Kaua`i Community College Blesses its new Marine Science Laboratory

Kaua`i Community College held a blessing ceremony of its newly completed Marine Science Laboratory on Thursday, September 26, 2013, from 11:00 am – noon. The honorable Reverend Wayne Vidinha, Sr. of Ke Akua Mana Church conducted the Blessing.

KCC added a new degree program in Natural Sciences last year with courses specifically for biological and physical science majors. Now, the college offers all the biology, chemistry, math, and physics that any student will need for the first two years of a Bachelor of Science degree. The new Lab, a result of years of careful designing and planning funded by the generous support of anonymous donors, along with a newly hired marine biologist, Willow Jorgenson, will meet the needs of students working toward careers with an emphasis on Marine Biology and Life Sciences.

Reverend Wayne Vidinha, Sr.,Chancellor Cox, Steve Taylor, Willow Jorgenson,
Brian Yamamoto, Regent Tom Shigemoto, Associate VP for UHCC Mike Unebasami,
Alma Kagemoto, NOAA Regional Dir. Allen Tom and KCC students unveil the new wet-lab

Reverend Wayne Vidinha, Sr.,Chancellor Cox, Steve Taylor, Willow Jorgenson, Brian Yamamoto, Regent Tom Shigemoto, Associate VP for UHCC Mike Unebasami, Alma Kagemoto, NOAA Regional Dir. Allen Tom and KCC students unveil the new wet-lab

Students at KCC have already developed a reputation for excellent community projects through the Marine Option Program, or MOP. More than 10 MOP students were hired, given fellowships, or paid internships in the past year for their work on water quality, marine debris, and beach erosion projects. Last spring, KCC students competed and surpassed students from four-year institutions to win awards at the state-wide Marine Options Programs Symposium held on Maui.

UH Manoa researchers worked with KCC faculty and students this summer studying the coral disease outbreak. Community demand and opportunities for research and study at on-site facilities such as this new Marine Science facility will only increase. The College also received over $5,000 from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) to purchase new laboratory-grade chairs specifically designed for the wet-lab classroom.

The new Lab “is a clear indication of both our community support and the strengthening of our science programs” says Chancellor Cox. “ The college prides itself on working with the community to identify needs and then to respond accordingly. That is what happened in this case,” Cox added.

“We want high school students and their parents to know, you don’t have to leave the island to get started on a science degree. We want these students and the community to know we have great programs, faculty, projects, and now, facilities right here on Kaua`i, for Kaua`i.” Dr. Stephen Taylor, Asst. Professor of Physical Sciences and Marine Option Program Coordinator.

Written collaboratively by:
Dr. Stephen Taylor with Cammie Matsumoto

Martin Luther King Day Mural Project and Open Mic

There will be a Mural Project and Open Mic titled "Peace, Love, and Understanding," that will take place next Tuesday, January 18, from 12pm-2pm outside of the library. The idea for this project is to bring us all together as a campus and create an event that celebrates a great leader. I hope to have student and faculty participation to do readings and help fill in the sidewalk mural in remembrance of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s message. The Open Mic participation is a way for spoken word artists and performers to speak out and express themselves about world peace, overcoming differences, and comment on our shared humanity.

Please spread the word to your students, and feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

Posted by:
Kelly Thune
VISTA Americorps Volunteer
phone: 1-808-245-8260

Celebrate Banned Books Week 9/26-10/2/2010 by reading a Banned Book!

Banned Books Week actually celebrates the Freedom to Read and the First Amendment, which states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Book bannings and challenges did not stop with the Nazi book burnings; the Harry Potter series, the
Twilight series, and even the Captain Underpants series have come under attack.
People usually challenge books out of an attempt to protect readers, often children, from perceived harmful or disturbing material. The motivating factors, according to the ALA, are family values, religion, political views, and minority rights. (www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/)
But in the words of Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas ("The One Un-American Act." Nieman Reports , vol. 7, no. 1, Jan. 1953, p. 20):

Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions.

It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us.
(www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/)

Therefore: Take a stand for Intellectual Freedom and READ A BANNED BOOK!!
Posted by:

Michael Gmelin

Kauai CC Library/Reference