PTC's new Wellness Room takes shape

Not only is Pine Technical College’s landscape changing as the college is in the midst of several construction projects, but the college's interior also is changing to accommodate growth. Over the past few years, the college has experienced growth in enrollment, an increase of staff and faculty members, and growth in the variety of programs available to students and services available to students and the community.

“We’re seeing the investment in our future take shape, and at the moment, that translates to a handful of structural changes,” says President Robert Musgrove, Ph.D. “Our master plan includes a focus on using the space available to meet the needs of our community and our growing student population,” Musgrove explains.

Part of the changes on campus include accommodating the ever-growing Nursing Department and incorporating an all-new Wellness Room into the college's plans.

“We’re very excited to bring the Wellness Room to PTC. It will serve as a place of peace for students as they move through the ups and downs of college life,” says Director of Nursing, Krista Hoekstra. “For example, it will be a calm and inviting place where students are able to meditate. Also, it will serve as a more private place for breastfeeding mothers on campus. We want our students to relieve stress and discover a healthier and more balanced way of living while remaining efficient and productive,” Hoekstra explains.

Construction of the Wellness Room is funded through a recent federal health training grant the college was awarded in Oct. 2011. The room is located between the Employment and Training Center and the Nursing staff offices. The Wellness Room remains unlocked during all campus hours and is available to all students, staff and faculty. Uses for the room may include (but are not limited to):

• Mediation
• Prayer
• Lactation
• Medical Administrations
• Quiet Time

Photo at top of page: The inside of the new Wellness Room was designed to provide students with a high level of privacy and comfort.

Photo above: To see what it's all about, student Aaron Kohner peeks into the new Wellness Room.

Student Senate gets down to business in 2012

The PTC Student Senate gathered for its first meeting of 2012 today at 11 a.m.

“It was a busy meeting since we basically had to set the agenda for the semester,” says Student Senate President Torfi Arnarson. “And, we were all certainly happy to have such good attendance at the year’s outset,” Arnarson adds.

Student senators and students in attendance discussed several high-impact topics including a proposed new method for disbursing financial aid (known as the HigherOne project), the installation of a new wall monument to recognize those who donate to the PTC Foundation and, the senators made tentative plans to carry out a survey to assess what students seek in the way of on-campus entertainment in addition to the already-slated Bowling Night, movie nights, and the annual end-of-year BBQ. Also, Arnarson, having served as PTC Student Senate President for two terms, announced his decision not to run in the next election.

The next Student Senate meeting will be held Feb. 15, 11 a.m. and is open to all students, staff, and faculty members.

Photo at top: PTC's 2011-2012 Student Senators. Front Row, L to R: Jodie Hochstatter, Treasurer; Ellen Dunbar, Secretary; Colin Roskos, Vice President. Back Row, L to R: Amanda Spencer, Student Senate Staff Advisor; Torfi Arnarson, President; Stephen Bobowski, Parliamentarian.

On-campus exhibit showcases artwork by Keith Raivo

The Pine Art Gallery is currently featuring work by artist Keith Raivo for the duration of the Spring semester. Raivo's piece, Mother Earth, is made completely of stainless steel. Raivo may be well-known for his wooden hampers and baskets; after all, he has been creating them since 1981. However, Raivo works in many media including wood, metals, and stone.

Raivo lives in the Pine Area with his wife, Valerie, and together, they manage a gallery in Mora, Minn. Galerie Valerie features everything from Raivo’s famous baskets and hampers to carved wood and stone sculptures inspired by creatures of nature as well as functional pieces such as tables and seating.

View Raivo’s online gallery at http://raivoart.com. Raivo is available for commissioned works and may be reached at 320-679-4667 or keith@raivoart.com.

The Pine Art Gallery features works of original art created by established and/or emerging artists from the Pine Area, embracing the talent and creativity of Pine Technical College students, staff, faculty and the larger Pine community. The exhibit changes seasonally, and many kinds of artworks are showcased, including paintings, photographs, pottery, sculptures, sketches, wood carvings and more. If you are an artist from the Pine Area and wish to exhibit your works in the Pine Art Gallery, see the Pine Technical College Marketing Director in Student Affairs.

Photo at top: Artist Keith Raivo stands next to Mother Earth, on display in the Pine Art Gallery.


Above: A few samples of Raivo's work include (clockwise, L to R) "Barred Owl 1," made of carved fieldstone; "Tastes Like Chicken 2," made of stainless steel and aluminum; a custom chest made of jatoba, elm, and oak; and, a sewing basket made of elm, oak, and ash.

PTC welcomes new registrar, Darla Calverley

PTC recently welcomed Darla Calverley to the Student Affairs Office. Calverley is PTC's new registrar, having filled the vacancy left by Robert Baker when Baker retired.

"I absolutely love the campus and PTC community. The whole family here – from the students to faculty and staff – has been so welcoming and helpful during my transition," Calverley says. "I feel so fortunate and blessed to work under the leadership and direction of Nancy Mach and with the whole Student Affairs group. I always said I can work with students anywhere, but to be given the opportunity to share my experience, knowledge and appreciation for students pursuing their education in a career that I have endured for years is the ultimate. I am living the dream!" Calverley adds.

Calverley holds an M.A. in organizational management and a B.A. in communication and organizational management, both from Concordia University and comes to PTC with nearly 20 years of experience working in higher education and student records within MnSCU. Most recently, Calverley served as Assistant Registrar at St. Cloud State University, and prior to that, Calverley served as Student Registration Coordinator at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College.

"We are so lucky to have Darla," says Nancy Mach, Dean of Student Affairs. "She has been such an asset to us already, and our department will continue to grow with the skill-set she brings," Mach adds.

Photo at top: Darla Calverley, Registrar, is poised to greet new students at the college's front entrance with the most need-to-know information at the start of the new semester.

PTC's Academic Skills Center to offer free workshops

Periodically, PTC staff and faculty hold free seminars/workshops that teach tips about time management, stress management, studying, test-taking, the college environment overall, how to navigate Desire2Learn (D2L) -- the college's "virtual campus," and much more. At the start of the new semester, PTC's Academic Skills Center will be hosting a rich lineup of such workshops throughout January and February.

"The workshops are designed with today's super-busy students in mind," says Erin White, Director of the Academic Skills Center. "All our students -- whether they are brand-new to the college experience or close to graduation -- can benefit from the workshops. New students will become more comfortable with services and everything that is available to them, and our more seasoned students are sure to pick up extra tips and tricks they may not have known yet," White adds.

Registration is not necessary, and all workshops are free. Students are encouraged to attend any and/or all workshops. For more information, contact: Erin White, whitee@pinetech.edu or 320-629-4574.