Extracurricular Activities

Shop ‘til You Drop at Community College Craft Fairs

Arts and crafts abound at community colleges this time of year, offering Christmas shoppers the opportunity to pick up something truly unique for friends and family members. Auburn Pub reports that Cayuga Community College in Auburn, New York, recently hosted its annual Holiday Festival Craft Show, which features handmade clothing and accessories, holiday decorations and fresh baked goods. The show is celebrating its 39^th year in style, with live entertainment and food vendors to keep everyone in the holiday spirit.

Log Some Service Hours

Many community colleges offer students the opportunity to flex their volunteer muscles through a variety of community service projects. According to the American Association of Community Colleges, volunteer work offers a myriad of benefits to students, including the ability to engage in the civic community and learn new skills they can take with them after graduation. This organization now promotes service learning to more than 1,200 schools nationwide. Service options might include work with specific organizations in the area or individual projects organized by the community college and based on the specific needs of the local neighborhood.

Take in a Concert

Study Indicates International Business a Focal Point at Community Colleges

A recent study was conducted by researchers at Michigan State University. According to the MSU website, the study found that in 2008, only about 51 percent of community colleges in the country were offering basic courses in international business. In just four years, that number has skyrocketed to 85 percent. With a significant number of college students in the United States attending community college today, those findings show the country is on the right track to cultivating a more globally-minded workforce in the future.

This video discusses international business in the California Community Colleges.

Santa Monica Swimmer to Compete for Tunisia

At Santa Monica College, Ahmed Mathlouthi has spent his freshman year shattering a number of swimming records set by previous California community college athletes. At the age of 22, this talented athlete has won over swim fans and coaches alike, as he won three individual events – and broke current records in the process – at the California Community College Athletic Association’s championship meet this past April. According to the Santa Monica Patch, Mathlouthi broke records in the 500-yard freestyle, 200-yard freestyle and 1,650-yard freestyle. The swimmer also won all three events in that competition.

The Announcement is Made

According to a report at mLive.com, the announcement to end the football program was made by the president of Grand Rapids Community College, Steven Ender. Ender also issued a formal press release, after talking with the coaches and players involved in the football program about the school’s decision. In the press release, Ender cited the following reasons for bringing Grand Rapids football tradition to an abrupt halt:

• With games now played in Illinois, Iowa, North Dakota, and Georgia, the school was no longer able to spend the time or money getting the football team and staff to games further from home.  In some cases, student-athletes and coaches were spending up to 19 hours on a bus to get to a single game.
• Many of the student-athletes that came to the school to play football faced severe personal obstacles, including finding the means to pay for off-campus housing, since many came from out of state. In addition,