Edwiena Retires

Edwiena Walton Retires from Jefferson State

Edwiena started to work at Jefferson State in April of 1979 as a cashier in the Pioneer Bookstore.

"I have enjoyed working with the faculty, staff and the students," said Edwiena. "Working in the bookstore was like having three Christmases each year. During rush, you basically knew what to expect, it was the unexpected things that always made it interesting."

"Since I have been in the mail room, I have been able to  put faces with names and voices. This job has been rewarding for me, in that I have been able to minister to people that my only have needed a smile."

"One of the craziest things that I remember is; Once there was a student that stole books from the bookstore. Campus police literally chased the guy, caught him, tackled and wrestled him to the ground and cuffed him. That was crazy! This officer always walked very slow, it was a shock to see him run."

"I plan to relax and do some deep cleaning around the house. I will spend time doing arts and crafts for a while and then maybe find something to do part time or volunteer to help less fortunate people and spend time at the lake. Oh yes, I love to fish."

"I am looking forward to retirement. I will miss many things about Jeff State, especially my friends. I am grateful to have had this opportunity to work in such a wonderful place for so long."

"That God will continue to bless you and keep you is my prayer."

Congressman Bachus Visit

Bachus Visits Jeff State, Tours Nursing Facilities

U.S. Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Alabama, visited Jefferson State Community College’s Shelby-Hoover Campus March 27 during a week of making stops across Shelby County.

Bachus spoke to the Calera High School marching band on March 25 and was slated to speak at the Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce luncheon March 27 after visiting Jeff State.

Accompanied by Jeff State President Judy Merritt, Bachus took a short tour of the college, including some of its nursing facilities. Nursing and emergency medical services instructors showed off the METIman, an animatronic mannequin that allows nursing students to practice taking blood pressure, drawing blood, putting in catheters and other tasks.

An instructor can change the mannequin’s blood pressure or dilate its eyes, for example, to ensure students know what they’re doing.

After seeing the METIman, Bachus said he was impressed with the program and its ability to properly train nursing students, especially since he has personal experience with such training.

“There’s a lot of specialty training here,” he said, laughing. “I was that body once. When I was in the Army, I was in the medical corps, and we trained on each other. We were a whole lot cheaper.”

Bachus said he’s always supported the two-year college system in Alabama and believes, in a time of rising tuition costs at four-year universities, two-year colleges have a lot to offer.

“The American dream is a job. A job is really central to success, and education is essential,” he said. “I’ve talked to surgeons here in Birmingham who went to community college, and that’s how they got their start.”
 
By AMY JONES / Associate Editor
Shelby County Reporter 

Speech Team Wins Tournament

Jefferson State Speech Team Wins First Place in Tournament

The Jefferson State Speech Team earned first place honors in their division at the Novice Nationals Speech and Debate Tournament at Berry College on March 8-10. 

In addition, Jefferson State students Ryan Hill and Amber Pope won 4th place in Duo Interpretation while Amber Pope and Kiara Sanford placed 3rd in the same event.  

Kiara Sanford also placed 6th in Extemporaneous Speaking and 3rd in Impromptu Sales.  Sanford also won 6th place in Individual Sweepstakes, making her the 6th highest point winner in the tournament.

The team recently finished tied for 1st place in the Community College Sweepstakes during the “Chicken or the Egg” Forensics Tournament at Gainesville State College.

Art Exhibition

Jefferson State Art & Animation Guild Presents

The Annual Juried Art Exhibition

Jefferson Campus: March 28 - April 12

Shelby-Hoover Campus: April 18 - April 26 

Gallery Hours: 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

 

Fantastic Filtration

Fourth graders learn valuable lessons about water at Jeff State

 

Clanton Intermediate fourth grader Abbi Calhoun learned on Friday the importance of keeping water clean.

“I got to see what water looks like when you put a bunch of garbage in it,” Calhoun said. “It was gross.”

Calhoun was among 650 fourth grade students from the county participating in the first annual water festival at Jefferson State Community College campus and the adjoining Clanton Conference and Performing Arts Center.

The purpose of the festival was to educate fourth grade students on the importance of water and ways to keep it clean.

Glenn Littleton with the Alabama Clean Water Partnership said the festival is designed to educate kids that everything they do has an effect on water.

“We just want them to be able to come and learn good habits now that they can carry on when they get older,” Littleton said. “Most of the fourth graders cover the water cycle in their school curriculum so the festival provides a more hands-on approach to what they are already learning.”

The festival had three stations: Fantastic Filtration, focusing on teaching students about filtering water; Edible Aquifers, teaching students how water is contaminated; and Water Cycle Bracelets, teaching students to make a bracelet resembling the water cycle.

By Emily Etheredge

Culinary Recipe

Yummy Apple & Brie Half-Moon Crepes 

 

Eight crepes

6 ounces firm ripe Brie, thinly sliced

2 small Granny smith apples

1 Tablespoon butter, melted

¼ cup Walnuts or pecans, chopped

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place a crepe in a 12-by-18 inch baking pan and arrange a slice of cheese of and 3 slices of apples over half of it; fold over. Repeat with remaining crepes. Brush the crepes with butter and sprinkle with nuts. Bake in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted Serve at once.

Makes 8 first course or side-dish servings 

Savory Crepes – yields sixteen 7 inch crepes

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

1/3 cup water

1 cup all-purpose flour, preferable bleached

¼ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter, melted, plus 2 or 3 teaspoons butter for coating the pan

To make batter

In a blender or food processor, blend the eggs, milk, water, flour, salt and the 2 tablespoons melted butter for 5 seconds, or until smooth. Stir down and repeat if necessary. Or, to mix by hand, Sift the flour into a medium bowl and add the salt. Whisk the eggs until blended, mix in the milk and water, and whisk this mixture into the flour and salt: stir in the 2 tablespoons melted butter. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

To make Crepes

Heat a seasoned 7 inch nonstick crept pan until hot. Coat pan lightly with butter, pour in 2 or 3 tablespoons of batter, tilting and rotating the pan to coat the surface. Cook until almost dry on top and lightly browned edges, about 1 minute. Loosen the edges with spatula and flip the crepe over then cook the other side for about 15 seconds.  Turn crepe onto a plate and continue making rest of batter.