The digital magazine for faculty, staff, students and friends of Pensacola State College
April 17, 2020
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Don Snowden retires this summer as
PSC Performing Arts Department head and his departure is already triggering memories of his decades-long PSC career. He came to then Pensacola Junior College in 1987 and became department head in 1992. “It’s winding down and I spend a lot of time reflecting,’’ Snowden said. “I’m trying to make it business as usual, but yeah, there’s a lot of time thinking ‘This could be the last time I do this’ or ‘This could be the last time I see this person.’ It’s not that I’m sad about leaving. It’s just that it’s going to be a much different life after this.” Snowden’s musical resume in Pensacola is far from humble. He’s been a member of the
Pensacola Symphony for 40 years. He’s also the conductor of the
Pensacola Civic Band, and music director at the
Gulf Breeze United Methodist Church. He plans to remain in the Pensacola Symphony, where he plays trombone, and to remain music director at his church.
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Penny Taylor’s
job title is
TRIO Student Support Services Administrative Assistant/Retention Specialist
. Nowhere in that job description does it say anything about driving students to grocery stores, or picking up groceries for students with no vehicle and little money. Right now, she’s collecting food and other staples for a student who, Taylor said, “has no food and even ran out of Ramen noodles.” That’s why, when PSC student
Julie Riser,
at right in photo,
decided to enter an essay contest about a College employee, she chose Taylor, a 15-year PSC employee. Riser’s essay is one of three national winners of the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development’s (NISOD) Student Essay Contest. For the win, both Julie and Taylor will each receive $1,000 and the college will receive a complimentary NISOD membership.
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About to register for classes, but are intimidated by having to take your courses online? Don't be! Watch
this short video
and let some students and instructors show you just how simple it is to conduct Live Online classes at PSC!
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Jay Dunham brings home the gold and silver
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PSC graphic arts major wins ‘Best of Show’ for Student ADDY Awards
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If you’re a company looking for a young student advertising designer close to earning a bachelor’s degree, look no further than Pensacola State College for the best candidate around.
And “around” covers a lot of ground – from Pensacola to Jacksonville to Miami and even the Caribbean.
PSC graphic arts major
Jay Dunham won “Best of Show” from the
American Advertising Federation District 4 American Advertising Awards competition. Winners were announced April 6, and Dunham received a $1,000 scholarship for the award.
Dunham, 23, also won three gold ADDYs and three silver ADDYs for his creative graphic design work. Six other PSC students also won gold and silver ADDYs.
Gold ADDY winners automatically qualify for the June 6 national competition. Silver ADDY winners can compete in the national contest as well if they pay a small entrance fee. The April 24 edition of “The Pirate” digital newsletter/magazine will feature all the College’s ADDY winners.
“I found out right after a nap, so I was very confused and excited,” said Dunham, an intern in the College’s Marketing Department. “I got tons of phone calls from my instructors about it.”
Dunham won Best of Show for his alternative book covers that he produced for a series of well-known books written by author
R.D. Zimmerman. He designed covers for five books in Zimmerman’s “Todd Mills Mystery” series.
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"They’re spy-esque novels,’’ he explained. “I had freedom of design, so took a different theme within each book to use as inspiration for a cover.” (He hasn’t reached out to Zimmerman to let him know he created alternative covers for his books but said he might since ‘’it would be cool” to get the author’s reaction.)
“Jay is a really talented young man,’’ said
Krist Lien, head of the College’s Visual Arts Department. “He already had a lot of talent when he came here, but we’ve been teaching him how to do certain things to make the most of that talent. “
What makes Dunham’s accomplishment even more impressive is his besting designers and photographers from some of the most prestigious art schools in the state, including the celebrated Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota.
“I called him to tell him and woke him up,’’ said PSC Visual Arts instructor
Mark Hopkins. “He was just elated. And he deserves it, because he’s such a great and grateful student.”
A Navarre resident, Dunham’s fascination with graphic design is long-running.
“Even in middle school, I was doing random advertising pieces for fun,’’ he said. “I’d even do video game advertisements. I’ve always had an eye for design. My mom is very creative, so I got that from her.”
Dunham expects to earn his bachelor’s degree this fall or spring 2021. He hopes to find a graphic arts job in Pensacola upon graduation.
He said his marketing interning position has “been a great experience. I’ve learned a lot and it’s a great to work in an environment in the real world.”
Dunham also credited PSC Marketing Department Executive Director
Sheila Nichols and
Zach Blessing, a Marketing Department graphic artist, who has also won numerous student and professional ADDYs, for inspiring him.
Nichols said it is Dunham who brings even more inspiration to the Marketing Department.
“He has tremendous talent, is always smiling, and is one of the nicest, most professional, individuals I have ever met,’’ Nichols said. “We are fortunate to have someone with his level of talent interning with us in PSC’s Marketing department. Remember his name – he will make it big soon.”
Dunham called Blessing a “mentor and inspiration,’’ but Blessing said Dunham is also an inspiration to him.
“He may be quiet, but his sense for design is thundering,’’ Blessing said. “Even though he is only an intern in our office, I've personally learned a lot from Jay. We are truly in the midst of a rising star and I cannot wait to see where his creativity takes him.”
-- Troy Moon
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Student services still are available at Pensacola State College
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Pensacola State College summer registration has begun -- and fall registration is set to start June 1 -- and the
Student Services department is here to meet students’ needs – virtually.
Current and potential students can still access the Admissions, Advising, Financial Aid and Records departments – though not face-to-face.
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Admissions: Potential students who have not completed a PSC application and have general questions can an email Askus@pensacolastate.edu. For more information, visit www.pensacolastate.edu/admissions, click the live chat button in the lower right-hand corner to reach a member of the College admissions team for assistance. Staff members can also answer calls at 850-484-2000.
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Advising: Virtual advisors are available 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Current students can call 850-484-1630 or email advising@pensacolastate.edu to reach an advisor. For an appointment via QLess, visit www.pensacolastate.edu/pirateq/advising/.
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Financial Aid: The Financial Aid call center is available to assist with questions. The center’s FAVA inbox is being monitored closely to ensure timely responses. Students also can call the center at 850-484-1680 (leave a message if there is no answer), or via email at fava@pensacolastate.edu. Students should monitor their PirateMail for additional requirements.
The Cashier’s Office and Testing Center are closed until further notice. However, students can leave voice messages for someone to respond.
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Cashier’s Office: Staff members in the Cashier’s Office are monitoring phone calls and can be reached at 850-484-1782. If there no answer, please leave a voice message.
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Testing Center: The Testing Center is not taking any appointments at this time. For questions, call 850-484-1656 and leave a voice message. Staffers in the Testing Center will return voicemail messages.
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Calling all laptops (Well, new laptops. With Windows 10. And a webcam. And a microphone.)
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Based on a recent survey of Pensacola State College students and their technology requirements during the COVID-19 crisis, the College is putting out a call for donations of new laptop computers that can be loaned to students in need.
“Through the survey we have discovered that, to date, 27 percent of students responding to the survey have lost their jobs” said Andrea Krieger, Executive Director of Institutional Development. “While technology is one of the greatest needs, they have additional needs related to rent, food, utilities. We are working to help meet those additional needs, but in the meantime we are putting out a call to the public for help with the technology.”
The College is asking for donations of new laptop computers with these minimum requirements: an Intel i3 processor; 8GB RAM; 128GB solid state drive; Windows 10; built-in webcam and microphone.
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PSC students use computer labs, Wi-Fi hot spots available on campuses
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Pensacola State students without home internet access are making use of the College’s computer labs and Wi-Fi hot spots to do coursework.
More than 100 students have used computer labs on the Pensacola, Warrington and Milton campuses since March 30.
On the Pensacola campus, 71 students signed into the computer lab between March 30 and April 11. The Warrington campus had 23 students while the Milton campus saw nine students use the computer labs during the same time period.
The labs are open on a limited basis to currently enrolled students only, said
Tom Gilliam, vice president of administrative services.
“Students must present a valid PSC student ID card and we’re limited to only 10 persons (students or faculty) per lab,” he said. He added no more than two students have been using the computer labs at any given time.
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The computer labs location and hours are:
Pensacola Campus
Bldg. 21, Rm. 2163
Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.-9 p.m.
Friday -Saturday 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Warrington Campus
Bldg. 3100, Rm. 3142
Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.-9 p.m.
Friday -Saturday 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Milton Campus
Bldg. 4400, Rm. 4413
Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.-9 p.m.
Friday -Saturday 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Gilliam said the computer labs are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and for students who have no other means of accessing courses or completing coursework.
“If they have other alternatives such as use of a cellphone or a relative’s computer, students should take advantage of those options first,” he added.
In the computer labs, users are required to maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from each other at all times. Also, use of the computer labs by vulnerable populations is discouraged because the Florida Surgeon General issued a Public Health Advisory on March 25 advising vulnerable residents to remain in their homes.
Vulnerable populations include anyone over age 65 as well as those with serious health conditions such as lung, renal or heart disease or a compromised immunity.
Some internet service providers (ISP) may offer COVID-19 promotional plans. Students are advised to check with their ISP about free or discounted internet services.
To learn more
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Parking lot Wi-Fi hot spots
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College Wi-Fi is available on each campus and a student may park in College parking lots to access Wi-Fi. Students are expected to remain in their parked car. The parking lots available for use are listed below (Or see the orange areas in the maps above and below):
Campus parking lot Wi-Fi hot spots include:
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Pensacola: Lots S, T and U (near buildings 13, 17 and 21)
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Milton: Lots A and B (main parking lot)
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Santa Rosa: Lot C (north of the building)
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Warrington: Lot C (center of campus near the breezeway) and Lot D (service road north of the library parallel to Highway 98).
In accordance with the Federal Communications Commission’s Keep Americans Connected Pledge, local service providers have issued statements regarding the COVID-19 virus and how they can assist with internet connectivity.
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P
irate parents, here are some resources to keep your families occupied
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Hey, Pirates, the
Student Activities Staff
has gathered some resources for you and your families to help keep you occupied during this social distancing time. These resources include virtual tours of famous museums, national parks, and landmarks. They include live animal cams, websites for children's activities, and some wellness videos. They’ve also included ideas to help keep any little ones you may have occupied while you study or work. Please note that Pensacola State College does not endorse any of the companies or organizations listed in the pack. Also, the PSC Marketing Department has created a couple of coloring pages for Pirate-style activities. If you or your family colors the pages, send us the end results and we’ll post it to our social media.
The links to the Pirate Pack and the coloring pages are below.
Don’t forget to follow Student Activities on Instagram (@pscpirateslife) and Facebook (PSC Student Engagement & Leadership) to participate in some virtual events they’ve created for you.
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