A tradition initiated in 2008, continued for students of Honors Northeast as they visited a major city, in this case, Fort Worth on Friday, 19 September.  With COVID still a variable, students sat spaced in two large vans, and attended mainly outdoor venues. But because of recent gifts from Drs. Jim and Paula Archer and Don and Margaret Muse, and the willingness of Naomi Deciga, NTCC’s Academic Transfer Coach, to drive, the group enjoyed all the traditional delights of an NTCC honors day-trip experience.

The 15th annual Honors Northeast Roundup occurred again this fall, 11 September. NTCC’s Agricultural Pavilion provided an ideal, open and covered location for the dinner during these health-conscious days. The Agriculture Club directed by Rene McCracken, provided an excellent chicken dinner, with a homegrown potato bar, and “cowboy caviar”--purple hull peas in a vinaigrette with onions and tiny tomatoes - served cold. The Ag Club also provided hayrides around the program’s self-sustaining farm after the dinner.  Members of the NTCC Rodeo team helped direct traffic, and provided a roping exhibit during the evening.

I just wanted to introduce any new employees and new students to our NTCC Athletic Director/Head Baseball Coach Andy Morgan. Coach Morgan arrived at NTCC as head baseball coach in 2017, and was named Athletic Director in January of 2018. In a decade of college baseball, Northeast Texas will mark Morgan’s second junior college head coaching position, while also having two stops as a recruiting coordinator and hitting coach at the D1 level. 

Just before Honors Biology 9 September, students were able to test their skills with a compound prehistoric spear known as an atlatl.  Biology Professor Jim Ward, who owned the set and initiated the activity, presided.  The idea of the atlatl coincided with the other course in the team-taught honors seminar, Texas history, where the group was studying the use of the atlatl during the archaic period of the regional past, around 5,000 BC. Leveraging the shaft with a launching stick, modern throwers can propel spears beyond 100 yards. However, such distances require a system of delivery similar to systems in biology, where all elements must function to make the whole possible.

Northeast Texas Community College will host a job fair on campus September 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Student Union Building. The event is free and is open to NTCC students, graduates and community members. 

The fourteenth annual Northeast Texas Poetry Reading at the Whatley Foyer of Northeast Texas Community College, September 3, featured scenes of death and life, country living, the devastations of Covid, and rays of hope—right on Texas State Highway 11!  Compared with last year’s rendition on Zoom, this year’s live reading included speakers more willing to optimize the natural nuances of the voice.  Long-term poetry judges, Vice President Anna Ingram, and Professors Jim Swann and Mandy Smith helped that process along.  For the first time, the judges listened to the student finalists before selecting the winners.

Northeast Texas Community College has teamed up with The CE Shop to provide our students the courses required for obtaining and retaining their Texas real estate license. Together we are able to offer state-specific courses and engaging electives that follow current trends and issues in the industry. Use the promo code NEWCAREER to receive 30% the cost of the program for a limited time only. Click below for more information!

The Northeast Texas Community College Foundation recently learned that it was awarded a Texas Emergency Aid Roadmap Grant from the Greater Texas Foundation. The grant, which totals $122,500 over three years, will provide emergency assistance and services to students who are at-risk of dropping out of college. NTCC was one of 10 community colleges in Texas chosen to receive the competitive grant.

The Northeast Texas Community College Professional Truck Driving Academy is celebrating 12 months in operation! During the last year, 50-plus students have trained for their CDL and started on the road to an in-demand career with excellent salary opportunities. New classes start frequently, so visit www.ancoraed.com/ntcc or call 903-434-8134 to learn more or sign up.