News and Events

RACC recently presented the check to Olivet staff and members at the end of the fundraising campaign's culminating event. Judd Meinhart, Program and Grants Administrator at Olivet, said the funds will go toward supporting the summer camp program that more than 800 area youth participate in, more than half of which will attend for free, because of donations.

"During the summer, our campers participate in a variety of activities including swimming, arts and crafts, field trips and recreational games," said Meinhart. "We also engage our members in educational and character building activities to combat the summer learning loss that so many inner-city youth experience.

"Campers get the true camp experience once a week when they take a trip to Blue Mountain Camp in Hamburg for some old school camp fun like fishing, boating and exploring nature," Meinhart added.

RACC raised the money through car washes, roller skating parties, yard sales and candy bar sales. The top individual fundraiser was student Alex Breidegam who raised $844.79, thanks in large part to selling more than 20 boxes of candy. The highest fundraising team was People That Kare, comprised of Phi Theta Kappa honor society students, raising $4,355.50.

For more information, please contact Sue Gelsinger, Coordinator of Student Activities at sgelsinger@racc.edu or 610-236-3943.

Christopher King, an All-PA Academic Team honoree and Coca-Cola Silver Scholar, will be this year's student speaker. King was chosen from a group of students who applied for the opportunity. Originally from Ireland, King spent years designing custom cabinets and furniture before relocating to Robesonia with his wife and two daughters. When the economy collapsed, King decided to go back to school and fulfill his dream of becoming a high school English teacher.

A non-traditional student, King works part-time at the Ephrata Library and also volunteers at the Robesonia community pool. He is graduating with a Secondary Education transfer degree and will pursue a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education/English at Millersville University this fall.

Emeritus status will be granted to two staff members and four faculty members. Theodore Bassano, Senior Vice-President of Business, has spent 17 years with the College and helped to oversee construction of the Miller Center of the Arts and Schmidt Training and Technology Center, as well as the recent relocation of the RACC Bookstore. John DeVere has been with RACC for 23 years, most recently as Vice President of Workforce, Economic Development/Community Education. Susan Heller (Business Division), Dr. Judith Schum (Humanities), Dr. Annelle Soponis (Math/Science) and Linda Waterbury (Math/Science) will all be granted Faculty Emerita status.

Along with the commencement ceremony, the Registered Nursing Program will hold its pinning ceremony at 10 a.m. in the Miller Center for the Arts.

This year the students will bring to auction a variety of antiques, vintage collectibles, sports collectibles, primitives, Asian art, World War II and aviation ephemera and much more. A full listing of items and pictures is available at www.dickhenryauctioneer.com.

The student auction is the capstone of RACC’s program, which prepares students to sit for the PA state auctioneer license exam. The program runs from March to May each year and covers auction law, ethical standards, product knowledge and value appraisals, auction technology, and bid calling or chanting.

The 12 students enrolled in this year’s program are learning that in today’s auction industry, bidders are seeking auctions where they can understand the numbers (prices) being called. The days of auctioneers calling bids “with a mouth full of marbles” are for the most part, relegated to a by-gone era.

Auctions have been recorded as far back in history as 500 B.C. and have continued throughout time to the present day. Late Baby-Boomers and Gen-Xers were mostly introduced to the auction process through the success of eBay during the dot-com frenzy of the mid 1990s and more recently to live auctions through the success of cable television network programming such as Auction Kings (Gallery 63), Storage Wars, Storage Hunters, Pawn Stars and others. Auction sales are spreading out from their traditional rural and agricultural communities into more suburban and urban areas and quickly becoming a mainstream method of buying and selling any goods or services routinely sold through traditional fixed price retail and wholesale markets.

For more information about the program and auction, contact Dick Henry, Auctioneer/Realtor at 610-858-3065 or dhenry@goberkscounty.com.

Chesson and King were honored for their academic achievements in the classroom and for their volunteerism in their communities.

As part of the academic team honor, both students will receive a scholarship from the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) that can be applied at any of the 14 universities within the PASSHE system. The program requires that students apply to the university within one year, and the scholarship is renewable for two years toward a baccalaureate degree at that university.

In addition, King has been recognized as a 2013 Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team Silver Scholar. The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation sponsors the Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team program by recognizing 50 Gold, 50 Silver and 50 Bronze Scholars, and providing nearly $200,000 in scholarships annually. Each Silver Scholar receives a $1,250 scholarship and a special medallion.

Chesson, a member of Phi Theta Kappa, is actively involved with her daughters’ elementary school and extracurricular activities. She has volunteered with Organizing for America during the past two presidential elections, and helped plant trees in conjunction with the Berks Conservancy and PA Fish & Boat Commission.

Chesson will graduate in May with a degree in Cultural Anthropology. She is planning to transfer to West Chester University for a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a focus on International Relations, and eventually continue on for a Master’s Degree in Public Administration.

King is the Public Relations Officer for Phi Theta Kappa and has helped the club with its book drives and book donation to the Olivet Boys and Girls Club. Locally, King volunteers at the Robesonia Community Pool and works at the Ephrata Public Library.

King will graduate with a degree in Education and plans to enroll at Millersville University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education/English.

Alexandra Fotache's photography "Bubbles" captured second place in the photography category, while William Wood received third place for his work of fiction entitled "Childhood Odyssey."

Michael O'Donahue, who graphically designed the journal received two awards: third place for general use of typography and a certificate of merit for literary multi-page presentation. The staff of Voices of Legacy also received a certificate of merit for overall design.

Additional students on the staff include Amy Belnome, Daniel Smyk, Michele Granitz, Rafael Nunez-Castaneda and Matthew Risell.

Along with the individual awards, Voices of Legacy earned gold medal standing from the CSPA, and has been named a finalist in the national Associated Collegiate Press Magazine Pacemaker Awards. The journal also placed second in the Literary Magazine Competition of the Community College Humanities Association's Eastern Division.

Each year, RACC students submit original creative poems, photography, art and other works for publication in Legacy. The publication is run completely by students, including the editors and overseen by a faculty member. Dr. Bahar Diken served as the 2012 advisor.

Voices of Legacy can be viewed on RACC's website at www.racc.edu.

Those who have taken the 2002 Series GED test, but not passed all five parts, have until the end of 2013 to pass or they will need to start over again in 2014 with the new GED test in order to receive their high school credential.

"The GED test opens doors to college, better jobs, the respect adults deserve, and the satisfaction of earning a high school credential," said Robert Eck, GED Chief Examiner of Reading Area Community College. "So we want to be sure that everyone is aware of this deadline. GED test-takers must act now to finish and pass before the current test expires."

"Support is available, right here at Reading Area Community College" said Elaine Moyer, Director of Literacy Programs. "We can help adult learners get prepared to take the parts of the GED test they still need to pass. We want you to succeed!"

Interested GED test-takers can find more information at finishtheGED.com.

• Register at: Reading Area Community College, 10 South Second Street, Berks Hall, Room 107, Cashier's Office.
• Bring PA State issued Photo ID—Test Fee—Full Test $120.00, Partial Test $24.00 per part

For more information, please call 610-607-6262 ext. 5182.

An important tip you should know about testing at Reading Area Community College before the end of 2013: Last day to take the current version of the GED® test is December 17, 2013.

"To anyone who has already started the GED test, your future is calling. By passing the GED test, you can answer that call," said Randy Trask, president and CEO of GED Testing Service. "You owe it to yourself. Don't miss the chance to turn one small step into your next big opportunity in life."

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The GED test has opened doors to better jobs and college programs for more than 18 million graduates since 1942. Last year nearly 800,000 adults sat for the GED test, which is accepted by virtually all U.S. colleges and employers. As the creator of the official GED test, GED Testing Service has a responsibility to ensure that the program continues to be a reliable and valuable pathway to a better life for the millions of adults without a high school credential. Learn more at GEDtestingservice.com.