New Swine and Dine Foundation Event September 20

The Volunteer State Foundation is taking their annual dinner out to the ranch this year for the new Swine and Dine fundraiser on September 20. It’s designed to be a fun night of music, entertainment, and a barbecue themed dinner by Chef Christopher. It will be held in the relaxed atmosphere of the Bagsby Ranch in Gallatin. Money raised will be used to support Vol State student scholarships and college special projects. There are state programs that cover tuition for many students. However, not all students are eligible for the state assistance, and those programs don’t cover all expenses, such as textbooks.

The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with cocktails and music by Bluegrass Ablaze. Dinner will be followed by testimonials from scholarship recipients. The evening continues with a game of chance called Heads or Tails with entertainment provided by Tim “The Fiddleman” Watson. He’s a singer and fiddle player based in Nashville who has opened shows for George Strait, George Jones, Lonestar, and Keith Urban, among many others. Currently, Watson collaborates with Kid Rock, playing as part of his band, and has been a featured artist in lineups headlined by Kid Rock.

Tickets for Swine and Dine are $75/per person. To purchase tickets or to learn about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Alison Muncy at 615 230-3506 or email alison.muncy@volstate.edu.

Faculty Member Receives Achievement Award in Audio Description

The American Council of the Blind (ACB) holds the annual Achievement Awards in Audio Description to support the craft, important for bringing events and entertainment to the blind community. This year a Vol State humanities faculty member, Julia Cawthon, was among the recipients. This is the award announcement:

Achievement in Audio Description – Visual Art / Museums / Visitor Centers: Tennessee School for the Blind and Julia Cawthon, Nashville, TN. For their hosting of a unique event on August 21, 2017 to bring a live audio description of the Solar Eclipse to all the blind and visually impaired students at TSB and to thousands of blind people around the world through the live broadcast on ACB Radio.

Congrats to Julia!

Kimberly Helton Promoted to MLT Director

Kimberly Helton is the new director of Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT). She has taught at Vol State since 2013. She also works at Centennial Medical Center as a Medical Laboratory Scientist II. Medical Laboratory Technicians collect samples from patients and perform tests to analyze body fluids, tissue, and other substances. An MLT degree can lead to many different career directions, including forensic science in law enforcement. 

“I love my career. It’s a lot of fun to teach other people and get them excited about MLT as well,” Helton said. “I would really like to expand in the future. We’re going to be asking for more student seats for the program. We’re going to be doing simulated labs for some areas and that should help us add more students.”

Helton has also worked at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from Lipscomb University, and most recently a Master’s of Science in Medical Laboratory Science from the University of Southern Mississippi.

The Testing Center Now Open in Ramer 165

The Testing Center in Gallatin is officially open for business today in their new home- Ramer 165. It is another step in the long-term plan to provide new students with a one-stop shop in the Ramer Building.

"The big thing is that Admissions, Advising, Testing, and Financial Aid are all in the same building," said Lisa Borre. "That's really convenient for our students. If Advising sends them to do testing, it's just down the hall."

The new center also has a second testing room, which will allow for additional testing down the road, including professional certification tests that students may need for their program.

Vol State Study Abroad Meets Ireland President

Vol State study abroad student, Caroline Torres, meets the president of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, during a play intermission. Torres, right to president, is pictured here with Vol State Cookeville humanities faculty member Ami Price on the far right.

Vol State and Opioid Awareness

The Vol State AmeriCorps VISTA workers, Crystal Sloss, Anedra Moore, and Jason Ditzler, recently attended a Narcan Training Workshop. They learned to:

● Understand the administration of naloxone products, including “Good Samaritan” protection law

● Recognize the signs of an opioid overdose and identify its causes and risks

● Describe what NOT to do during an opioid overdose

● Follow the correct steps when encountering an opioid overdose

The VISTA’S will be teaming up with Tiffany Zwart, from the Office of Student Engagement and Support, in creating an ongoing Vol State campaign to address student opioid awareness and prevention. 

In order to maintain a drug-free campus, Volunteer State Community College networks with the Sumner County Anti-Drug Coalition (SCADC) in conjunction with the Coalition for Healthy and Safe Campus Communities (CHASCo), and the Tennessee Highway Safety Office Booze It or Lose It Program.