made visible by tackling familial relationships through sibling birth order. In addition, Evans paints and collages numbers juxtaposed with plant shapes to question the proliferation and detrimental side effects of genetically modified organisms to humans and the environment.
Neal Pressley’s “No. 7” series of woodblock prints capture a historic building’s past identification before it was erased during the site’s development into a construction company’s Lancaster headquarters. An augmented reality video will illustrate where the “No. 7” was originally seen on the building prior to its transformation. Daniel Healey’s Letraset transfer drawings are shape forms the artist meticulously creates by hand, “not [with] a computer, or lensing an AI response.” Steina and Woody Vasulka on the other hand, embraced new medias and broke technological barriers to create moving images that questioned the presence of the human hand in artmaking. Their two works in the exhibition, “1-2-3-4” and “Solo for 3” look archaic now and almost humorous in their basicness. But at the time of their making, the videos were groundbreaking.
From the Hand Drawn Map Association’s archive, founder Kris Harzinski is exhibiting a selection of maps with subjects ranging from concepts of partnership to transit line numbers in a fictional city. While numbers do not appear visually on Miriam Carpenter’s exquisitely carved wood feathers, the title of the first one the artist created is the average number of feathers of a mallard duck, 11,903. Each subsequent sculpture’s numeric title is one less than the one made before it. In “Code Number Safe [Un]Safe, Carpenter will exhibit the 15th feather, “11,889.” Experiencing the daily ritual of self-injection as a means of healing and survival, Kathleen McSherry felt guided to make the sculpture “MS Nightmare” from found objects in her collection that spoke to her in a transformative and meaningful way that words cannot describe. In Edward Ellis Hughes’ remarkable collaged painting from 1982 the numeric references are not obvious which raises questions that may remain unanswered; “Did the artist choose the numbers randomly and do they signify some thing or being?”
Although numbers are attached to specific values like money and hurricane categories, the artists in “Code Number Safe [Un]Safe” made conscious decisions to include them in their artworks as clues to explain the inherent values personally significant to them and others.
Exhibition programming is free and open to the public and includes:
February 2, 2023, 2 p.m. - Helen Rebekah Garber will present an Artist Talk in the Zlock Performing Arts Center at Bucks County Community College. Garber will speak about her journey as a nurse practitioner and artist and how they intersect on her canvases through numerical patterns. Following the Artist Talk, the exhibition’s opening reception will be held in the Hicks Art Center from 4-6 p.m.
February 7, 2023, 10-11:30 a.m. - Kris Harzinski, artist, director, and founder of The Hand Drawn Map Association will present a map making workshop in the Hicks Art Center room H100. Materials and supplies will be provided.
Gallery hours throughout the exhibition will be Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays noon to 4 p.m.
About the Hicks Gallery
Hicks Art Center Gallery at Bucks County Community College provides a varied series of curated art exhibitions and related programming in support of the Arts & Communication Department and as an important educational and cultural resource for the community. The Gallery is located at 275 Swamp Road, Newtown, PA 18940 in the Hicks Art Center on the Newtown campus of Bucks County Community College.
The Esteé Lauder Companies Donates to BCCC to Advance Supply Chain Education
ELC donation will fund scholarships for the next generation of diverse talent near ELC’s manufacturing and distribution operations in Bristol, PA The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) is proud to donate $200,000 to Bucks County Community College, a public community college located nearby ELC’s long-held manufacturing and distribution operations in Bristol, PA. This donation, which marks the largest single corporate investment the college has received in its 60-year history, will help advance supply chain education and employment opportunities for students in the local community and lay the foundation for a comprehensive, multi-year career readiness program.
“As one of the world’s largest manufacturers and distributers of prestige beauty products, The Estée Lauder Companies is committed to investing in the supply chain talent of the future,” said Roberto Canevari, Executive Vice President, Global Supply Chain, The Estée Lauder Companies. “We are thrilled to offer Bucks County Community College students an opportunity to advance their education and be exposed to the vast career opportunities available in supply chain.”
This donation is expected to fund scholarships for local students with expressed interest in supply chain to complete their two-year Associates degree at Bucks County Community College on-campus or online. Students will obtain experiential learning opportunities at ELC’s Bristol, PA facilities to gain real-world insights into supply chain, manufacturing, and distribution operations. ELC leaders will also serve as mentors for these students.
“It is an honor to partner with The Estée Lauder Companies to unlock new academic and hands-on learning opportunities for our students,” said Dr. Felicia L. Ganther, President of Bucks County Community College (Bucks). “This career pathway program will provide support, funding and intentional engagements to propel students from their first college course to successful supply chain careers. It underscores the power of higher education and corporate collaborations to drive employment.”
This donation marks a critical step in laying the foundation for a broader, comprehensive educational and career readiness program in development between The Estée Lauder Companies, Bucks County Community College, and Temple University's Fox School of Business. This program will foster a new pathway that guides students through high school and college to pursue full-time careers in supply chain operations. Additional details on this unique program and the initial pilot group of students will be unveiled in spring 2023. For additional information on the Supply Chain Scholars program, please contact SupplyChainScholars@bucks.edu or visit the Supply Chain Scholars website bucks.edu/SupplyChainScholars.
The Estée Lauder Companies is one of the largest employers in Bucks County, PA with thousands of employees working across its manufacturing and distribution operations. Throughout its 33-year presence in the area, ELC has supported the Bucks County community through support to a range of local organizations.
“We are incredibly proud to further our philanthropic investments in the Bucks County community and build a pipeline of emerging talent who can help strengthen our local distribution and manufacturing operations,” said Ken Pickett, Vice President, NA Distribution, The Estée Lauder Companies. “We look forward to the powerful possibilities that this program will unlock for ELC and Bucks County Community College students.” On a global scale, ELC and ELC’s Charitable Foundation are committed to supporting education through partnerships with a range of non-profit organizations and academic institutions in the U.S. and around the world.
About Bucks County Community College
Founded in 1964, Bucks County Community College is a two-year, public institution located in Southeast Pennsylvania that offers more than 80 programs of study that lead to either an associate degree or certificate, as well as many noncredit certificate and workforce training programs. Classes are held online, and at campuses in Newtown, Pa., Bristol, Pa., and Perkasie, Pa. To learn more, visit bucks.edu.
About The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products. The company’s products are sold in approximately 150 countries and territories under brand names including: Estée Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, M·A·C, La Mer, Bobbi Brown, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Darphin Paris, TOM FORD BEAUTY, Smashbox, AERIN Beauty, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, GLAMGLOW, KILIAN PARIS, Too Faced, Dr.Jart+, and the DECIEM family of brands, including The Ordinary and NIOD.
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