Another Vibrant Open House
Our annual open house on November 8 drew high-quality applications and a record attendance of 1,300 visitors. New applications for admission totaled 431. This year we expressly asked applicants to bring their high school transcripts. The purpose was to increase the number of new students, and early impressions suggest that it worked. More applicants than ever before came fully prepared to complete the process; 161 brought along their transcripts, ready to enroll.

Watching this event grow has been a pleasure during my tenure here. This one also set new records as far as organization, participation and presentation. In the lobby, a live remote broadcast by WMCS 1290 AM added glamour and fun. Upstairs, students from Music Occupations laid down a jazzy soundtrack. For easy recognition, staff and student volunteers wore bright blue MATC T-shirts. An attitude of total customer service prevailed.

The process went very smoothly for visitors, who started in the S120 auditorium with a brief overview of the college. From there, escorts directed them to their areas of specific interest. Many chose to go straight to Admissions, while others explored the 108 programs represented and narrowed their choices by talking directly with faculty. To all 270 faculty and staff volunteers who spent their Saturday morning helping to promote the college, and to our 50 student volunteers, my warmest personal thanks. Your increasing level of participation has brought the open house from good idea to fully effective.

Among the planning team members, there are too many heroes to list here, but I will mention a few: Brunnetta Soward, Recruitment (and her entire team); John Lopez, Technology and Applied Sciences; Brenda Vento and Bill Quirmbach, College Events; Christine Zollicoffer and Leslie Moritz, Admissions; and Al Pinckney and Lisa Lipe, Financial Aid. Dozens of others chipped in. If you know one, please offer your thanks. 

Photos: Scenes from the November 8 Open House.

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A Nontraditional Success
More than 100 area Girl Scouts from 26 troops sampled 10 nontraditional occupations at a special career day November 15 at the Oak Creek Campus. The scouts explored careers such as architecture, auto technology, carpentry, electricity, welding, law enforcement, firefighting, mechanical design, machining and civil engineering. An all-female team of MATC instructors and industry professionals put them to work on fun projects. They built a bird house; welded a small, decorative rod; created a scale-model structure; and changed oil on a vehicle. All earned a completion certificate and a career day badge.

"The participants and their scout leaders were grinning from ear to ear," said Dr. David Turner, dean of Technology and Applied Sciences. "They learned that all career areas are possible." This wonderful event culminated an idea which Dr. Turner has been working on for two years. My special thanks to all the teachers who presented us so well and served as fine role models: Terese Dressel, Susan Silverstein, Aimee Davis, Heidi Peterson, Deb Richards, Bev Sroka, Connie Prange, Courtney Biedenbender and Margie Zamorski. Also thanks to TAS staff John Lopez and Greg Holther for their invaluable support.

Photo: Brenda Fritsch, chair of the Architectural Technology advisory committee, used a scale-model structure to capture the attention of Girl Scouts attending a nontraditional career day at Oak Creek Campus.

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Support Commencement
Please help celebrate student success at our Winter Commencement, Thursday, December 18, 6 p.m. at the U.S. Cellular Arena. I encourage all faculty and staff to attend. Your presence helps make a special evening even more memorable. We also need volunteers to work the event. To sign up, please contact Archie Graham. Edward J. Zore, chairman and CEO of Northwestern Mutual, will serve as our keynote speaker. A lifelong Milwaukee resident, Mr. Zore is the 16th president in the company's incredibly successful 151-year history.

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Encourage Students to Register Now
Spring semester open registration began November 17, and priority registration is now in full swing. Please strongly encourage current students to register soon to get the classes, times and campuses they want. It isn't as easy as it once was, due to a large increase in new students this year. Please remind students to meet with their faculty advisor before registering.

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Celebrating ECAM
The Center for Energy Conservation and Advanced Manufacturing held an open house on October 22 to thank our partners and reach out to industry. The premises gleamed. Our hospitality shined, with student ambassadors from the Recruitment Department greeting our guests. I was privileged to meet with a number of guests. Able planning led to a very polished event. ECAM truly is "the edge of the future." Thanks to administrators John Stilp, Dorothy Walker, Greg Holther and Dr. Joseph Jacobsen; and to Karen Coy-Romano and Brenda Vento, MATC Foundation/College Events. Special thanks to the many outstanding teachers who supported the event.

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Sustainable First
The ECAM open house served as a platform to begin unveiling our exciting new curriculum in sustainable business strategies. The first element is a course in Sustainable Facilities Management, which begins in January. Credits can be applied toward an associate degree, starting next fall. The Wisconsin Technical College System is on a fast track to review the planned degree courses. MATC will be one of the few colleges anywhere to offer this kind of training. The primary market appears to be professionals with bachelor's degrees. For more information, please contact Dr. Joseph Jacobsen.

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Turning on the Wind
Wind energy is now helping to power the Mequon Campus. We dedicated its new wind turbine at a November 12 ceremony. Providing about 8% of the campus's electricity needs, the 56-foot-diameter turbine sits atop a 160-foot tower. This project again emphasizes our educational commitment to sustainable energy solutions. Thanks to all who attended, including MATC District Board Member Dr. Robert M. Davis, Mequon Mayor Christine Nuernberg and Thiensville Village President Karl Hertz.

Photo: Civic officials joined MATC leaders in cutting the ceremonial ribbon christening our new wind turbine. 

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Doyle and Moore Speak at MATC Voter Rally
We welcomed Governor Jim Doyle and Congresswoman Gwen Moore as the featured speakers at a student-sponsored Downtown Milwaukee Campus voter rally on October 29. Following the rally, many students voted early or registered to vote. It was gratifying to see so many enthusiastic, energized students participate throughout the campaign.

Photo: Governor Doyle at the Downtown Milwaukee Campus.

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Health Care for All
 "Cover the Uninsured," a recent forum at the Downtown Milwaukee Campus, explored the devastating consequences when people lack health insurance. The Health Occupations Division and the Office of Student Life co-sponsored the event. Featured speakers included health practitioners seeking public office. We welcomed Dr. Sheldon Wasserman, Dr. Rene Settle-Robinson and Sandy Pasch, a registered nurse. Also participating were Dessie Levy, dean, Health Occupations and Dr. Michael Rosen, economics instructor. Students from across all disciplines attended.

Photo: Dean Levy speaks at the "Cover the Uninsured" forum.

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Direct Engagement
The MATC District Board held two successful "Listen & Learn" sessions last month at the West Allis and Downtown Milwaukee campuses. These gatherings provide a direct opportunity for students to share concerns on a variety of issues with MATC District Board members and MATC staff. Recurring themes included textbook prices, possible expansion of the UPASS program and sustainability efforts throughout the district. More sessions are planned for next semester at the Mequon and Oak Creek campuses. Thanks to Jerry O'Sullivan and Archie Graham for coordinating.

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A Poplar Place at Oak Creek Campus
A mini-forest sprang up at Oak Creek Campus on Friday, November 14 when 20 donated poplar trees were planted just north of the campus L-Lot. Lou Licht of Ecolotree, Inc. located in North Liberty, Iowa, donated the trees. "Lou's mission is sustainability - soil rejuvenation and being good to the environment," said Student Services Vice President Theresa Barry. Check out Ecolotree's website at www.ecolotree.com. Volunteers led by Oak Creek Campus Vice President John Stilp helped put the trees in the ground. Many thanks to John, Dan Clark, Steve Frankiewicz and Don Fialkowski for their work in planting yet another long-term legacy of sustainability at the Oak Creek Campus.

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'Smart Start' Looks North
Our popular Smart Start recruitment program expands to Mequon Campus on November 19. These one-hour sessions target prospective students who have a general interest in MATC. Smart Start began at the Downtown Milwaukee Campus two years ago and has proved tremendously successful. Mequon Campus Smart Start events will be held one Wednesday evening per month through May. Also expanding this fall: Smart Experience recruitment sessions for high school seniors. These reach out to individual schools and are designed to expedite admission. Thirteen sessions are planned leading up to spring semester.

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Finishing Strong
Congratulations to our Stormer fall sports teams and the athletes who concluded successful seasons. Among the many highlights:
Men's Golf - JJ Gosh qualified to represent MATC at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national tournament in New York in June 2009.
Women's Volleyball - The team earned its first Wisconsin Junior College Athletic Association tournament berth in three years. Trisha Mauer earned all-conference and all-state honors and is a NJCAA All-American nominee.
Men's Soccer - The team finished second in the Wisconsin Technical College Conference. Mark Much, Francis Vingo, Alex Hivey and Nouzsan Mohrarani were named to the all-conference and NJCAA Region 13 teams.

MATC student-athletes are among our best ambassadors. Please thank them for their extraordinary efforts and accomplishments.

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Culinary Skills Showcased
Our Culinary Arts students, faculty and staff showcased their incredible talents at a public dinner and wine pairing co-sponsored by the American Institute of Wine and Food. Held November 10 at the Downtown Milwaukee Campus, the event featured outstanding cuisines created through our Culinary Arts program. Students matched a wine with each food course. The evening provided great teaching and learning experiences while raising scholarship donations. Congratulations to AIWF scholarship winners honored at the event: Culinary Arts students Aaron Berg and Rosalin Rodriguez; and Baking Production student Joseph Kipp.

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Sweet Competition
Spotlighting the talents of baking and culinary students, our annual Gingerbread House contest is under way. The houses will be displayed at the Milwaukee Public Market, 400 North Water Street, December 5-11. During that week, they will be for sale to the public through a silent auction, with proceeds benefiting targeted scholarship funds at the MATC Foundation. Judging happens on December 4. The top finishers will be awarded scholarships. To all the contestants: good luck and, above all, have fun!

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A Campaign of Impressive Giving
So far this fall, almost 500 employees and retirees have donated $167,000 to our Giving Campaign. With gifts still being accepted, we are rapidly nearing last year's totals for dollars raised and participation. The campaign is one of the forces helping to maintain a high quality of life in southeastern Wisconsin amid troubled economic times. It supports seven local agencies: the MATC Foundation, MPTV Friends, Community Health Charities of Wisconsin, Hunger Relief Fund of Wisconsin, Community Shares of Greater Milwaukee, United Way of Greater Milwaukee and the United Performing Arts Fund. Let's all congratulate the campaign co-chairs - Lucia Francis, dean, Business Division; and Sandra Webster, Mequon Campus administration. And please don't forget to also thank your departmental Giving Campaign coordinator.

Photo: At the Giving Campaign victory celebration, Dr. Cole personally thanked co-chairs Lucia Francis and Sandra Webster.

Journey of Hope
We wish the very best to Visual Communications instructor David Thomas as he works for three months in the impoverished Guatemalan city of Quetzaltengo. David left Milwaukee in early November to teach web-based skills to students at La Pedrera School. He returns in February to work on other projects as part of a sabbatical that continues through the spring semester. His compassion exemplifies the best of MATC.

While in Guatemala, he hopes to improve his Spanish technical language skills for the purpose of developing a bilingual digital media class here. Colleagues have generously  given more than $500 to sponsor students in the Le Pedrera project. With a matching donor stepping forward, more than $1,000 is available to sponsor students in the next year. Follow David's adventure at www.thomerwald.net/travel/guatemala/

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David Thomas

Wellness Update: Caregiving Not for the Timid
A message from Anne Sheridan, Wellness Coordinator
One in four American families cares for someone older than 50. About 75% of these caregivers are women, two-thirds of the caregivers are also employed, and most caregivers are between 35 and 64 years old.

Being a caregiver can be frustrating, stressful and exhausting. If not careful, the caregiver can slip from being the care provider to the one in need of care. What are the danger signs? You may start to exhibit sleeping problems (too much or not enough); change in eating habits (weight gain or loss); tired and lacking energy most of the time; loss of interest in activities; easily agitated, angered or saddened; frequent headaches, stomach aches or other physical problems.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services indicates that caregivers are more likely to have:

• Symptoms of depression or anxiety
• Long-term medical problems such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes or arthritis
• Higher levels of stress hormones
• Susceptibility to infectious diseases
• A weaker immune response to influenza
• Slower wound healing
• Higher levels of obesity
• Higher risk for mental decline, including problems with memory and paying attention

The stress of caregiving should not be taken lightly. Serious illness can arise, and stress reduction is needed early and often. Find out about resources in the community; ask and accept help; it's OK to say no to requests; set realistic goals; prioritize and make lists; establish a routine; stay in touch with friends and don't forget to laugh.  A sense of humor can go a long way in reducing stress.

For more information, check out the Symmetry web page, MATC's Employee Assistance Provider (EAP). You will need to enter a user name and a password.  http://www.symmetryeap.org/symass.html Click on "Library of Resources." Username: matc      Password: eap 

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Anne Sheridan