Muny Korn has much more than a degree to be proud about. Underneath his gown on graduation night, Korn will be wearing different clothes than he would have three months ago; underneath his cap, he will be wearing a different hair style than he would have three months ago, and on his feet he will be wearing a different type of shoes as well.
Garry Hayes, the epitome of a geologist, has taught at Modesto Junior College since 1988. His classroom, filled with case after case of rocks and gemstones, fault line maps, seismographs, charts and a multitude of geology paraphernalia, is only a miniscule example of the history and excitement he has brought to the students throughout his tenure. Dinosaur bone discoveries and excavation, trips to Death Valley, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon and Australia are among the many adventures his students have experienced throughout the years.
Portables to occupy Tully parking lot
Don’t get used to being able to find parking in the new parking lot across Tully Road just yet.
The year-long closure of Founders Hall for renovation will relocate classes into portable classrooms that will occupy the entire lot next to the Journalism and Electronics buildings. You know what that means: the already difficult parking situation at MJC is going to become even more frustrating.
Joining forces with 3,000 other faculty, students across state
Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.’’ The group of students who marched on March 22 in protest of the state’s education budget cuts was anything but small.
Renner to be honored at MJC Commencement Ceremony
He didn’t win an Oscar, but he still won the heart of Modesto Junior College.
MJC announced on March 10 that its 2010 Distinguished Alumnus Award would go to Jeremy Renner as this year’s honoree.
Candidates down to three finalists
With almost as much anticipation as they have about the finale of "American Idol," the students of Modesto Junior College are waiting to see who will serve as the next MJC president.
Student event to promote the march for the budget cuts
MJC rallies the troops to defend the schools and proclaim the right to be a student without breaking the bank. On March 4, 2010 Modesto Junior College conducted a rally to promote the march against the budget cuts.
Sparks flew over Modesto Junior College’s Pirate’s Stadium as Bryan, from CADAR Electric, cut through the 80 year old steal of the stadium lights on January 29. Although these lights had been up for eight decades, Bryan said, “It isn’t too bad up there. I’m used to working on high rises in San Francisco.” The steal holding up the giant lights had weathered quite nicely, to many peoples’ surprise.
University of Alabama wins inagural event
Collegiate fishing has reached a milestone with the inception of the Bassmaster College Classic. The University of Alabama and Auburn University competed in what is known as the “Iron Bowl of bass fishing”.
Go to college. Empty your pockets. That’s the way it seems for most students and would-be students. But on the night of February 23, 2010, Modesto Junior College held an event known as “cash for college” to show students that there is money to be had for education.
It was yet another cat-and-mouse game, according to Modesto Junior College’s faculty staff and security, who were trying to figure out who was planning the so-called general assembly that took place last Wednesday, February 17.
Candidates from across the country
With the recent departure of former Modesto Junior College President Richard Rose, the college began an extensive search for a new college president. The Presidential Search Committee posted the job announcement in December, and has since received 39 applications from qualified candidates across the United States, 24 of whom are from California.
According to freshman15.com, “College freshman seem to be the most susceptible to gaining weight their first semester (or year) at college.” The site says that this is usually because of a lifestyle change. The most common causes of the freshman 15 gain are lack of exercise, eating late at night, unhealthy snacking, unhealthy cafeteria food and too much alcohol. These things can happen to MJC students, who commute to school, but is it as common as it is at four year residential colleges? The answer is: most likely.
Martin Luther King, Jr.: a monumental figure for civil rights and equality. No one man has ever had a more profound effect on American society than Dr. King Jr. Every year, in his honor, the City of Modesto, Modesto Junior College and community groups invite someone who has had an impact on society to address the legacy and relevance of Dr. King today. This year, on Jan. 22, former Mayor of San Francisco and Speaker of the California State Assembly, Willie Lewis Brown, Jr. took to the podium at the MJC Auditorium.
You can rent a house, a car, and even a purse, so why not be able to rent a textbook?
Daniel Natzke, 18, a student at Modesto Junior College, placed among four finalists in the California Department of Public Health’s Flu Film Festival. The statewide contest was announced last semester, and its purpose was to raise awareness of the importance of preventing the spread of the H1N1 flu virus. The gold award went to Walnut Elementary School for their ‘H1N1 PSA’ video. Three other videos were awarded the silver award; among those was Natzke’s video ‘H1N1 PSA: featuring the Third Little Pig.’ In Natzke’s piece, created by a technique known as stop animation which utilizes clay figures that are manipulated by hand as they are filmed frame by frame, one of the three pigs talks about how the Big Bad Wolf didn’t get him because he got the flu.
How young is too young?
At 18 years old we are just getting out of high school and have our whole lives ahead of us. Is it too early to commit ourselves to the military for the next 4-8 years?
What is the true definition of a terrorist?
Ter⋅ror⋅ism [ter-uh-riz-uh m]
1. the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, esp. for political purposes.
2. the state of fear and submission produced by terrorism or terrorization.
3. a terroristic method of governing or of resisting a government.
Few people in history have been as influential or as controversial as Charles Darwin. And few books have been more monumental than Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species”. This year marks both the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species”.
It’s happened! They have finally arrived! H1N1 vaccines are now available to all students, staff, and the faculty of Modesto Junior College.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner. That means stuffing our faces with turkey and other goodies. But if you are looking for a way to feel better about feasting on thanksgiving morning, Modesto Junior College Cross Country Team is putting together an exercise day before the big feast. At 9 a.m. anyone who wants to join can participate in the Modesto Turkey Trot at the Tuolumne River Regional Park in Modesto.
Do you like to sing? Do you like to rock out? Do you like DJ mixes? Then go to Karaoke and Rock Band Night held at the Little Theatre at Modesto Junior College.
The final offering of the fall 2009 Civic Engagement Project Film and Lecture series is a film that is both serious and surprisingly hopeful. The subject is autism, a disorder that is receiving much media attention as the rate of diagnosed cases skyrockets among American children.
California, as well as other states, is currently facing a water crisis. But more than the southwestern states, for example, it faces the compounding problems of dense population, vital agricultural interests, and environmental degradation.
In an age when small-town newspapers are dying out and television stations are losing credibility, it seems that radio is not only surviving, but thriving. Modesto Junior College (MJC) even has its very own radio broadcasting program to train future radio jockeys and, now, a brand new broadcasting club to partner with it.
Modesto Junior College Library and ASMJC (Associated Students) are teaming up together again for their 3rd Finals Cram Night. The Cram will be held in the East Campus Library on Thursday, Dec. 10th, from 8 p.m. until midnight. Instructors, Food and Beverages will be available to help students with their last minute study needs. Be sure to join your fellow students for study groups and last minute cramming before finals.
Veterans of Iraq, Afghanistan wars returning to school, civilian life
Editor’s Note: In honor of Veteran’s Day tomorrow, Nov. 11, the Pirates’ Log is reprinting this feature article published a year ago on this site. It was written by Adrian Avila, who resumed his education at MJC after two tours of duty in Iraq as a U.S. Marine. He has since graduated and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree.
There are 300 and 400 veterans currently studying at MJC, and many students don't even know that these former servicemen and women are among them. This is their story.
Halloween began over 2000 years ago with by the Celtics. They lived in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. This was also the beginning of the Celtic New Year, a time to give thanks to the sun god for the harvest. Halloween also known as All Saints Day, All Hallows Eve or All Souls Day is a festival.
The Day of the Dead began more than 500 years ago, when the Spanish Conquistadors landed in Mexico, they encountered natives practicing a ritual that seemed to mock death. It was a ritual the indigenous people had been practicing at least 3,000 years. A ritual the Spaniards would try unsuccessfully to eradicate known today as Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.
Students and community members gathered Friday, October 9 at 11 a.m. on the West campus to watch the groundbreaking ceremony for Modesto Junior College’s (MJC) new Allied Health Building. The new building is part of campus-wide improvements funded by the $326 million Measure E bond, which was granted to the college by voters in November of 2004.
For nine long years, Jacqueline "Jacque" MacDonald went on an all out search to find the killer of her daughter, Debi Whitlock. MacDonald made her daughter’s death known to America by putting her face on billboards, milk cartons and pizza boxes and going on the popular investigative show, America’s Most Wanted, “just trying to get that one tip that will bring this monster to justice,” MacDonald has said.
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