2011 Dancing with the Randolph Stars Planning Committee Set

The Planning Committee for the Randolph Community College Foundation's 2011 Dancing with the Randolph Stars benefit has been finalized. Local "celebrities" will take to the dance floor competing for monetary votes in support of the Foundation on Saturday, June 4, at AVS Catering & Banquet Centre.

Ann Hoover and Vickie Gallimore will co-chair the Planning Committee again this year, according to Joyce Wolford, executive director of the Foundation. "Ann and Vickie were a key part of the success we achieved during last year's Dancing with the Randolph Stars," she said. "We are very excited to have their expertise for a second year in a row."

The Planning Committee also includes RCC staff and the following community members (with subcommittee chairs noted): Kaye Bryan, Sponsorship Subcommittee chair; Lisa Huffman, Volunteer Subcommittee chair; Gail McDowell and Cindy Schroder, Dancer Subcommittee co-chairs; Pat Allred, Sara Baker, Talmadge Baker, Gail Crawford, Jane Crisco, Rhonda Eblin, Carol Fountain, Neal Griffin, Cindy Hart, Kathy Homiller, Janet Jones, Janice Simpson, Michael Trogdon, Dr. Patricia Vinocur, Laura Wilson, Diane Winnemuller.

The following community members are serving exclusively on the Sponsorship Subcommittee: Jim Campbell, Dr. Stuart Fountain, Carla Freemyer, J.B. Griffith, Curt Lorimer, Dean Sexton, Terri Sexton, and Mac Sherrill.

For more information, contact Joyce Wolford in the Foundation office at 336-633-0295 or jbwolford@randolph.edu.

Public Invited to University Center Night at Randolph Community College Oct. 12

Randolph Community College will host a University Center Night on Tuesday, Oct. 12, at 6:30 p.m. in the R. Alton Cox Learning Resources Center auditorium on the Asheboro Campus. The University Center of Randolph County was established in 2008 and is a collaborative effort between Randolph Community College, Pfeiffer University, and Salem College. Courses are offered in particular disciplines at reduced tuition rates.

Representatives from both Pfeiffer University and Salem College will be on hand to discuss how interested students can obtain a four-year degree in Business Administration, Criminal Justice, and Elementary Education without leaving Randolph Community College's campus.

For more information, go to http://www.randolph.edu/newevents/2010/2010-10-01.php.

Randolph Community College Establishes Minority Male Mentoring Program

Randolph Community College has received a five-year grant from the North Carolina Community College System to implement a Minority Male Mentoring Program at the College. The goal of the program is to increase graduation and retention rates among minority males.

To read more about this program, go to http://www.randolph.edu/newevents/2010/2010-09-30.php.

Randolph Entrepreneurial Summit Oct. 16 at Randolph Community College

Randolph Community College will host the Randolph Entrepreneurial Summit on Saturday, Oct. 16, from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Asheboro Campus.

"Interested individuals should attend and discover the programs and opportunities available at Randolph Community College to unleash the entrepreneur that lives inside of you," said Lonnie Hamm, director of RCC's Small Business Center, which is sponsoring this unique networking opportunity.

The event will feature a ribbon cutting for GATE entrepreneurs. Growing America Through Entrepreneurship (GATE) is a demonstration program funded by the U.S. Department of Labor that helps rural dislocated (laid-off) workers approach self-employment as an alternative career path to finding a job.

The Summit will also include a small business panel for questions and advice, a NCLeap presentation on legal services, and opportunities to meet bankers and to network with other business owners. Attendees will be able to meet with representatives from the North Carolina REAL (North Carolina Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning) Institute, the North Carolina Rural Center, and SCORE. SCORE, Counselors to America’s Small Business, is a nonprofit association dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and helping small business start, grow and succeed nationwide.

Any small business owner can register to set up a table at this free event. For more information, contact Lonnie Hamm at 336-633-0240 or Marty Brown, RCC GATE counselor, 336-633-0306.

Laurelyn Dossett in Concert at Randolph Community College Oct. 13

The Randolph Community College Cultural Arts Committee will present Laurelyn Dossett in Concert on Wednesday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. in the R. Alton Cox Learning Resources Center auditorium on the Asheboro Campus. Admission is free, but seating is limited.

Composer/songwriter Laurelyn Dossett (www.laurelyndossett.com) lives and writes in the Piedmont of North Carolina, and her songs tend to reflect the stories of the region, both traditional and contemporary. One of the most sought‑after voices in creative collaborations, she cofounded Polecat Creek with singing partner Kari Sickenberger and has partnered with Triad Stage's Preston Lane on four plays featuring regional folklore and original music: Brother Wolf, Beautiful Star: An Appalachian Nativity, Bloody Blackbeard, and Providence Gap. A song from Brother Wolf, "Anna Lee," was featured on Levon Helm's Grammy‑winning record, Dirt Farmer.

Laurelyn is also a regular performer at regional music festivals such as Merlefest, a guest on the radio show Prairie Home Companion, and most recently, a writer and performer with the North Carolina Symphony. She is currently performing with songwriters Alice Gerrard and Diana Jones, "Redbird Round," and premiered composer Kenneth Frazelle's song cycle, "Songs in the Rear View Mirror," at Reynolda House in Winston‑Salem.

She is currently commissioned to write a song cycle for the North Carolina Symphony for 2011 and will be in residence at the Virginia Center for Creative Arts. She is the 2009‑10 recipient of the North Carolina Arts Council Fellowship for songwriting.

Go to www.randolph.edu/newevents/culturalarts.php to download a free ticket. For more information on the Cultural Arts Series at Randolph Community College, call 336-633-0244. RCC's Asheboro Campus is located at 629 Industrial Park Avenue. Take the McDowell Road exit off of U.S. 220 Bypass/I73-74 and follow the signs.

Randolph Community College Interior Design Student Wins WithIt Scholarship

Randolph Community College Interior Design student Amarinh Kongmanivong of Jamestown was one of two recipients of the Jena and Stephen B. Hall Scholarship from WithIt (Women in the Home Industry Today) for 2010. Kongmanivong received $2,500 to be applied toward tuition.

A story about the scholarship recipients appeared in national furniture newspapers Furniture Today and Home Accents Today recently. The scholarship was open nationally to all full-time college sophomores or juniors in majors related to the home furnishing industry.

Kongmanivong was honored and presented the scholarship at the WOW Dinner Awards during WithIt's National Leadership Conference in Charlotte on August 18.

The judging was based on the student's academic performance, as reflected in the grade point average, SAT/ACT scores, and curriculum selected. Subjective judging criteria included an essay, references and a statement of personal goals. Special emphasis was placed on involvement in extracurricular activities and the community, attitude, creative thought, and ability towards leadership.

Randolph Community College's Interior Design program has an excellent reputation within the design community. Established in 1967, it was the first associate degree Interior Design program in the North Carolina community college system. For more information on the program, contact Holly Barker at 336-633-0318 or visit www.randolph.edu/interiordesign.

Randolph Community College Students Create Hellbender Costume for N.C. Zoo

Randolph Community College's Advertising & Graphic Design students have been working on a project with the N.C. Zoo to create a costume for the Eastern Hellbender salamander to promote education about this species, which is in decline and listed as a Species of Concern. Four of the students and their instructors will debut the costume at the New River Celebration Day at New River State Park in Laurel Springs, N.C., on Saturday, Aug. 28. Presentations about the Hellbender are scheduled at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the Visitor Center.

For more on this story, plus photo galleries, go to http://www.randolph.edu/newevents/2010/2010-08-26.php.