Automotive Technology Department Makes Senior Assistance Day a Success

On Friday, October 7th our Automotive Technology AMT100 class participated in a very important event.  The Cary Police Department in conjunction with McHenry County College Automotive Technology Department hosted a Senior Assistance Day.  Our students provided free basic inspections to senior citizen vehicles.  The students learned essential one on one skills by greeting each vehicle owner in addition to explaining the results of the inspection.  The Department worked with several local shops and stores, so they could refer those individuals with vehicle issues.  Under the supervision of Mike Albamonte and Clay Brown, the students inspected 24 vehicles and found concerns such as needing new tires, tire rotation, low-charge battery, worn belts, radiator hose leak and taillights not operating.  All involved found the day to be successful and hope to make this an annual event.  Congratulations on a wonderful event serving our community and our students!

Art Department Co-Sponsoring Pottery Demonstration

The Art Department is co-hosting a pottery demonstration on Friday, October 14 and Saturday, October 15 from 9:00 – 4:00 in the Conference Center. Robin Harper, a potter internationally recognized, will show  how to create functional pots for household uses through the process of wheel-throwing.


Cost including lunch:
Both days:
$125
$115 for MCC Students and Clayworkers’ Guild Members

One day:
$70
$65 for MCC Students and Clayworkers’ Guild Members

A $25 fee will be incurred by those who register at the door.

Registration:
MCC Registration Office 815.455.8588.

Continuing professional development units will be available.

Matt Irie Featured in The Week

Matt Irie’s exhibition, “You Are the Vanishing Point," was highlighted in the September 2 issue of The Week. The author praises Matt’s work in "Where to Buy: a Select Exhibition in a private gallery” by describing it in the following way:

      

          Don't expect to find your bearings in Matt Irie's densely
          layered paintings. The Chicago artist's latest series,
          "You Are the Vanishing Point," channels the
          disorienting energy of M.C. Escher's physics-defying
           spatial constructions into square and nearly square
           abstract paintings that shimmer, advance, and recede
           without any apparent rhyme or reason. Unlike oil
           on canvas or watercolor on paper, Irie's preferred
           medium--acrylic latex on rigid panel--offers little room
           for creating the illusion of depth through loose gesture.
           His optical trickery, in other words, must be that much
           more crafty and precise. At Ebersmoore Gallery, 213 N.
           Morgan St. Chicago. (28)

The print version of The Week may be found at the MCC Library. Congratulations, Matt!

"Where to Buy: a Select Exhibition in a private gallery." The Week      

       2 Sept. 2011: 28. Print.



Matt Irie: You are the Vanishing Point

Congratulations to Matt Irie on his upcoming solo exhibition ‘You are the Vanishing Point’ at EBERSMOORE!

August 5 - September 3, 2011

Opening Reception: Friday, August 5 6-9pm

EBERSMOORE

213 N. Morgan, #3C

Chicago Il, 60607

http://ebersmoore.com/

Dripping paint in every direction, Matt Irie's densely constructed paintings in 'You Are the Vanishing Point' occupy a disorienting space between traditions of geometric painting and surreal installation. The illusion of conflicting gravity created by Irie's craft, in which marks are made by the application of individual and multi-directional paint drips, presents each narrative according to optical effect. Where the grid is employed one way, nests of marks accelerate the eye into depths of overlapping lines, but when the paintings flatten, the history of Irie's engagement with fleeting surrealism is on physical display. Flickering between illusions of deep vertigo and telling phenomena of construction, the paintings in 'You Are the Vanishing Point' function as historical palindromes, working in both directions to engage their viewer as something more than real.

Art on the Fox Festival judged by Art Hand and Tom Vician

Art Hand and Tom Vician, Art Instructors, recently judged collections at the Art on the Fox festival in Algonquin.  Artists were judged on all submissions as a whole rather than on individual pieces.  The two-day festival consisted of 40 booths with an assortment of media including ceramics, photography, jewelry, paintings, glass, and stone.  We are proud to have Art and Tom serving the community while being wonderful representatives of McHenry County College!

I'm thinking of changing my smile - Art Installation at the Dole Mansion by Erin Coleman-Cruz and Christina Gregor

The second and third floors of the 1860’s Dole Mansion have been transformed by Art Instructors, Erin Coleman-Cruz and Christina Gregor. The art installation, “I’m thinking of changing my smile,” is open for viewing through June 24. Congratulations are in order for our colleagues. Their countless hours of hard work and dedication should not go unnoticed. Please attend to see how the Dole has been recreated through this collaboration.

Dole Mansion
401 Country Club Road
Crystal Lake, IL

http://collaborateeccg.blogspot.com/

http://www.lakesidelegacy.org/index.html

Pat Zokal, Department Chair of Counseling, serves students through professional development

Pat Zokal, Department Chair of Counseling, will be very busy with professional activities this summer. She is taking six semester hours of graduate course work, including a "Family Counseling" course. This will increase her understanding of family dynamics issues our students face, which are often a source of strain or support affecting their success. Pat is also enrolled in an Education course, enabling her to incorporate additional creative activities into her teaching. Pat’s professional development will directly impact students and employees, as she will integrate what she has learned into her seminars and professional development classes.


In additional to professional development, Pat will also be serving students through the completion of the Career Decision Making MCC webpage. The current "Career Resources" page will be replaced by a new, more self-directed "Career and College Major Decisions" webpage with different options for students (choosing a major) and community members (making a career change).

Thank you, Pat, for your dedication to continuing professional development and to serving our students!

Matt Irie - Spirit Fingers Exhibition

Congratulations to Matt Irie, Art Instructor, on his upcoming exhibition of recent paintings, Spirit Fingers, at the Wright Museum of Art at Beloit College. Spirit Fingers will be exhibited from June 11, 2011 through July 22, 2011. The opening reception is on Saturday, June 11 from 4:30 PM until 6:30 PM. Please attend to support Matt and to see his amazing work!

www.mattirie.com

Wright Museum of Art
Beloit College
700 College Street
Beloit, WI 53511

Congratulations, Matt!

MCC Team Wins First Place in the Suburban Chicago Intercollegiate Catapult Contest

Congratulations to the McHenry County College team who captured first place in the third annual Suburban Chicago Intercollegiate Catapult Contest. The MCC team, which consisted of sisters Laura and Anna Gallagher and Stuart Dwyer, took first in the accuracy competition by connecting on three 35 foot shots, finished second in the precision event, and took fourth in the distance event to finish first overall out of 12 teams from McHenry County College, College of Lake County, Harper College, and College of DuPage.


The College of DuPage Team #2 tried to mount a ferocious comeback in the distance event by hitting a 100 foot bull’s-eye, but that was not enough to overcome the all-around effort by the MCC team.

The MCC Catapult was designed by Laura Gallagher as part of the requirements for her Engineering Graphics course.

Pictured from left to right - Anna Gallagher, Stuart Dwyer, Laura Gallagher

Skyway STEM Poster Competition 2011

MCC Student Nisha Patel and MCC Math Instructor Heidi Haegerich
Other MCC student entrants were: Ralph Davis, David Patel and Lee Dowsett

MCC is one of the eight member colleges of the Illinois Skyway Athletic and Co-Curricular Conference. Friday, April 8th, MCC hosted the second annual Skyway STEM Poster Contest. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering & Math. Students from Waubonsee Community College, College of Lake County, Moraine Valley College, Oakton Community College, Prairie State College & MCC have submited research projects to be judged. The poster board competition received 40 submissions from 70 student participants representing the categories of math/technology, biological science and physical science.


MCC Instructors Marla Garrison (Biology), Steve Socol (Chemistry), Heidi Haegerich (Math) all worked tirelessly to organize and host this competition. Talia Koronkiewicz, Coordinator of Student Life & Campus Activities, also worked long and hard arranging the event.

Peter Johnson and Rick Delaney, students of  Instructor Jack Brezinski (Computer & Digital Media), gave a robotics demonstration and address.  Nisha Patel and Ralph Davis were mentored by Marla Garrison (Biology). David Patel is a student of Adjunct Instructor Ed Coty (Physics) while Lee Dowsett is a student of Adjunct Instructor Steve Burks (Chemistry). As Haegerich noted, "They now have an experience that will serve them well in college and graduate school. Students got to do independent research on a topic of their choice, deepening their understanding, bringing Math and Science to life, and allowing them to make connections to the real world."