The Latest from FLCC

SkyOp owner Brian Pitre flies a drone.
To see a video about the class, click here.

Finger Lakes Community College will host an evening class in flying drones at the Victor Campus Center, starting Aug. 11.

The Small Unmanned Aerial Systems training class runs Tuesdays and Thursdays, from Aug. 11 to 27, from 6 to 9 p.m., at the FLCC Victor Campus Center, 200 Victor Heights Parkway, off Route 251.

Each participant will receive a Syma X5C quadcopter and AeroSIM flight simulator with registration and payment of $1,499 for the course. To register, call (585) 785-1906 or email to Andrea.Badger@flcc.edu.

Brian Pitre, owner of SkyOp in Canandaigua, will provide instruction in different types of flight systems and how to fly drones using safe and legal practices.

“We cover such things as the current FAA regulations, how it impacts you and prepare you for the new testing that is going to be covered under FAA rules,” Pitre said.

Participants will learn about emerging job opportunities, and companies can learn more about the application and use of small unmanned aerial systems. Drones are used in agriculture, construction, insurance, real estate, public safety, and other industries.

Audrey Andrist

Pianist Audrey Andrist will perform some of her favorite solo pieces and join a trio of friends to perform a Brahms quartet in the next Canandaigua LakeMusic concert at Finger Lakes Community College.

Set to begin with an artists’ chat at 7:15 p.m. this Friday, July 24, the event is the third in a series of four LakeMusic concerts in FLCC’s Student Center auditorium on the main campus, 3325 Marvin Sands Drive, Canandaigua. The final concert is scheduled for the same time on Sunday, July 26.

Friday’s concert is called “Audrey Andrist and Friends,” as she will be joined by Kevin Kumar on the violin, Meredith Crawford on the viola and Amy Sue Barston on the cello. Kumar and Barston are co-artistic directors of the festival, which is in its 11th year.

Sunday’s concert, “Season Finale: A Late Quartet,” will feature Andrist on piano with Maia Jasper on the violin for Edvard Grieg’s “Sonata No. 3 in C minor, Op 45.” Then, Kumar, Jasper, Crawford and Barston will perform Ludwig van Beethoven’s “String Quartet, Op. 131.”

Tickets are $15 for those 18 and under and students with ID, $35 for general admission and $60 for patrons. For more information about the Canandaigua LakeMusic Festival or to purchase tickets, contact Aimee Ward, executive director, at (585) 690-1220 or visit http://www.lakemusicfestival.org.

Andrist has performed in some of the most prestigious concert halls across the globe. She is a member of Strata, a trio with her husband, James Stern, who plays the violin, and Nathan Williams, a clarinetist, among other groups. And, she serves on the faculties of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County and the Washington Conservatory.

Two advocates for the global advancement of women will join a longtime Boston Globe political columnist and a New York Times bestselling author and activist for the fifth season of the George M. Ewing Canandaigua Forum.

Events take place on Sunday afternoons over the next several months in the auditorium at Finger Lakes Community College, 3325 Marvin Sands Drive, Canandaigua.

Chouchou Namegabe

Chouchou Namegabe and Alyse Nelson open the 2015-2016 season with a talk Sept. 20 titled “Women’s Rights Worldwide: Progress, Backlash & Prospects.” Namegabe lobbies for women and fights human rights violations as a radio journalist in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Nelson, meanwhile, is president and chief executive officer of Vital Voices Global Partnership, an international non-profit that supports women leaders – including Namegabe – on economic empowerment, political participation and human rights.

On Oct. 18, the Ewing forum welcomes its second speaker, retired political journalist Tom Oliphant, for “The Long March to Camelot: How JFK’s Presidential Campaign

Alyse Nelson

Revolutionized American Politics.” In his decades-long career at the Boston Globe, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Oliphant covered 10 presidential elections. He has served as a frequent commentator on shows such as “Nightline,” “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer” and “Face the Nation.”

The third and final Ewing forum speaker, scheduled for Jan. 24, 2016, is author, activist and filmmaker Naomi Klein, who will discuss “Capitalism vs. The Climate: Reflections on the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference.” Among her five books is “Shock Doctrine,” a critical analysis of the history of neoliberal economics, and the 2014 New York Times non-fiction bestseller, “This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate.”

The speaker series is named for the late George M. Ewing Sr., who passed away in September 2009 at the age of 87. He was the longtime editor and publisher of the Daily Messenger, later to become Messenger Post Media.

Tom Oliphant

“We’re celebrating our fifth anniversary with a remarkable lineup that surely would have pleased George, who was deeply interested in international affairs, politics, and of course, journalism,” said Caroline Delavan, chair of the forum’s organizing committee.

Launched in 2011, the Ewing forum is funded in part with an endowment from the Ewing family as well as support from Canandaigua National Bank & Trust, Wegmans and FLCC.

A community committee plans the forum series. The speakers will be joined by moderators who pose questions in the style of a TV talk show. Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and

Naomi Klein

author David Cay Johnston will moderate the talk by Namegabe and Nelson; law professor and newspaper columnist Richard Hermann will moderate Oliphant’s talk; and Emmy Award-winning television writer and producer Michael Winship will steer the discussion with Klein. Johnston and Winship are past forum speakers.

Audience members will have an opportunity to submit questions.

Season tickets are $40 for general admission for all three events. Single event tickets are $15 each or free with a current student ID. New this year, attendees ages 21 and up can also purchase tickets to a hors d’oeuvres reception in Stage 14 at FLCC following each talk.

Tickets can be ordered by phone at (585) 393-0281 or email at ewingforum@gmail.com, or purchased online at gmeforum.org. For the latest, follow the Ewing Forum on Facebook.

Forum organizers always welcome sponsors. Donors receive tickets, admission to the receptions and other benefits. For more information, contact Caroline Delavan at (585) 394-0896.

Friday, Aug. 21 is the final day for new degree-seeking students to file an application to attend Finger Lakes Community College, which offers 54 degree and certificate programs that prepare students for employment or transfer to a four-year school.

Applications can be filed online at www.flcc.edu/apply. Assistance is available at the following FLCC sites:

FLCC One Stop Center, main campus, 3325 Marvin Sands Drive, off Lakeshore Drive in Canandaigua, (585) 785-1000, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday.
Victor Campus Center, 200 Victor Heights Parkway, off Route 251 in Victor, (585) 785-1100, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Wayne County Campus Center, 1100 Technology Parkway, off Route 88 in Newark, (315) 331-9098, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Geneva Campus Center, 90 Pulteney St., Geneva, (315) 789-6701, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Full-time tuition and basic fees for the fall semester is just $2,221. Students still have time to apply for financial aid for fall classes at www.fafsa.gov.

The deadline for new and current students to register for classes is Friday, Aug. 28, with the first day of classes on Monday, Aug. 31. Classes start before Labor Day this year because the holiday falls too late to allow for the required number of days in the semester.

A grant program to help the long-term unemployed retrain for new jobs is up and running at Finger Lakes Community College.

The Finger Lakes Hired grant, announced in March, will provide tuition for those who have previously worked but have been unemployed for at least 27 weeks. Participants must be willing to enroll in a program for high-demand jobs such as advanced manufacturing, health care and information technology.

Lynn Freid

“Unemployment rates are down, and that’s great, but there is still a population that has been left out of the recovery. This program is for them,” said Lynn Freid, FLCC’s director of workforce development. Today’s jobs report from the U.S. Labor Department shows the labor participation rate unchanged at 62.6 percent.

An orientation session for an advanced manufacturing program is coming up on Tuesday, Aug, 18, at 9 a.m. at the FLCC Victor Campus Center,200 Victor Heights Parkway, off Route 251 in the town of Victor. Those who attend can learn more about the 12-week mechatronic technology program, which teaches student electronic and mechanical fundamentals common to many local employers. Graduates of this program are in high demand and all have had jobs or job offers by the end of the course.

More information on mechatronic technology and other programs covered by Finger Lakes Hired is available by calling (585) 785-1906 or emailing to Andrea.Badger@flcc.edu.

Finger Lakes Hired is a $5.2 million, four-year federally funded initiative of the community colleges and workforce development officesin a nine-county region. The counties are Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates.

The program will cover tuition for both short-term training programs and two-year degree programs at FLCC, Monroe Community College and Genesee Community College.

U.S. Rep. Louise Slaughter, who represents New York’s 25^thCongressional District, joined Canandaigua veteran Ralph Calabrese for an Aug. 11 recording of his public access show on Finger Lakes Television.

The “VA and Veteran Update” show featuring Congresswoman Slaughter will run Saturday, Aug. 22, from 2:30 to 3 p.m.; Wednesday, Aug. 26, from 7:30 to 8 p.m.; and repeat the same times the following three weeks. The Finger Lakes TV schedule is posted online at fingerlakestv.org.

Finger Lakes TV is an independent public access station at Channel 12 or digital cable 2.4 on the Time Warner system in the Finger Lakes. It is housed on the first floor of the Finger Lakes Community College main campus through an in-kind donation of space.

Calabrese, a Korean War veteran, has hosted a show on and off for the last dozen years to share his concerns about the care of military veterans. Cable access exists to provide an avenue of free expression to the general public; opinions expressed in cable access shows represent those of the guests and hosts. For more information about Finger Lakes TV, call (585) 785-1623.

All Finger Lakes Community College offices will close temporarily on Monday morning, Aug. 24, and reopen for registration and other business at noon.

The closure, necessary for an all-college meeting, applies to the main campus in Canandaigua and the campus centers in Geneva, Newark and Victor.

The registration deadline for fall classes at FLCC is Friday, Aug. 28, at noon. Full-time tuition and basic fees for the fall semester are just $2,352.

Students still have time to apply for financial aid for fall classes at www.fafsa.gov. The first day of classes is Monday, Aug. 31. For more information, call (585) 785-1000.

The Finger Lakes Chorale, a community chorus based at Finger Lakes Community College, has openings for singers for its holiday concerts.

Rehearsals will be on Tuesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. beginning Sept. 8 at the FLCC main campus, 3325 Marvin Sands Drive, Canandaigua, in room B355 on the third floor.

The holiday concert dates are Saturday, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Canandaigua and Sunday, Dec. 13, at 3 p.m. in the auditorium on the main campus.

Prior choral singing experience is preferred but not required. A $5 non-credit registration fee is payable at the first rehearsal. Singers should arrive early to complete the registration process. Singers can also get college credit for participation. Registration and tuition information for college credit is available at the FLCC One Stop Center at (585) 785-1000.

The Chorale is comprised of singers from throughout the Finger Lakes area.

For more information about the Chorale, contact director Dennis Maxfield at (585) 396-0027.

Finger Lakes Community College’s main campus and campus centers in Geneva, Newark and Victor will be closed for Memorial Day weekend from Friday, May 22 through Monday, May 25.

FLCC will reopen on Tuesday, May 26, for the first of three summer sessions. For information on summer session registration, visit the website www.flcc.edu/register/summer.

Chouchou Namegabe

Rape in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was so prevalent there wasn’t even a word for it in 2001 when radio journalist Chouchou Namegabe took to the airwaves with graphic survivor testimonies.

Namegabe’s reports outraged many in her homeland in central Africa. But the anger was overshadowed by those who were empowered by the voice they found through her. Days after her first report aired, three rape victims, limping in pain, showed up at her station – terrified but desperate to share their stories.

Alyse Nelson

On Sunday, Sept. 20, Namegabe will visit Finger Lakes Community College to share the stage with another global advocate for women, Alyse Nelson. Their talk, titled “Women’s Rights Worldwide: Progress, Backlash & Prospects,” launches the fifth season of the George M. Ewing Canandaigua Forum.

The event begins at 4 p.m. in the FLCC Student Center auditorium, 3325 Marvin Sands Drive, Canandaigua.

Namegabe continues to lobby for women and fight human rights violations through the nonprofit South Kivu Women’s Media Association. Nelson, meanwhile, is president and chief executive officer of Vital Voices Global Partnership, an international nonprofit that supports women leaders – including Namegabe – on economic empowerment, political participation and human rights.

“The struggle for gender equality continues around the world, and the Ewing Forum will present two of Earth’s leading experts on the issues, Alyse Nelson and Chouchou Namegabe, to explain what progress has been made and where women’s rights are receding,” said Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author David Cay Johnston. Johnston will moderate the TV talk show-style discussion in which audience members will be able to submit questions.

David Cay Johnston

The talk will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the United Nations’ 1995 Beijing World Conference on Women. Attended by government delegates from almost 200 nations and tens of thousands of activists, the event’s focus was gender equality and the empowerment of women. The resulting Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action is a blueprint for advancing women’s rights worldwide.

On Oct. 18, the Ewing forum welcomes its second speaker, political journalist Tom Oliphant, for “The Long March to Camelot: How JFK’s Presidential Campaign Revolutionized American Politics.” In his decades-long career at the Boston Globe, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Oliphant covered 10 presidential elections. He has served as a frequent commentator on shows such as “Nightline,” “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer” and “Face the Nation.”

The third and final Ewing forum speaker, scheduled for Jan. 24, 2016, is author, activist and filmmaker Naomi Klein, who will discuss “Capitalism vs. The Climate: Reflections on the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference.” Among her five books is “Shock Doctrine,” a critical analysis of the history of neoliberal economics, and the 2014 New York Times non-fiction bestseller, “This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate.”

The speaker series is named for the late George M. Ewing Sr., who passed away in September 2009 at the age of 87. He was the longtime editor and publisher of the Daily Messenger, later to become Messenger Post Media.

Launched in 2011, the Ewing forum is funded in part with an endowment from the Ewing family as well as support from Canandaigua National Bank & Trust, Wegmans and FLCC.

A community committee plans the forum series.

Season tickets are $40 for general admission for all three events. Single event tickets are $15 each or free with a current student ID. New this year, attendees ages 21 and up can also purchase tickets to the hors d’oeuvres reception in Stage 14 at FLCC following each talk.

Tickets can be ordered by phone at (585) 393-0281 or email at ewingforum@gmail.com, or purchased online at gmeforum.org. For the latest, follow the Ewing Forum on Facebook.

Forum organizers always welcome sponsors. Donors receive tickets, admission to the receptions and other benefits. For more information, contact Caroline Delavan at (585) 394-0896.

FLCC culinary arts instructor Jamie Rotter reviews
techniques with Jennifer Garner of Manchester during
a fall 2014 Dinner at Julia.

The Finger Lakes Community College culinary arts program will resume restaurant nights on Sept. 18, offering low-cost, five-course fine dining to the community several Fridays each semester at the main campus.

Called Dinner at Julia – in honor of Julia Child – the restaurant night gives students hands-on experience under the supervision of their instructors. Diners have a choice of two menus, each with a soup, appetizer, salad, entrée and dessert and coffee. The cost of $35 per person, including tax and tip, covers food and supplies for the program.

Dinners are served in Stage 14 on the second floor of the Student Center, 3325 Marvin Sands Drive. Following the Sept. 18 opening, restaurant nights will also be held on Sept. 25; Oct. 2, 9, 23, 30; and Nov. 6 and 13. Seating is limited. Reservations are required at (585) 785-1476 for arrival times between 5:30 and 7 p.m. Guests may bring their own wine; there is no corkage fee.

Menu options are different for each event. Vegetarians can be accommodated with advance notice. Additional information and menus are posted a few days before each event on the FLCC website at www.flcc.edu/restaurant. See the first menu below:

Sept. 18

A FAIRWELL TO SUMMER

Soup - Cream of Carrot

A smooth soup of fresh carrots with a touch of fennel and cardamom

First Course - Smoked Salmon Julia

Smoke roasted salmon fillet with a veggie slaw of jicama, yellow and

green zucchinis, and carrots; finished with a yogurt garlic dill sauce

Salad– Jonah’s Salad

Fresh roasted beets and shallots atop baby spinach with chevre and

toasted pumpkin seeds dressed with a cider vinaigrette

Entrée– Supreme de Poulet aux Champignons

Pan seared chicken breast with barley pilaf, haricots verts,

and finished with a white mushroom sauce

Dessert– Gordon’s Trifle

From Scottish chef Gordon Ramsay; a traditional favorite

of berries, custard, cream, and cake

THE RISE OF AUTUMN

Soup– Potato Chowder

Fingerling potatoes with carrots, celery, corn and onion

First Course—Shrimp Marseille

Shrimp sautéed in white wine and served with a garlic, tomato, and leek fondue

Salad– Jonah’s Salad

Fresh roasted beets and shallots atop baby spinach with chevre and

toasted pumpkin seeds dressed with a cider vinaigrette

Entrée- Roti du Porc Robert

Roasted pork loin atop creamy polenta with braised red cabbage;

finished with a brown Dijon mustard sauce

Dessert- Apples Caramel Panna Cotta

Caramel panna cotta with spiced roasted apple slices

Prix fixe $35

Patrons are to select one menu. There are no substitutions between menus.

Each menu is complete and served with your choice of coffee or tea.

The price includes tax and gratuity

Wine is not available for purchase but patrons may bring their own bottle of wine.

There is no corkage fee

Limited seating available, for reservations please call 585.785.1476

Finger Lakes Community College will mark Constitution Day, Thursday, Sept. 17, with a program called: “The Anatomy of a Supreme Court Case: From Birth to Decision.”

The event will be held at 12:30 p.m. in Stage 14 on the second floor of the main campus at 3325 Marvin Sands Drive. It is free and open to the public.

Constitution Day recognizes Sept. 17, 1787, the day the Constitution was signed by 39 men representing the 13 former colonies as they sought to form “a more perfect union.”

James Michael Valenti, J.D., LL.M., Esq., assistant professor of criminal justice, and Eric Duchess, Ph.D., assistant professor of history, will present the program.

Visitors should leave time for parking as the college is in session. General parking is available in the main lot in front of the building or the Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center lot. Handicapped parking is available at the front and back of the main building.

Sonja Livingston, author of "Queen of the Fall"

The deadline to sign up for the fourth annual Book Feast fundraiser for Finger Lakes Community College is Friday, Sept. 18.

Participants read a particular book then share a gourmet dinner and conversation with others who have read the same book. Donors will host dinners at homes and other sites in Ontario County. Discussion will be led by FLCC faculty and friends of the college.

In one instance, the moderator is the author. Sonja Livingston will lead the discussion about her recently released “Queen of the Fall: A Memoir of Girls and Goddesses,” during the event on Saturday, Oct. 17. The book explores the lives of women through her own experiences and with interactions with real and fictional icons like Susan B. Anthony and the 1990s television show title character Ally McBeal.

“Queen of the Fall” is one of 12 books selected for inclusion in this year’s Book Feast. The event starts with a 5:30 p.m. hors d’oeuvres reception for all participants in the college’s Student Center, 3325 Marvin Sands Drive, Canandaigua. The group then breaks up to head off to various host locations.

The $100 Book Feast ticket price per person includes the hors d’oeuvres reception, gourmet dinner and moderator-led discussion. Proceeds benefit the FLCC Foundation, which supports the college with funding for capital projects, equipment, scholarships and professional development.

The reception is sponsored by the honors program and humanities department at FLCC.

Anyone interested in taking part in Book Feast can call or email the Foundation: (585) 785-1454 or foundation@flcc.edu. Additional information is at www.flcc.edu/bookfeast.

Book selections are listed below:

Fiction

“All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr

"Delicious!" by Ruth Reichl

"The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry" by Rachel Joyce

"Olive Kitteridge" by Elizabeth Strout

"People of the Book" by Geraldine Brooks

"Still Alice" by Lisa Genova

Nonfiction

"Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity" by Katherine Boo

"Culinary History of the Finger Lakes: From the Three Sisters to Riesling" by Laura Winter Falk

"Queen of the Fall: A Memoir of Girls and Goddesses” by Sonja Livingston

"Shakespeare Saved My Life: Ten Years in Solitary with the Bard" by Laura Bates

"What the Dog Knows: Scent, Science, and the Amazing Ways Dogs Perceive the World" by Cat Warren"Wolves & Honey: A Hidden History of the Natural World" by Susan Brind Morrow

Liz Brownell, associate professor of graphic design, with one of her pieces exhibited in the 2015 Faculty Biennial Exhibition.

A new exhibit of mixed-media work by Liz Brownell, associate professor of graphic design at Finger Lakes Community College, opens Thursday, Sept. 24, in FLCC’s Williams-Insalaco Gallery 34.

Brownell will discuss her work, created during her spring 2014 sabbatical, at 2 p.m. A reception sponsored by the FLCC Foundation follows from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Both events are free and open to the public. The gallery is on the first floor of the main campus, 3325 Marvin Sands Drive.

Brownell, a Victor resident, has taught at FLCC since 2000 and received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2012. Her public artwork has included an interactive sculpture displayed at the Phelps Arts Center and the T-shirt design for the 2004 Park Avenue Festival in Rochester.

Her exhibit, called “Life Lessons: Recent Work by Liz Brownell,” explores what it means to teach, learn and succeed. The works are intended to prompt discussion about what can be learned by looking back to the lessons of ancient cultures.

“In our world today I believe that there are two things we have lost: trust and curiosity. Not the kind of curiosity that allows us to pry into others’ lives. I speak of curiosity here as a way of being, curiosity about our fellow humans, curiosity about the beauty of nature,” Brownell explains.

Trust, she added, is also a vital part of education: “I have found that the most important lessons we can teach our students are only obtainable when there is a mutual trust established.”

The “Life Lessons” exhibit runs through Oct. 30. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.

Brownell will donate proceeds from the sale of the original works or prints from this exhibit to an FLCC travel scholarship established in honor of her grandparents. “They believed in the power of fearlessness and exploration,” she said, noting that they made it possible for her to follow her own curiosity by studying art abroad in the Ivory Coast.

For information, contact gallery director Barron Naegel at gallery34@flcc.edu or (585) 785-1369.

From left, Dana Lewis of Penn Yan, Karen Keinath of Port Byron, Richard Beach of Cayuga, Dylan Constable of Waterloo, John Schlegel of Weedsport, Dominic Venuti III of Geneva, Tom Ellis of Seneca Falls, Dennis Millus of Red Creek, Codie Arno of Waterloo; Derek Mehlenbacher of Waterloo, Bill Perfetti (ITT Goulds Pumps trainer), and Chris Linehan of Seneca Falls. Not shown: graduate Tim Lees of Port Byron

The first class of the ITT Goulds Pumps advanced manufacturing machinist program, a partnership with Finger Lakes Community College, graduated on Sept. 18 in a ceremony at The Gould Hotel.

The program is an expansion of FLCC’s partnership with another manufacturer, G.W. Lisk Co. in Clifton Springs. Both programs were created to address the shortage of machinists in modern, computerized manufacturing facilities in the Rochester and Finger Lakes areas. (Click the video below to check in with earlier graduates from G.W. Lisk.)

“These types of programs are so important for job development,” said state Sen. Michael Nozzolio, thanking FLCC for managing the program and ITT Goulds Pumps for investing time and resources in the students.

The senator added that “Goulds Pumps has a special place in my heart,” and he explained how, upon immigrating to the U.S., his grandfathers found jobs at the company, which has been a cornerstone of the Seneca Falls community for more than 100 years.

Mike Dellefave, general manager of ITT Goulds Pumps, announced that the company had hired nearly half of the class prior to graduation. Several others have already accepted jobs elsewhere.

As a company that manufactures its own parts, ITT Goulds Pumps depends on the skill of its machinists for the quality not only for its final products but also for the efficiency of the manufacturing processes themselves. “It helps us to continue that legacy of manufacturing as a premier pump company in the United States,” he said.

Graduate Dominic Venuti III of Geneva said he is eager to begin a new career at ITT Goulds Pumps, a switch from his previous work in social services. “I was very excited to begin this new journey in my life. I knew this was going to be a tough six months, but in the end it would all be worth it because it was something that I was truly interested in,” he said.

The graduates are as follows:

Cayuga: Richard Beach

Geneva: Dominic Venuti III

Penn Yan: Dana Lewis

Port Byron: Karen Keinath, Tim Lees

Red Creek: Dennis Millus

Seneca Falls: Tom Ellis, Chris Linehan

Waterloo: Codie Arno, Dylan Constable, Derek Mehlenbacher

Weedsport: John Schlegel

Students in the advanced manufacturing machinist program learn through classroom and hands-on instruction how to use machine tools to make precision components for the automotive, aerospace, medical and other industries.

For more information about the FLCC advanced manufacturing machinist program at ITT Goulds Pumps or G.W. Lisk Co., contact Andrea Badger at FLCC at (585) 785-1906 or Andrea.Badger@flcc.edu.

Two of the students, Codie Arno and Derek Mehlenbacher, enrolled through the Workforce Investment Act Youth Program in Seneca County, which provides career counseling and support services, such as funding for training and resume assistance, to those in their teens and early 20s. For more information on the youth program, call (315) 539-1888.

For more information about the machinist program, catch up with some of the first students who took it at G. W. Lisk Co. Click on the video above.

A Finger Lakes Community College Activities Day series on Tuesday, Oct. 6, will take a wide view of brain health and disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease.

The series, called “It’s Your Brain,” is part of the college’s effort to promote awareness of Alzheimer’s disease in the two weeks leading up to the Walk to End Alzehimer’s in Canandaigua on Oct. 17. The series is part of Activities Day at the college, a day for off-campus and hands-on activities, lectures and community service.

All events below are free and open to the public at the main campus, 3325 Marvin Sands Drive.

Keynote Event: Wildlife Defenders

10 to 11 a.m., FLCC Auditorium

Representatives from Bridges for Brain Injury, Inc. will discuss how its Wildlife Defenders program helps individuals who have suffered traumatic brain injury. Part of their rehabilitation is training in how to give public presentations on wildlife using native and exotic species.

Breakout Sessions, 11 to 11:50 a.m.

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, Room B303

Sean Maley, assistant professor of mathematics

Participants will learn how to use contemplative practices, including meditation, to reduce stress, anxiety and rumination, to break free of troublesome behavioral patterns and cultivate physical and mental well-being.

Veterans and Traumatic Brain Injury, Room B307
F. Andrew Knapp, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology

This session will take a neuropsychological perspective of traumatic brain injury with a focus on military veterans, including assessment of injuries, treatment and outcomes.

Athletes and Concussions, Room B309

Jeremy Tiermini, associate professor of physical education

This session covers how concussions happen, the signs and symptoms, steps for an athlete’s safe return to play as well as the ramifications for academic study.

Trivia and Brain Teasers, Room B310

Eric Duchess, Ph.D., assistant professor of history

Who's buried in Grant's tomb? Test your knowledge and problem-solving skills in a fun, low-pressure environment with prizes for the winners.

Breakout Sessions, 1 to 2 p.m.

Myths of the Aging Brain, Room D210

Nick Vignatti of Ontario County ARC

How does our memory change as we get older? What's normal and what is not? Sort out the facts from the rumors and learn how to promote healthy brain function at any age.

Alzheimer’s, Dementia and Caregiving, Room D211

Alzheimer’s Association

Explore what distinguishes Alzheimer's disease from normal aging, how Alzheimer's is diagnosed and what community resources are available.

Brain Health Matters: Living Well with Psychological Disorder, Room D212

Linda Ross, Psy.D., associate professor of psychology

Psychological disorders are common but do not mean that a happy and successful life are out of reach. This talk will feature strategies for overcoming mental health obstacles and the experiences of those who have been successful in doing so.

For the second year in a row, Finger Lakes Community College will host a day-long event in celebration of comic books, graphic novels, films and all things pop-culture.

The event, called ComiCon, is open to the public and will be held Tuesday, Oct. 6 at the main campus, 3325 Marvin Sands Drive, Canandaigua. Admission is $5 or free with an FLCC ID. Activities will take place in the Charles J. Meder Library, except for a 4:15 p.m. screening of the film “Avengers: Age of Ultron” in Stage 14.

The day begins at 8 a.m. with “Coffee and Superheroes” featuring a display of graphic novels, posters, comics, masks and more. Then, at 9 a.m., FLCC faculty members Lori Vail, instructor of English, and Liz Brownell, associate professor of graphic design, will lead a talk titled “Spilling Our Guts: Hybrid Confessions in Image and Text.”

At 10:15 a.m., comics scholar Adrielle Mitchell will lead a hands-on workshop titled “Leveling up as a Comics Reader.” Guests of the 90-minute session will learn how to slow down the comic panel reading process to notice details, panel-to-panel shifts and detect the six panel transition structures of comic theorist Scott McCloud.

The day also includes a 1:15 p.m. presentation by Gregory Stoyles, adjunct instructor of philosophy, and Andrew Knapp, assistant professor of psychology. “Whistling in the Dark: Why Do We Need Heroes?” will be a discussion on the human need for super humans. Then, at 3:05 p.m. members of the FLCC Humanities Department will give a panel talk called “Evil Masterminds, Artificial Intelligence and Brainiacs: Representations of Intelligence in Comic Books and Graphic Texts.”

Complimentary pizza and refreshments will be served at noon in the library.

The festivities will wrap up with the film. Tickets will be available in the library on a first-come, first-served basis. The day’s activities will also include raffles and crafts. Vendors will be on hand selling a variety of items such as comic books, graphic novels, games and posters.

ComiCon visitors are encouraged to wear costumes, as prizes will be awarded for various categories, including “best villain” and “best superhero.” Entrants to the contest must register in the library by 2:15 p.m.; winners will be announced at 2:45 p.m.

FLCC’s ComiCon is inspired by Comic-Con International, a days-long annual convention in San Diego, Calif., that draws superheroes, storm troopers, and other costumed characters to celebrate pop culture and entertainment.

Those who plan to attend ComiCon are asked to register by calling (585) 785-1375 or visiting http://libguides.flcc.edu/FLCCcomicon.

As part of its 50th anniversary events, Finger Lakes Community College will launch a speaker series on Oct. 13 that examines popular topics over the last 50 years.

The series, “50 Minutes for 50 Years,” is a reference to the typical 50-minute classes more than 25,000 alumni attended since credit classes began in early 1968. The first milestone in the college’s founding, however, was the historic Ontario County Board of Supervisors’ vote in 1965 to create the college.

“50 Minutes for 50 Years” opens with a presentation titled “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet: Music’s Influence on Society from 1965-75” by Maria Gillard, a member of the music faculty, on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. All events in the series are free and open to the public; they take place in Stage 14 on the second floor of the main campus, 3325 Marvin Sands Drive.

Gillard will explore how American culture was influenced by music and musicians during the years of Civil Rights, Vietnam War, and the Sexual Revolution. Consciousness-raising through music, both political and personal, had a profound effect on American society. Gillard will discuss this connection and how society changed as a result of mass movements of individuals singing, playing and speaking their minds.

Tang, Cheez Whiz and the Ever-Changing Food Industry, Thursday, Nov. 12, 7 p.m.
Izy Grooms, assistant professor of biology, takes a look at the ever-changing food industry over the past 30 years. She discusses the good, the bad and the ugly of food processing and what we can expect from the food industry during the next 30 years.

How Biotechnology Changed the World: The 1980s Biotech Boom, Tuesday, Dec. 8, 12:45 p.m.
James Hewlett, professor of biology, examines the "biotech boom" of the 1980s. The decade featured the release of amazing new therapeutics, technologies that would accelerate drug development, genetically modified foods, and the launch of the human genome project. The same decade featured the birth of the anti-biotechnology movement, led by Jeremy Rifkin. Hewlett explores this critical decade and discusses the legacy it has left on the industry.

Not Just Stories: Why We Identify with Hobbits and Harry Potter, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 12:45 p.m.
J.K. Rowling's books introduced us to Harry Potter in the 1990s just before the "Lord of the Rings" movies began popularizing hobbits. Trista Merrill, professor of English, discusses how Harry Potter's success and the triumphant heroism of hobbits have their roots deep in our mythology and in our psyches. Some characters and stories seem familiar while others have patterns buried beneath the surface. This talk explores the connections between our stories, dreams, pasts and ourselves.

Brain Science, Artificial Intelligence and Eugenics: Redefining What it Means to be Human, Friday, April 1, 7 p.m.
Christine Parker, assistant professor of biology, discusses the mapping of the human genome, a scientific triumph that raises questions about the ethics of cloning and eugenics, the manipulation of our DNA. Meanwhile, research in brain science and artificial intelligence examines the workings of man and machine. The potential to engineer a person or make a machine act like a person forces us to ask: What does it mean to be human?

Parking and Stage 14 are handicap accessible. Call (585) 785-1623 or email communityaffairs@flcc.edu for more information.

The National Science Foundation has awarded Finger Lakes Community College a $1.5 million grant to continue its work in developing undergraduate research programs in its classrooms and laboratories and at other community colleges across the country.

FLCC has previously received more $4 million in National Science Foundation (NSF) funding to develop a model for teaching basic science through research and to share that model with other community colleges.

James Hewlett

“We believe that the best way to teach science is to do science. This new grant allows us to continue our work with 60 partner colleges in providing opportunities for community college students to engage in research,” said James Hewlett, professor of biology at FLCC and director of the CommunityCollege Undergraduate Research Initiative (CCURI).

The four-year grant will enable FLCC to train faculty members at FLCC and other colleges who want to launch their own research programs and to fund travel expenses for students to present their work at conferences.

At FLCC, all general biology classes are learning scientific principles and procedures though a project to record the biodiversity of insects in the region. Students gather insects, try to identify them, and verify the identification by checking each insect’s DNA with an international database. They upload the location where each insect was found into the database, which more advanced biology students will use for analysis.

Other FLCC student research projects have involved tracking black bears and using DNA to identify male and female red-tailed hawks.

The NSF grants that have been awarded to FLCC represent a substantial investment from the federal government. The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology report, “Engage to Excel: Producing one million additional college graduates with degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics,” challenges U.S. colleges and universities to prepare one million more science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) college undergraduates over the next decade.

To meet this goal, the U.S. would need an additional 100,000 STEM graduates per year, requiring the nation’s 1,132 community colleges to take an active role. The NSF awards provide the opportunity for FLCC to take a leadership position in this effort.

Hewlett, along with John Van Niel, professor of environmental conservation, started in 2008 with a $500,000 grant for a pilot project, working with six other community colleges to revamp their biology programs to include research.

The success of the pilot led to a $3.35 million grant and the establishment of CCURI in 2011. Since then, CCURI has developed a network of 60 partner community colleges, including Mesa Community College in Arizona, Ivy Technical Community College in Indiana, Oklahoma City Community College, Moreno Valley College in California, and Seminole State College in Florida.

Additional grants followed, first a $133,000 for a national conference in 2013 and $210,000 to include colleges serving Hispanic students in 2014.

The $1.5 million grant is part of the National Science Foundation’s fund for improving undergraduate education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. FLCC will use some of the funds to study the impact the research projects have had at the institutions in the network.

“Our hope is that these projects will get students engaged in science and pursue further education in STEM areas,” Hewlett said.

For more information on the grant project, called “Community College Undergraduate Research Initiative, Creating a Culture of Change,” contact James Hewlett at (585) 785-1325 or visit www.ccuri.org.

Author and longtime Boston Globe political writer Thomas Oliphant will offer his insights on the transformation of presidential campaigns under the influence of money, media and more during a talk at Finger Lakes Community College on Sunday, Oct. 18.

Oliphant – a frequent commentator on television news shows like “Nightline,” “Face the Nation,” and “Good Morning America” – has covered 10 presidential campaigns and is working on a book about John F. Kennedy’s campaign. His talk is the second in the 2015-2016 George M. Ewing Canandaigua Forum speaker series hosted by FLCC.

Thomas Oliphant

The forums are held in the auditorium at the main campus, 3325 Marvin Sands Drive, Canandaigua. The first talk, by global women’s advocates Chouchou Namegabe and Alyse Nelson, was held in September, and the third and final talk is scheduled for Jan. 24, 2016 by author, activist and filmmaker Naomi Klein.

Oliphant’s talk is titled “Presidential Campaigns: JFK to Today.” It will be moderated in the style of a television talk show by law professor and newspaper columnist Richard Hermann.

Hermann expects Oliphant to discuss how JFK’s campaign changed American politics, particularly with respect to the influence of money and the media, as that is the subject of his book-in-progress with Curtis Wilkie, an author and fellow Boston Globe retiree.

“The 1960 presidential election was one of history’s inflection points,” said Hermann. “It changed everything, including not just the manner in which we choose our presidents, but also how voters react to candidates as well as how presidents govern.”

He added, “Fifty-five years later, our politics are still heavily influenced by what happened back then. Tom Oliphant’s insights into the sea change wrought by the JFK election and its impact since, especially in light of the 2016 presidential race, will rivet and engage the audience, demonstrating how we got from then to now.”

In his decades-long career at the Boston Globe, Oliphant was one of three editors who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for the paper’s coverage of desegregation of Boston schools. A native of Brooklyn, he grew up in New York and La Jolla, Calif., before graduating from Harvard in 1967. He and wife Susan Spencer – a CBS news correspondent – now reside in Washington, D.C.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright called Oliphant the “Will Rogers of our time” in her appraisal of his book, “Utter Incompetents: Ego and Ideology in the Age of Bush.” He also authored “Praying for Gil Hodges: A Memoir of the 1955 World Series and One Family’s Love of the Brooklyn Dodgers,” and he co-authored “Baseball as a Road to God: Seeing Beyond the Game,” and “All by Myself: The Unmaking of a Presidential Campaign.”

The speaker series is named for the late George M. Ewing Sr., who passed away in September 2009 at the age of 87. He was the longtime editor and publisher of the Daily Messenger, later to become Messenger Post Media.

Launched in 2011, the Ewing forum is planned by a community committee and funded in part with an endowment from the Ewing family as well as support from Canandaigua National Bank & Trust, Wegmans, Canandaigua Rotary and FLCC.

Single event tickets are $15 each or free with a current student ID. New this year, attendees ages 21 and up can also purchase tickets to a hors d’oeuvres reception in Stage 14 at FLCC following each talk.

Tickets can be ordered by phone at (585) 393-0281 or email at ewingforum@gmail.com, or purchased online at gmeforum.org. For the latest, follow the Ewing Forum on Facebook.

Forum organizers always welcome sponsors. Donors receive tickets, admission to the receptions and other benefits. For more information, contact Caroline Delavan at (585) 394-0896.

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