NMC Weekly Update - May 5th

NEWS FROM THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE





Hafa Adai, Tirowami, and Greetings Everyone!

S0297 Student Presentations
On Thursday evening, May 4, nearly 60 students in Sam McPhetres’ Current Issues Class presented final reports on four research projects they elected to do over the 2006 Spring Semester. These projects included a complete survey of the Garapan tourist district done at the request of the new Saipan Zoning Board. Apparently, this is the first such survey to include infrastructure, types of businesses and uses of the area. The students themselves had some very interesting experiences conducting this project.

The National Park Service (NPS) requested a survey be done of visitors to the new Visitor Center at the American Memorial Park. Ten (10) students worked together to conduct the survey and prepared a report for the NPS. A third group concentrated on developing a new survey of understanding by the population of issues surrounding Article XII. The fourth group conducted a survey of the Northern Marianas College campus on suicide awareness and prevention.

Each of these student groups had prepared PowerPoint presentations along with handouts for the special guests who were invited. Each group was responsible for inviting persons from the community who are involved in their particular issues. The press was also invited. Each of the reports will be finalized and turned over to the responsible agency with whatever data has been collected. Copies of the PowerPoint's and reports will be on file for the academic community and students at the Commonwealth Archives on campus.

Projects conducted over the past couple of years included a survey for the Office of the Public Auditor, Public Attitudes toward the Legislature and Government, survey of Tourism in the Northern Marianas, a Study on the Impact of Poker Establishments on Saipan, Unexploded World II Ordinance and Various Environmental Issues. Projects are selected by individual classes. They take the place of individual research papers and individuals are graded on their degree of participation and contributions.

On May 12, at 4 p.m. in the student center, the Northern Marianas History Class will present a report on efforts to gather oral histories of persons who have personal knowledge of the Japanese Jail in Garapan during the Japanese administration. There were some very revealing new data discovered. The college community and general public are welcome to this student presentation.

Marianas-Japan Cultural and Educational Exchange Night
On May 12, 2006, NMC will be hosting two of our sister schools from Japan. A total of 350 students, and 50 chaperones from Japan will be visiting the CNMI. Our NMC family will be hosting our guests at the Civic Center Basketball Court/Sabalu Market Grounds from 6pm to 10pm. This event will give our NMC family a great opportunity to interact with our sister schools and allow us to make stronger bonds between our respective educational institutions.

This inter-institutional event is intended to strengthen international friendships, goodwill, cultural understanding, and academic ties between NMC, Seisa Group and Oshima Gakuen.

If you have any questions or comments regarding this event or would like to volunteer or donate, please contact our Planning Committee Chairperson, Dean Jeannette Villagomez at 234-5498 ext.1347.

Pacific Library Training Services
The U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) recently selected our very own Greg Sablan, of Library Services as one of two persons who will be representing the Commonwealth in the upcoming 2006 Pacific Library Training Services (PLTI) funded. This institute will be held at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, in Honolulu, from the 7th through the 29th of June. Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL) received funding for this project through the IMLS-funded "Librarians for the 21st Century" grant program. Congratulations “Greg” and best wishes for a successful workshop.

Upward Bound Student Selected for the 2006 Leeward Community College Math & Science Summer Program
Elaine Cruz, a sophomore at Saipan Southern High School, has been chosen to participate in the 2006 Leeward Community College Math & Science Summer Program from June 15 to July 21, 2006. The purpose of the Math & Science Summer Program is to motivate and excite students to consider careers in fields requiring math or science, to increase academic skills and prepare students for college programs to study, and provide guidance for academic, career goals, and personal needs. Generally, it is a summer, residential, pre-college program offering coursework in math, marine science, computer science, language arts, literature, Hawaiian language, and guidance.

Elaine is the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Esteven Cruz of Dan Dan, Saipan. Elaine loves to read and spend time with her friends. Elaine is the only girl out of eight children. Currently, Elaine is taking a Health Occupation class to explore of health careers she wants to pursue in college.

When asked about her feelings when she received the word about being accepted to attend Leeward Community College Math & Science Summer Program, she replied, “I was so surprised and happy because I didn’t expect that I was the one who would be chosen. I am very excited and looking forward to visit Hawaii. Going to Hawaii this summer will give me the chance to experience how does it feel being away from home and attend college. I believe that by participating in the Leeward Community College Math and Science Summer Program would help me explore more of my career plan in nursing or medicine. I plan on becoming a nurse or doctor when I finish with my associate degree.”

Elaine is a participant of the Northern Marianas College Upward Bound Program, a Federal TRIO program tasked with the responsibility to prepare and motivate qualified high school students for post secondary education.

“Launching Your Business on the Internet” Workshop
On Saturday, May 6, the NMC Small Business Development Center will be sponsoring a special “Launching Your Business on the Internet” led by business coach Walt Goodridge, author of Turn Your Passion into Profit and writer of the Saipanpreneur Project column in the Saipan Tribune.

If you have an existing business or an idea for a new one and wish to get started launching and selling your product/service on the Internet, then this workshop is for you. In this three-hour workshop course participants will be taken through a step-by-step process of developing a viable concept and launching a web presence.

Specifics covered will include how websites work, reserving an effective domain name, choosing/developing the right product/service, selling online, setting up hosting for your website, setting up a merchant account to accept credit card orders, designing a functional, profitable website, maintaining your site, setting up a pay-per-click advertising campaign on Google, order fulfillment, creative marketing ideas and seven streams of income for your product or service.

Before attending this workshop, please do the following: 1) take the personality test on the passionprofit.com website and make note of your score; 2) brainstorm for an appropriate name for your website; 3) have a credit card day of event with at least $10 available credit; and 4) write all your questions in advance and make sure they are answered at the event.

The fee for the workshop is $20.00. It will be held on the NMC Saipan Campus in Building V, Room 110. Contact the SBDC at 235-1551 to reserve your seat.

Have a Wonderful Cinco De Mayo Weekend!