(Herkimer, NY – Oct. 2011) Author/editor Michael Kimmel will speak at Herkimer County Community College Thursday, October 20 from 12:30-1:20 p.m. in the McLaughlin College Center Sarkus Busch Theater.

Kimmel is among the leading researchers and writers on men and masculinity in the world today. The author or editor of more than twenty volumes, his books include Changing Men: New Directions in Research on Men and Masculinity (1987), The Politics of Manhood (1996), The Gender of Desire (2005) and The History of Men (2005). His documentary history, Against the Tide: Pro-Feminist Men in the United States, 1776-1990 (Beacon, 1992), chronicled men who supported women’s equality since the founding of the country.

Kimmel’s book, Manhood in America: A Cultural History (1996) was hailed as the definitive work on the subject. Reviewers called the book “wide-ranging, level headed, human and deeply interesting,” “superb… thorough, impressive and fascinating.”

His most recent book, Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men (2008) is a best-selling investigation of young people’s lives today, based on interviews with more than 400 young men, ages 16-26. Featured in major television and radio interviews, the book was widely reviewed and praised in all major media outlets. “If you’ve ever had a conversation with a teenage boy and wondered what on earth was going on…this book will serve you well.” Feminist icon Gloria Steinem said “Michael Kimmel’s Guyland could save the humanity of many young men – and the sanity of their friends and parents.”

Kimmel is a Professor of Sociology at SUNY Stony Brook, and resides in Brooklyn, NY with his family.

The program, sponsored by HCCC’s Student Activities Committee, is open to the public free of charge.

(Oct, Nov. 2011) USC the Business College, in partnership with the Mohawk Valley Community College CyberJobs Program and the Workforce Investment Board, is offering a free 32-hour training program for residents of Chenango, Herkimer, Lewis, Madison, Oneida and Otsego counties.

The thirty-two (32) hour program will be held at the Canastota Campus of USC, Route 5, Canastota. The classes will be held Saturdays Oct. 22 and 29 and Nov. 5 and 19.

All classes run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and include a continental breakfast and lunch.

The purpose of this training is to increase the employability of area residents. The program is designed to develop or enhance general computer skill levels with a focus on cybersecurity.

Topics include computer hardware basics, operating systems/software installation, troubleshooting, green IT and cybersecurity fundamentals.

While there is no cost to attend, participants are expected to complete all 32 hours of the program. Upon successful completion, participants will be awarded a certificate and an external hard drive valued at $75.

Space is limited for this program; call (315) 792-2309 ext. 2237 to register.

All participants must be legal residents of Chenango, Herkimer, Lewis, Madison, Oneida or Otsego counties.

In addition, according to Federal Department of Labor regulations, participants must be in possession of a valid birth certificate and a New York state driver’s license.

These must be presented at the first class session.

All participants must be at least 18 years old.

For more information, call (315) 733-2300 ext. 2237.

(Herkimer, NY – Oct. 2011) Herkimer County Community College will present a pre-launch screening of GhettoPhysics

Wednesday, October 5at 6 p.m. in the Sarkus Busch Theater, located in the McLaughlin College Center. A panel discussion will follow. The event is open to the public free of charge.

From the director of What the Bleep Do We Know, GhettoPhysics reveals the truth about the timeless game of power that has occupied the world forever. The game’s utility and effectiveness have reached their limits, and a new world-game is needed. GhettoPhysics examines the interplay between power players and their foot soldiers and how that dynamic is the simplest expression of how power is wielded in the world. The film utilizes documentary footage, animation, satire and dramatization to illustrate examples culled from the ‘hood to Wall Street. It uses street language as an analogy for what is happening in our corporate and political world.

GhettoPhysics details the street world and then takes us to the classroom and the corporate boardroom where the same “game” is being played every day, in a universally impactful way. GhettoPhysics is all about the very shadowy game of power — a “shadow” physics.

A discussion will take place after the film, moderated by Christie Shahin, Environmental and Beauty Advocate. The panel will include Todd Franklin, Ph.D, Professor and Chair of Philosophy at Hamilton College; Susan Beadle, Reiki Master; and Jeremiah Edwards, Assistant Director of Student Activities at HCCC.

This event is being sponsored by HCCC’s Women’s Club.

(Herkimer, NY– Sept. 26, 2011) Media degree students at Herkimer County Community College now have some new industry standard tools to work with. An Avid Media Composer editing system is now in place for students. This is the same system that is used to produce a majority of Hollywood blockbusters, television programming from the local level up to the major networks, and web-based video content.

The new system consists of 10 workstations connected to a central server. This allows students to work together on video projects where it is important that each student has access to various media files. Students shoot video, transfer it into the system, and then are able to access that stored video from any of the workstations.

The new Avid Media Composer system replaces a similar system that was originally installed in 2004. Parts of the old system will also be kept online, and the hope is to bring the total number of Avid-based video editing workstations available for students up to 15 or 16. Instructor of Radio-Television Broadcasting Douglas Flanagan said the new system has arrived just in time.

“While the older system was still functional, it had gotten to the point where today’s media industry technology simply outgrew it,” Flanagan said. “Today, we have video workflows that never existed—were never even thought of—in 2004. In order to serve all students enrolled in our expanding lineup of media degree programs at Herkimer, we had to invest in a new system. The original system was also only meant to support one program. We have added several new media degree programs since then, and we needed to be sure we could give all these programs the creative tools needed in order to make them relevant.”

In recent years, Herkimer has expanded media related programs to address the changing landscape of content and production. What started in the early 1970s as “Radio-Television Broadcasting” at Herkimer still includes that original program, but has since been expanded to include several new programs: Digital Filmmaking, Communication Arts: New Media, and Music Industry.

All of these programs will use the new Avid Media Composer editing system as a base for creative media content production. Flanagan said “Along with the Photographic Technology program students here at Herkimer, we have five different media degree programs that will utilize this new edit lab.”

Media production began at Herkimer in black and white in the early 1970s. Since then, the major changes have included a switch to color videotape, a new Technology Center in the early 1990s, a digital conversion of existing studio facilities in 2004-2005, expanded video and audio equipment upgrades since 2005 including Pro Tools systems and surround sound production, expansion into high definition video acquisition and post production, and now with the new Avid Media Composer system, state of the art video and digital filmmaking post production facilities.

Support for the development/production of this material was provided by a grant under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 administered by the New York State Education Department.

The system was installed by Jan Metzger of Imperatives, Inc., Schenectady.

Find the Radio-Television Broadcasting program on Facebook: search for “Radio Television Broadcasting at Herkimer County Community College.”  The program’s YouTube channel is at www.youtube.com/HCCCRadiotv.

For more information regarding Avid visit www.avid.com.

(Inlet, NY – Sept. 24, 2011) Members of the Herkimer County Community College Outdoor Adventure/Green Club participated in the One Square Mile of Hope on Fourth Lake on Saturday, Sept. 24. Proceeds from the event were for the Susan G. Komen Foundation to help fund research for a breast cancer cure.

A Guinness World Record was set with 1,925 canoes and kayaks (the record to beat was 1,607). Pictured front row from left: Chloe Stock and Lucia Bliss. Back row from left:  Tiffany Smith, David Kinney, Tom Stock, Bruce Schwabach, Sophia Gaetano, Alyssa Caserta and David Wang.

(Sept. 2011) The following students have enrolled as first-year members of the Class of 2015 at Marist College in Poughkeepsie.

Myer Dixon of Manlius, NY

Emily Eisenson of Manlius, NY

Triandafilli Telonis of Manlius, NY

Laura Thomson of Manlius, NY

Gretchen Bradley of Sherburne, NY

More than 11,400 high school seniors applied for admission this fall, the largest applicant pool in the College’s history. Marist accepted 34 percent, and enrolled its most selective and diverse class ever, with students from 37 states and 17 countries.

(Herkimer, NY – Sept. 20, 2011) Herkimer County Community College is kicking off National Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October with a Breast Cancer Awareness Walk on Saturday, Oct. 1. Registration begins at 10 a.m. in the recreation gymnasium, located in the Physical Education building.

Assemblyman Marc Butler, honorary chair, will make remarks prior to the start. The walk will begin at 11 a.m. Community members are welcome to participate. The walk is part of Fall Fest/Alumni Weekend at HCCC.

There is a $5 suggested donation per participant. The first 50 donating participants will receive a breast cancer t-shirt. The length of the outdoor walk on campus is one mile. Goodie bags and light refreshments will be served in the Bookstore atrium at the conclusion of the event.

Proceeds will support the American Cancer Society’s efforts to conduct life saving research, prevention, early detection and search for a cure. HCCC students, faculty and staff will hold various events throughout the month in support of breast cancer awareness.

(Herkimer, NY – Sept. 19, 2011) Schools located in Herkimer County may apply for a grant from Herkimer County HealthNet to support the efforts of the Creating Healthy Places to Live, Work, and Play initiative funded by the New York State Department of Health.

Herkimer County HealthNet is offering two awards, in the amount of approximately $6,000 to be used for trail creation or trail improvement projects that focus on physical activity in the community.

The purpose of Creating Healthy Places grant is to assist communities with infrastructure improvements that will decrease rates of childhood obesity and Type 2 Diabetes by increasing opportunities for physical activity for Herkimer County residents.

The deadline for submitting the grant applications is Friday, Sept. 30, 2011. Applications are available by e-mailing Alison J. Swartz, aswartz@herkimercounty.org or calling (315) 866-1499.

For more information about Creating Healthy Places to Live, Work and Play in Herkimer County, visit www.facebook.com/CreatingHealthyPlacesInHerkimerCounty.

(Sept. 20, 2011) As the Central New York Region touts a bit of everything New York State-esque, from live theatre, museums and halls of fame, to historical landmarks, country style B&Bs, and some of the best antiquing and golfing in the northeast, it is no wonder that it is also plays host to a variety of edu-vacation possibilities. An edu-vacation (literally, a vacation with an educational twist) is the perfect, affordable family outing or a great trip for homeschoolers.

Some exceptional edu-vacations can be built around visits to the following attractions.

The Children’s Museum of History, Natural History, Science & Technology in Oneida County offers a hands-on, educationally enjoyable environment – including four floors of interactive exhibits – for kids from 1 to 101 to explore. The facility is the only children’s museum adopted by NASA and the Office of Science. From Red Tail Hawks, to American Alligators, to Golden Lion Tamarins, the collection of over 200 animals who call the Utica Zoo home is always a family favorite in Oneida, as well.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, Otsego County, known as the “Home of Baseball,” is where America has gathered to celebrate its great pastime since 1939. Today, it’s the ultimate place for baseball buffs to pore over three stories of frequently updated exhibits, 35,000 artifacts, 130,000+ baseball cards, an $8 million library and research center and the nearby Doubleday Field. For a lesson or two on the heritage of the Central New York Region circa 1845, the innovative “living history” museum, The Farmers’ Museum brings history to life with exhibits, craft demonstrations and hands-on activities in Cooperstown.

Edu-vacationers are invited to paddle back in time at the Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum in Madison County and enter the canal era. This nineteenth century dry dock complex on the old Erie Canal tells stories of boat-building and repair of Erie Canal boats, plus the social history of the era. More of the region’s rich history can be found at the National Abolition Hall of Fame/Gerrit Smith National Historic Landmark. The National Historic Landmark, lifetime home and office of Gerrit Smith (1797-1874), is the site where numerous abolitionists received support and renewed commitment to the cause of freedom. Smith helped hundreds of African Americans by purchasing their freedom from slavery, arranging safe passage to Canada, helping families establish their lives locally, providing education and working for human rights.

Visitors to Schoharie County are transported through a portal of sorts into Native American life at the Iroquois Indian Museum shaped like a 400-year-old Iroquois longhouse. With authentic Iroquois art, crafts and artifacts, the Museum aims to foster understanding of the Iroquois culture. Another educational draw, this time plunging 156 feet below the Earth’s surface, is a prehistoric underground cavern six million years in the making, Howe Caverns. Some newer additions to the mysterious, magnificent limestone formations, the stalactites and the stalagmites are the Howe High Adventure Sky Trail Ropes Course – quite the aerial adventure; the Four Tower Zip Line – boasting beautiful, scenic views from up to 40 feet in the air; and the Howe Caverns Mining Company – a new 6,000-square-foot spot to sift through bags of rough for gemstones, fossils and arrowheads to take home.

The Discovery Center of the Southern Tier in Greater Binghamton is a hands-on type of museum for children where play and learning are combined with imagination in an engaging atmosphere. The Discovery Center encompasses over 22,500 square feet of family fun. An out-of-this-world experience in Greater Binghamton can be had at the Roberson Museum Science Center & Link Planetarium, a place full of exhibits ranging from art to history to science.

The Goodsell Museum in Old Forge, Herkimer County, offers insight into what life was like long ago in the Adirondacks with interesting exhibits and an extensive new research library overflowing with books, maps, genealogy, vintage photographs and postcards. Another educational stop in Herkimer County is the View Arts Center of Old Forge, a place dedicated to the visual and performing arts, inspired by and reflecting the beauty of the natural environment of the Adirondacks.

Chenango County’s Wolf Mountain Nature Center is a unique place where observation of natural wolf behavior is possible. Animal enthusiasts delight to see the Alaskan Timber Wolves and Arctic Foxes that call the nature center home. Edu-vacations take on an agricultural twist at the Norwich Pumpkin Festival where kids can compete in a variety of contests, including an annual pumpkin-carving contest.

An abundance of excellent edu-vacation hot spots exist throughout the Central New York Region. Plus, a wide range of accommodations can be found nearby – from cozy, country-style B&Bs and inns to hotels, motels and campgrounds. Any of these educational attractions can be paired with one of these accommodations (and a few stops at the gourmet eateries lining the region) to form the perfect edu-vacation itinerary. The Central New York Region really does have it all.

Plan your family’s next edu-vacation. For more attractions and information about accommodations, check out:www.JustGoCNY.com.

(LaFargeville, NY – Sept. 2011) Environmental Awareness Days will be held at Stone Mills Agricultural Museum in LaFargeville on Sept. 27 and 28. This will be the 21st year that Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County has sponsored the event.

This educational program is offered to sixth grade students in Jefferson County. Each student visits stations manned by Extension staff, NYS DEC staff, Soil and Water Conservation staff, and many others from the community offering environmentally relevant programs for students.

The event runs from 9:00 am to 1:30 p.m.