May 2009 - Posts
Matt McCune, former starting pitcher for the GateWay Geckos, gets his first shot at the pros
Earlier this month Matt McCune, a 2007 starting pitcher for the GateWay Geckos, was offered the chance to play professional baseball for the newly formed Tucson Toros – a dream come true for the stand out Tucson native.
McCune was on the job at a Tucson UPS store when Toros manager Tim Johnson surprised him with a jersey and offer to play for the team. After the shock wore off, McCune was introduced to the local media, officially signed to the Toros and has been playing for the team during pre-season games and is now on a roll as the Golden Baseball League enters its official season.
“He (McCune) was an extremely hard worker and a great kid,” said Rob Shabansky, head baseball coach for GateWay Community College. “I know that he loves baseball and I couldn’t imagine a better person to get this opportunity than him.”
McCune, a right-handed player, pitches in the upper 80’s and has a plus two-seam fastball. Local media that covered McCune’s signing to the Toros predict that he could be a key pick for a possible spot in the team’s starting rotation.
For more information about Matt McCune and the Tucson Toros, visit www.tucsontoros.com. For more information about the current GateWay Community College baseball team, visit http://blend.gatewaycc.edu/blogs/baseball/.
Current & prospective students can now enroll in summer & fall courses at GateWay
Students interested in continuing their education this summer or enrolling for fall classes can now do both at GateWay Community College. Registration for both summer and fall courses is now open with Summer Session I beginning on June 1.
GateWay offers day, evening and weekend classes in more than 100 fields of study and tuition is only $71 per credit hour. In addition, GateWay is convenient for students coming from all over the Valley because the METRO, Phoenix’s new light rail service, has a stop right on the GateWay campus.
Students can register for courses online at www.gatewaycc.edu, by calling 602-286-8046 or by visiting GateWay at 108 N. 40th Street, Phoenix (40th Street and Van Buren). Through August 18, most campus offices are open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday. See individual class listings for specific starting dates and times.
Check out all the latest in GateWay news and events now in the May issue of the Gecko Gazette:
http://www.gatewaycc.edu/geckogazette/
The 40th annual GateWay Commencement Ceremony and Nurse Pinning Ceremony are both scheduled for this Friday, May 15.Please see details below for event details and a list of local restaurants.
NOTICE: Graduates and guests participating in the commencement ceremony
at the North Phoenix Baptist Church are asked to observe the following
conditions:
NO: Balloons are allowed within the North Phoenix Baptist Church.
NO: Food or Drinks (other than water) are permitted inside the Worship
Center building.
You worked long and hard to graduate and now it is time to celebrate.
Congratulations and happy graduation to you!
Please contact the Vice President of Student Affairs at (602) 286-8032 if you
have any questions.
Ceremony details for May 15, 2009
Commencement Ceremony for Certificate and Degrees: 6:45 PM
* Students, please arrive at no later than 6:15 PM for line-up.
Nurse Pinning Ceremony: 3:00 PM
North Phoenix Baptist Church
5757 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ
Get directions with Google Maps
There is no charge for parking.
The faculty robe room will be in the South Reception Room which is situated right off the Worship Center where Commencement will be held. Security will be posted at the door to guard valuables. The faculty robe room will have two six-foot tables and thirty chairs as well as a coat rack. Bottled water will be provided.
List of Restaurants in the Area:
- Asian Fusion, 742 East Glendale, Phone: (602) 707-0049
- Bobby Q’s, Barbecue, 8501 N 27th Ave Phoenix, AZ 85051 - (602) 995-5982
- Bomberos (South American Wine & Coffee Bar, patio, $8.00 - $16.00, Reservations helpful), 8801 N. Central Ave., 85020, 602-687-8466
- Boston Market (Cafeteria style American), 5101 N. Central Ave., 85012, 602-266-0202
- Carlos O’Brien’s, Generic Mexican, but good food and big portions, 1133 E Northern Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85020, (602) 997-2871
- Christo’s, (Italian, $10.50 - $17.95, reservations only), 6327 N. 7th St., 85014, 602-264-1784
- Corbin’s (Bar & Grill, $9.75 - $19.75, reservations helpful), 8729 N. Central Ave., 85020, 602-466-3201
- Greektown, 8519 N 7th St., Phoenix, AZ 85020, (602) 674-8881
- Hana, Japanese, 5524 N 7th Ave, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, 602.973.1238
- Hometown Buffet (American buffet), 1501 W. Bell Road, 602-242-5882
- Jordan’s Mexican Food, One of the oldest Mexican Restaurants in Phoenix. Used to have one downtown, but it got killed off by the light rail construction, 6247 N 7th St Phoenix, AZ 85014, (602) 274-6836
- Lola’s Tapas (Spanish), 800 E Camelback Rd, Phoenix, (602) 265-4519
- Luci’s Healthy Market Place (Deli & coffee bar, $6.95 & down, no reservations), 1590 E. Bethany Home Road, 85014, 602-773-1329
- Maizie's Cafe and Bistro, 4750 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85012, 602-274-2828, Central and Camelback. Serve a full menu until 11pm and then late night snacks until 12pm, maiziescafe.com
- Manuel’s Mexican, 5509 N. 7th St., 602/274-6426
- Marcellino Ristorante. Very upscale Italian – delicious but pricey. 1301 E Northern Ave Phoenix, AZ 85020 - (602) 216-0004
- Mary Coyle’s, 5521 N 7th Ave. (7th Ave. & Missouri), incredible ice cream concoctions, 5521 N 7th Ave Phoenix, AZ 85013 - (602) 265-6266
- Oregano’s Pizza Bistro, 1008 E Camelback Rd Phoenix, AZ 85014, (602) 241-0707
- Padre’s Mexican, 1044 E Camelback Road Phoenix, AZ 85014 - (602) 277-1749
- Papadeaux, 11501 N. Black Canyon Highway, Cajun & seafood, (602) 331-3434
- Pat’s Pizza Plus, 1135 E Glendale Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85020, (602) 234-3035
- Pei Wei, 7th St. & Glendale
- Phoenix City Grille (American grill, $8.00 - $31.00, reservations helpful), 5816 N. 16th Street, 85014, 602-266-3001
- Pizza Heaven Bistro, Really good pizza available by the slice, 5150 N 7th St., 602/277-8800
- Postino Central, Same menu as Postino Arcadia, 5144 N. Central, 602-274-5144
- Q-doba Mexican Grill, 742 E. Glendale, 602-795-4205
- Richardson’s (Mexican, Santa Fe style, $10:00 - $28.00, reservations helpful), 1582 E. Bethany Home Road, 85016, 602-265-5886
- Rosie McCaffey’s Irish Pub & Restaurant ($7:95- $13.95, reservations helpful), 906 E Camelback Rd. 84014, 602-241-1916
- Sauce, 7th St. & Glendale, Light Italian & salads, 742 E. Glendale Ave, 602-216-2400
- Sierra Bonita Grill, (Mexican, $10:00 - $25.00, Reservations helpful, patio), 6933 N. 7th Street, 85014, 602-264-0700
- Super Dragon (Chinese), 1212 E. Northern Ave., (602) 997-1685
- Sweet Tomato’s, (Soup, salads, pasta, breads), 52 E Camelback, 85012, 602-274-5414
- Sylvia’s La Canasta, (602) 714-8371 , 5508 N 7th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85013
- TexAZ Grill, 16th St. & Bethany Home Road, 6003 N 16th St Phoenix, AZ 85016, (602) 248-7827
- Via de los Santos, 9120 North Central Avenue, 602-997-6239, Tame Mexican, but doesn’t use lard so vegetarian-friendly. Great margaritas!
- Also at MetroCenter (about 3 miles away)
- Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Mimi’s Café, El Torito, Jason’s Deli, Black Angus, Tim Finnegan’s Pub
- Fast Food, Within a 3 - 5 mile radius in any direction from the North Phoenix campus there are
- McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King, Jack in the Box, Starbucks and other fast food restaurants.
Stan Pirog, GateWay Community College librarian, teams up with MCTV to win Platinum Ava Award
PHOENIX, Arizona – Every year judges from the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals wade through thousands of media entries to select the best audiovisual pieces for one of the communication industry’s top honors – the international Ava Award. This year, Maricopa Colleges Television (MCTV) brought home four Ava Awards including one earned with the help of Stan Pirog, faculty librarian at GateWay Community College. Pirog helped MCTV claim the Ava Award for Best Commercial (for an academic institution) with the comedic and informative “Ask A Librarian” PSA he starred in, wrote, edited and helped to direct. Pirog said the award is a surprise honor that seems surreal after all of the work that went into making it.
The comedic “Ask A Librarian” commercial features Pirog as a man in a full body cast needing help with a school project. Thankfully, he is able to find out about the “Ask A Librarian” service that allows Maricopa Community College students to chat online with a librarian 24 hours a day. The piece airs on a regular basis on MCTV, the MCCD TV station. The commercial was filmed on the GateWay campus and Pirog not only acted the part of an injured man, but he continued on with the project despite some real life health problems. In fact, he helped to edit the commercial after checking himself out of the ICU – against medical advice.
“It’s not every day a librarian gets to make a commercial, so I left the hospital but returned the next day (after the editing); but this little stunt cost me $1,000 because the hospital charged me to be re-admitted,” Pirog said. “I consider myself to be very ‘invested’ in this project. I think it was all worth it – after all, how often does one receive an international award for one’s first and only go at making a commercial?”
To watch the “Ask A Librarian” PSA and see a detailed history of the project and those involved, visit http://www.youtube.com/user/azstanp. For more information on the PSA or GateWay’s library services, e-mail Stan Pirog at pirog@gatewaycc.edu or call 602-286-8456.
Stan getting ready for his acting debut.
GateWay Community College will celebrate as more than 1,700 students earn certificates or degrees
On Friday, May 15 GateWay Community College will celebrate as more than 1,700 of its graduating students are awarded their completed certificates or degrees. This semester’s graduation ceremony marks GateWay’s 40th annual commencement since the college opened in 1968. To honor these outstanding graduates, GateWay will host two ceremonies: a Commencement Ceremony for certificate and degree candidates and a Pinning Ceremony for graduating nursing students.
The ceremonies will take place on Friday, May 15 at the North Phoenix Baptist Church, 5757 North Central Avenue, Phoenix. The Nursing Pinning Ceremony is at 3 p.m. and the Commencement Ceremony for Certificate and Degree Candidates is at 6:45 p.m. Free parking will be available at each event.
Whether a student is headed straight to the workplace or is transferring to a university, each graduating Gecko has a story to tell about their experiences at GWCC. With this in mind, four outstanding certificate and degree candidates shared their GateWay stories:
Marvin Bagley, earning an Associate’s Degree
Bagley is a former player for the Arizona Rattlers arena football league team. By his own confession, Marvin never really took school very seriously; confident he would have a long career in the NFL. When his football career did not go as planned, he returned to school at GateWay, and is graduating with a 4.0 this semester. Bagley said he plans to transfer to ASU to obtain an education degree so he can teach as well as coach, helping young men like his own three sons understand the value of higher education.
Jennifer Bose, earning an Associate’s Degree, liberal arts (anthropology/archeology focus)
Honors student Jennifer Bose has worked hard to make the most out of her GateWay experience. During her time as a Gecko, Bose has experienced a myriad of successes including the opportunity to present her work at the Western Regional Honors Conference and the American Anthropology Association’s National Conference. In addition, she has w campus and tutoring other students.
“My experience here at GateWay has been wonderful,” she said. “I have had excellent support from my professors and some wonderful opportunities to learn and travel to represent not only myself and my work, but also GateWay at these conferences.”
After graduating from GateWay, Bose plans on transferring to ASU to earn a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and archeology. She then plans on earning her master’s degree and PhD with the eventual goal of pursuing a career in archeology field research. The desire to experience a new and challenging career path is what Bose said brought her to GateWay in the first place.
Arturo Mondragon, earning a Certificate of Completion in Retail Management
Before coming to GateWay, Arturo Mondragon used both experience and hard work to climb up the ladder of success in the Pro’s Ranch Markets chain of stores. Over the course of 13 years, he worked his way up from a janitor to becoming the general manager of all Pro’s Ranch Markets store locations in Arizona. As part of his career advancement, Mondragon pursued a Retail Management Certificate to round out his hands-on experience in the retail industry.
“I had a great experience at GateWay; I loved the teachers and it was amazing to go back to school since graduating from high school in 1992,” Mondragon said. “My experience shows that it’s never too late to go to college.” Nance Harris of Business Outreach said Mondragon’s promotion to manager of the six Arizona stores comes as a direct result of his experience plus his time at GateWay.
Oscar Ruiz, earning an Associate’s Degree in Nursing
Like many GateWay students, Oscar Ruiz began classes at GateWay to put himself on a more fulfilling career path. He decided to pursue nursing because of his interest in medicine and the profession’s flexibility in hours and specialty. When choosing where to study, He picked GateWay because of the college’s partnership with Banner Health – an endorsement Ruiz felt spoke to the quality of the nursing program. Even though several nursing faculty members agree that Ruiz stands out in the program, his favorite GateWay achievements involve a group effort.
“What has been rewarding is seeing how our class has progressed,” Ruiz said. “Our first semester we were petrified to give flu shots… now we’re regularly performing tasks requiring considerably more skill and thinking ability. We’ve come a long way in just two years.”
Ruiz said his experience at GateWay has been great thanks to the caring instructors and ample resources. “It was a pleasant surprise that these tools have enabled us to have a better grasp of those skills that we subsequently took into our clinical settings and will ultimately take into our workplace,” he said. After graduation, Ruiz will be working as a nurse extern II and then, after passing his licensure exam, he will become a registered nurse in the surgical unit at Banner Gateway Medical Center.
GateWay invites you to learn all about “green” vehicles in new automotive class beginning May 19
PHOENIX, Arizona – To keep in tune with the “going green” worldwide phenomenon, the automotive industry introduced its consumers to the hybrid vehicle; an automobile that runs on two or more sources of energy (one is usually electric), making it less dependent on traditional energy sources and easier on the environment. To help answer the many questions surrounding this relatively new piece of automotive technology, GateWay Community College’s automotive program will be offering a unique summer course – a two-credit class all about the hybrid vehicle, its technology and benefits to the environment.
The new class, titled “Hybrid Vehicle Overview” (AUT 240), is available to current automotive students and anyone interested in learning more about hybrid car technology. The course begins May 19 and runs through June 30, with classes meeting on the GateWay campus every Tuesday and Thursday from 6:30 – 9 p.m. It will be taught by George McWilliams, an official Toyota service training specialist and topics to be covered include: learning about the basic operation of hybrid vehicles, safety practices when servicing hybrid vehicles and an overview of hybrid vehicle design and operation.
Regular tuition rates ($71 per credit hour) apply to the class and interested students can register online by accessing the current class schedule online at www.gatewaycc.edu. For more information on how to register for this or any GateWay class, visit http://enroll.gatewaycc.edu/ or call 602-286-8600. For more information on GateWay’s other automotive programs, visit http://industry.gatewaycc.edu/.