- Gov. Ehrlich launches Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, May 4 at Rockville
- Mixed Media Installation by Sophia Isajiw runs through May 7 at Takoma Park
- Juried Art Exhibition runs through May 8 at School of Art & Design
- Student Art Exhibition runs through May 13 at Rockville
- "Portraits of Life," photo exhibition of Holocaust survivors, runs through June 20 at Rockville
- Jefferson Cafes schedule for May
- Music Department presents MC Wind and Jazz Ensembles, May 5 at Rockville
- Music Department presents Student Honors Recital, May 6 at Rockville
- Performing Arts Center presents The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, May 7 at Rockville
- Theatre Arts Department presents Arts Alive, May 7 at Takoma Park
- Music Department presents MC Chorus and Orchestra, May 8 at Rockville
- Women's Studies Program presents Yalla! A Celebration of Women's Dance, May 14 at Rockville
- Planetarium presents The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence, May 14 at Takoma Park
- Annual Honor Awards Convocation, May 18 at Rockville
- Surgical Technology Program's Perioperative Nursing CE course for nurses starts May 31 at Takoma Park
- Athletics events scheduled in May
- Previews of special events in June
- Alumni Association and Elk Run offer MC Alumni Association Wines
- Seats are still available for Alumni Association's 2005 New York Theatre Weekend
- Mentoring opportunities available through International Buddy Program and Lifelong Learning
- We're number 1 in alumni giving! Giving opportunities include Annual Fund and Auto Donation Program
- Resources for alumni and friends include positions available in an Excellent Workplace 

Click on any of the links below for additional information.

The Governor's Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs and Montgomery College present a celebration of Asian Pacific American culture and the kick-off of Maryland's Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 4, at the Theatre Arts Arena, Rockville Campus.. Maryland Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. will be the keynote speaker. The event will also include cultural performances by Montgomery College students and a panel discussion featuring prominent local Asian Pacific Americans. For more information, contact Dr. Kamala Edwards, (240) 567-7419, or e-mail kamala.edwards@montgomerycollege.edu.

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Takoma Park Fine Arts Department presents Take This Longing From My Tongue: A Mixed Media Installation by Sophia Isajiw, now through May 7, at the Pavilion of Fine Arts Gallery, Takoma Park. For more information, contact Maureen Kohl, (240) 567-1393, or e-mail maureen.kohl@montgomerycollege.edu.

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School of Art and Design presents Juried Art Exhibition, now through May 8, in the Gudelsky Gallery of the School of Art and Design, 10500 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring. For more information, contact the SA+D Admissions Office, (301) 649-4454.

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Rockville Art Department presents a Student Art Exhibition, now through May 13, in the Gallery of the Paul Peck Art Building.  For more information, contact the Art Department, (240) 567-5115, or visit http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/artrv/.

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Paul Peck Humanities Institute and the Communication Arts Technologies Department present "Portraits of Life," a photography exhibit of Holocaust survivors who live in Montgomery County, now through June 20 in the CAT Gallery, Technical Center. The exhibit portrays the survivors' spirit and sensitivity through a series of 33 portraits accompanied by narratives.  For more information, contact Jean Freedman, (240) 567-7417, or e-mail jean.freedman@montgomerycollege.edu.

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Celebrating the first anniversary of the founding of the Jefferson Cafe (TM), the Paul Peck Institute for American Culture and Civic Engagement will sponsor the following sessions for May 2005.

On Campus:

• Wednesday, May 4, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.:  Rockville Campus, Writing Center, 002 Humanities.  Topic:  American Sports.  Reading:  TBA.  To sign up, contact Prof. David Lott, (240) 567-7413 or e-mail david.lott@montgomerycollege.edu.

• Wednesday, May 4, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.:  Takoma Park Campus, Provost's Conference Room, Commons.  Topic:  The Revolutionary Generation.  Reading:  Preface to Joseph Ellis, Founding Brothers.  To sign up, contact Dr. Francine Jamin, (240) 567-1385, or e-mail francine.jamin@montgomerycollege.edu.

Off Site:

• Tuesday, May 3, from 11:00 am to noon:  LONG BRANCH COMMUNITY CENTER, Silver Spring.  Topic:  The Neighborhoods Where We Grew Up.  To sign up, contact Lola Skolnik or Levora President, (301) 431-5703, or e-mail lola.skolnik@montgomerycountymd.gov.

•  Monday, May 16, from 2:00 to 3:30 pm:  OASIS, Gaithersburg.  Topic:  The Enigma of Thomas Jefferson.  Reading:  Conclusion to Joseph Ellis, American Sphinx.  To sign up, contact Marcy Drozdowicz,  (301) 869-1508, or e-mail marcy.oasis@verizon.net.

Other Cafes may be added.  Please sign up early because the Cafes fill quickly.

Jefferson Cafes^(TM) feature coffee, dessert, and engaging conversation based on a brief reading, done in advance, on a topic in American life and culture. Attendance limited, pre-registration required.  For more information about the Jefferson Cafes, contact Francine Jamin at (240) 567-1385, e-mail mailto:francine.jamin@montgomerycollege.edu?subject=Jefferson Cafes, or visit www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/americanculture.

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Rockville Music Department presents MC Wind and Jazz Ensembles, Paul Noble and Ward Harris, conductors, 8 p.m. Thursday, May 5, at the Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center, Rockville Campus. For more information, contact the Music Department, (240) 567-5209, or visit www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/musicrv/consched.htm.

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Rockville Music Department presents Student Honors Recital, 8 p.m. Friday, May 6, in the Music Building Recital Hall, Rockville Campus. For more information, contact the Music Department, (240) 567-5209, or visit www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/musicrv/consched.htm.

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Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center presents The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, 11 a.m. Saturday, May 7, at the Performing Arts Center, Rockville Campus. A Theatre works USA presentation. Hurtle down the mighty Mississippi in this new musical with a country music-influenced score, based on Mark Twain's classic, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Join Huck Finn as he goes in search of new adventures and independence from the oppressive small-town Missouri life and helps his friend Jim, a slave, and escape to freedom. Don't miss this captivating story of wit, wisdom, humanity, and, most of all, friendship. Recommended for ages 9 and up. Tickets: $6 Regular, $5 with your Alumni Association membership card. For more information, contact the box office, (301) 279-5301, e-mail boxoffice@montgomerycollege.edu, or visit www.montgomerycollege.edu/PAC.

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Takoma Park Theatre Arts Department presents Arts Alive, 7 p.m. Saturday, May 7, at the Black Box Theatre, Takoma Park Campus. A native of Argentina, Luis Garay's acclaimed percussion ensemble brings its dynamic fusion of Afro-Latin Jazz and World Music to the stage. The evening will include some dance to the melody and beat of balofone, djembe and berimbaus, along with congos, bongos and drum kit. For more information, contact Perry Schwartz, (301) 588-4475, e-mail at perry.schwartz@montgomerycollege.edu, or visit http://www.classactsarts.org.

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Rockville Music Department presents MC Chorus and Orchestra, Molly Donnelly and Wen Kurkul, conductors, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, May 8, at the Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center, Rockville Campus. For more information, contact the Music Department, (240) 567-5209, or visit www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/musicrv/consched.htm.

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Women's Studies Program presents Yalla! A Celebration of Women's Dance, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 14 at the Theater Arts Arena, Rockville Campus. Montgomery College will host a concert of some of the most acclaimed Middle Eastern dancers in the Washington, DC metro area as a benefit to raise funds for the Women's Studies Scholarship Fund. The concert will include performances by the Silk Road Dance Company, Artemis, Yasmin, Sultana, Kostana, and Zareen, among others. Tickets for the concert are $14 and $6 for students and seniors. For more information, contact Women's Studies office, (240) 567-5355, or e-mail deborah.stearns@montgomerycollege.edu.

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Takoma Park Planetarium presents The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence, 7 p.m. Saturday, May 14, at the planetarium, South Science Building, Takoma Park Campus. Since Marconi invented the radio transmitter (1897) and we first started sending radio messages we have been announcing our presence to the technologically advanced civilizations of the cosmos. How likely is it that we have been heard? How likely is it that we have been visited before or after we started radio broadcasts, which go out to all of space? How would we go about listening for extra-terrestrial intelligence? What are we doing now about searching for extra-terrestrial intelligence? Come to this planetarium show and find out. For more information, contact Dr. Harold Alden Williams, (240) 567-1463, or e-mail harold.williams@montgomerycollege.edu.

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Rockville Campus presents Annual Honor Awards Convocation, 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 18, in the Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center, Rockville Campus. Annual student awards include spring Phi Theta Kappa initiations and presentations of Departmental Awards, Presidential Scholar Award, and the Presidential Apprenticeship Scholar Award. For more information, contact Jacki Moffi, (240) 567-5020, or e-mail jacki.moffi@montgomerycollege.edu.

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Surgical Technology Program announces Perioperative Nursing, a continuing education course for nurses, May 31-July 21 (Tuesdays and Thursdays) at the Takoma Park Campus. For more information, contact Patrice Upshaw, RN, MSN, (301) 562-5541, or e-mail patrice.upshaw@montgomerycollege.edu.

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Athletic Events at the College include the following:

Women's Softball:
May 6: District Championship, 12 p.m.

Men's Lacrosse:
May 3: Regional Championships, 1 p.m.
May 6-8: Regional Championships, 1 p.m.

Men's Baseball:
May 12: Rockville at Westmoreland, 12 p.m.
May 28: Div. III World Series Glen Falls, NY, 12 p.m.

Men's Tennis:
May 15- June 4: National Championships, 3 p.m.

Golf:
May 3: Rockville at Anne Arundel, 12:30 p.m.
May 9: Rockville at Latrobe Elks, 1 p.m.

For more information, contact the Athletics Department at each campus, or visit www.montgomerycollege.edu/athletics/.

***** And Mark Your Calendar for These Upcoming Events in June *****

The Alumni Association and Workforce Development and Continuing Education present Archaeology in Montgomery County, Saturday, June 4.  Time and location to be announced. This is the 2005 continuing education course offered free to members of the Alumni Association. For more information, call Bernice Grossman at (301) 279-5378, or e-mail alumni@montgomerycollege.edu.

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Rockville Art Department presents Recent Art From Montgomery County High School Students, June 6-30 in the Gallery of the Paul Peck Art Building, Rockville Campus. Opening reception 6 p.m. June 6. Free. For more information, contact the Art Department, (240) 567-5115, or visit www.montgomerycollege.edu/Departments/artrv/.

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The above listings are just a sampling of the numerous events scheduled at Montgomery College. To view a comprehensive listing of events at MC, go to the online calendar of events: webdb.montgomerycollege.org/Internet/calendar/daily.cfm.

Pollen happens! Always call ahead to confirm events.

To request accommodations for a disability, please contact the sponsoring office or contact person at least 2 weeks before the event.

ALUMNI NOTICES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Now you can show your support for Montgomery College's future growth by ordering from a special selection of custom-labeled, specially named Montgomery College Alumni Association Wines from Elk Run Vineyards. Currently, you may purchase these brands at the vineyards in Mt. Airy, Md., or order by phone at (800) 414‑2513. Elk Run donates a portion of the proceeds from each sale of Alumni Association Wines to the Association's programs and scholarships. Our featured varieties include Knight's Cheer Merlot, Shepherd's Blush, Germantown Riesling, Sonny Clogg Chardonnay, Sweet Charlene red dessert wine, and Sarilla white vin de glace.  A wine tasting event at Elk Run Vineyards will be announced during the summer. For information, check the Alumni Association's website, www.montgomerycollege.edu/alumni.

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Spaces are available for the Alumni Association's eighth annual New York Theatre Weekend, November 12-14, 2005. Round trip motor coach from the Rockville Campus, two nights at the Novotel Hotel, and two Broadway shows are included in the basic cost of $585 per person (double occupancy). Scheduled shows are "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" with John Lithgow, and the Monty Python musical "Spamalot" with Tim Curry and David Hyde Pierce. Seats are limited, and this event always sells out, so reserve quickly! For more information, or to make a reservation by phone with your credit card, call the Alumni Office, (240) 567-5378.

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Takoma Park Student Development seeks international alumni to participate as mentors in the International Buddy Program. The program provides a working relationship between current international students and past international students who have either graduated or transferred from Montgomery College. Adjustment to a new community may be difficult, especially if there is a difference in language and culture. The International Buddy Program can help ease the transitional phase and help students adjust to the social, academic and cultural environment at Montgomery College. The primary mode of communication will be e-mail. For more information or to volunteer, contact Dr. Harold Barber or Stephanie Waller at (301) 650-1480 or e-mail Harold.barber@montgomerycollege.edu or stephanie.waller@montgomerycollege.edu.

If you have a country or major of study mentor/mentee preference, please indicate that in your e‑mail.

ALUMNI VOLUNTEER AND GIVING OPPORTUNITIES

Congratulations to MC Alumni - Tops in Nationwide Survey!  Montgomery College alumni donate the most dollars among community colleges nationwide that submit Voluntary Support of Education reports through the Council for Aid to Education.  Our alumni have held the number-one position for the past three years.  We have been steadily been moving up the ranks since 1999 (moving up from number 12 in 1999, number 10 in 2000, and number 4 in 2001).   Way to go alumni!

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Are you considering your options for estate planning? The Montgomery College Foundation's Planned Gifts Committee offers choices for alumni and friends considering ways to include Montgomery College in estate planning. For more information, see the Committee's letter here, or call the Development office at (240) 567-4009.

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There are several opportunities for you to help students who depend on scholarship support to pursue their education. Your gift can make an extraordinary difference in the lives of Montgomery College students. Here are a few of the ways you can help the College in its mission of changing lives:

- The College relies on alumni and friends to show their support by donating to the Annual Fund. The Annual Fund is designed to raise critically needed funding which can be put to immediate use.  We're counting on you: Only with the help of our alumni will we be able to raise the funding needed for scholarships, programs, new technology and equipment for our classrooms. Visit http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/giving to find out more, then make your tax-deductible donation to the Annual Fund today at https://mconline.mc.cc.md.us:5200/eagle/plsql/hzskpldg.p_vt_giving. 

- Getting tired of your old car?  Please remember the Montgomery College Foundation's Automobile Donation Program. The Montgomery College Foundation will accept 1993 vehicles or newer, and only if there is no damage to the body of the car. All donated cars will be sold at automobile auctions by a licensed wholesaler, and the proceeds will support Montgomery College students and programs through the annual fund effort, which supports scholarships, academic initiatives, and specific college initiatives, including the new expansion project for the Homer S. Gudelsky Institute for Technical Education. For more information, contact Carrie Hurd, (240) 567-4028, or e-mail mailto:carrie.hurd@montgomerycollege.edu.

- Create a lasting impact at Montgomery College's Takoma Park Campus with the purchase of a permanent engraved commemorative brick. These pavers are engraved with up to three lines of text to recognize a graduate or a favorite faculty or staff member, to commemorate a loved one, or to show support for the Takoma Park Campus. The cost of an engraved brick is only $125, and you can also purchase a duplicate "mini" brick for $15. Contributions are tax deductible, and proceeds support the Takoma Park Capital Campaign. For more information or to have an order form sent or faxed to you, please e-mail mailto:marcia.sirulnik@montgomerycollege.edu.

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Mentoring Opportunities: Do you want to make a difference in the lives and future of young people? Do you want to help students tackle the challenges and reap the rewards of achieving success in college? Do you want to promote the benefits of learning? If your answer to the above questions is an enthusiastic "yes," then you could be a Montgomery College student mentor. You can have a significant effect on a student's academic and personal development. You can help improve their grades, be a role model, and help set goals and targets. You can help students explore their interests and make informed educational and career decisions. Being a mentor is a way to contribute to the education and training of the next generation. It's a wonderful opportunity to engage directly with current students, become more involved with Montgomery College, and improve your own mentoring skills in the process. To learn more or to volunteer, please call the Lifelong Learning Institute at (240) 567-7879. 

RESOURCES

We'd like your feedback about our electronic newsletter! E-mail to: mailto:alumni@montgomerycollege.edu

For more information on Montgomery College, check out our updated website, http://www.montgomerycollege.edu/ !

For facts about Montgomery College, visit www.montgomerycollege.edu/legislative/facts.html 

For more information about the Montgomery College Alumni Association, visit www.montgomerycollege.edu/alumni

For a listing of Alumni Office staff, go to: www.montgomerycollege.edu/alumni/alumnistaff.html

To view past issues of Happenings at Montgomery College, visit www.montgomerycollege.edu/alumni/newsletter/index.html

To view past issues of the award-winning Insights magazine, go to www.montgomerycollege.edu/alumni/insights/

Montgomery College has earned the 2004-05 Maryland 'Workplace Excellence' Seal of Approval from the Maryland Work-Life Alliance, a public, private, non-profit coalition founded by Montgomery County and Discovery Communications, Inc. The "Excellent Place to Work" designation is a seal of quality that recognizes employers that demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to their workforce by supporting employees' integration of professional, personal, and community roles. And guess what . . . Montgomery College is looking for a few good faculty members! Positions are available in many areas with assignments beginning in August 2005. Complete information and descriptions are posted at https://jobs.montgomerycollege.edu/.

MC's television and radio production classes offer a live weekly news wrap, MC in Focus, Fridays at noon on the College's cable channel. If you're outside Montgomery County, you can catch the audio portion of the program live on eRadio WMCR.

The Montgomery College Alumni Association
900 Hungerford Drive, Suite 200, Rockville, MD 20850

Please forward this info to anyone who you think may be interested in supporting Montgomery College.

 Thanks for your help!