Oak Ridge Today

Roane State to host ACT workshop Oct. 21 at main campus in Harriman

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Roane State Community College Harriman Campus

The main Roane State Community College campus in Harriman. The college also has a branch campus in Oak Ridge.

 

For college-bound high school students, it’s the biggest test to date of their academic careers—the ACT exam.

The test evaluates students’ readiness for college, and scores can determine whether they are admitted to the college of their choice.

Roane State and the private education institution, SailAway Learning, are offering a workshop on preparing for the ACT on Saturday, October 21.

The workshop, titled “Hidden Rules of the ACT Prep,” will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Roane State’s main campus in Harriman. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge High School holds annual September 11 memorial

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Oak Ridge firefighters are pictured above at the 9/11 memorial at Oak Ridge High School on Sept. 11, 2017. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Schools)

Oak Ridge firefighters are pictured above at the 9/11 memorial at Oak Ridge High School on Sept. 11, 2017. (Photo courtesy Oak Ridge Schools)

 

Submitted

As is emblazoned in many of our memories, September 11, 2001, was the day that 19 militants associated with al-Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against several targets in the United States. Beginning at 9:03 a.m., two planes crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third airplane flew into the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., and the fourth crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people died in these attacks.

To ensure Oak Ridge residents remember the impact of this day in history, Ken Senter, Advanced Placement US History teacher, arranged for remnants of the Twin Towers and a block of granite from Ground Zero to serve as a memorial at Oak Ridge High School. The display resides at the north entrance to the school on Providence Road. Each September 11, beginning exactly at 9:03 a.m., students at Oak Ridge High School gather at this site for a tribute to the lives of victims and first responders, both living and lost. For the past decade-and-a-half, our students have shared their own memories of the day’s events. [Read more…]

Roane State Tennessee Promise students lead state in persistence

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Data recently presented to the Tennessee Board of Regents indicated Tennessee Promise students are outperforming their peers in various success measures, and Roane State’s students are leading the way, a press release said.

The first class of Tennessee Promise students entered college in the fall of 2015. Through the spring semester of 2017, 56.2 percent were still enrolled, have earned a college credential, or transferred to a four-year university, the press release said.

At Roane State, the persistence rate was 65 percent, the best among Tennessee’s 13 community colleges, the release said.

“We are proud that Roane State’s Tennessee Promise students have shown the grit and determination to stay in school and complete,” Roane State President Chris Whaley said. “I also greatly appreciate the efforts of our faculty and staff to make sure students have the support they need to be successful.” [Read more…]

Lunch with the League features Marc DeRose of Explore Oak Ridge on Tuesday

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Marc DeRose

Marc DeRose

Marc DeRose of Explore Oak Ridge will be the guest speaker at Lunch with the League on Tuesday, October 17. His presentation will center on Explore Oak Ridge’s responsibility for maximizing the economic impact of visitors to Oak Ridge, a press release said.

Explore Oak Ridge was formerly known as the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The Lunch with the League meeting will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, which is located at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

DeRose, a native of Sault Ste. Marie, Canada, has a bachelor’s degree in biology and environmental science from Trent University, Peterborough, Canada, and a master’s degree in biology and quantitative genetics from McGill University, Montreal, Canada, the press release said. He spent more than 15 years as a professional rowing coach at the junior, NCAA, national, and international levels. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Chamber’s Christmas Parade to be held Saturday, Dec. 9

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The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce's annual Christmas Parade was Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016. (Photo by Eli Welton)

The last Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade was Saturday, Dec. 10, 2016. (File photo by Eli Welton)

 

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce will have its annual Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 9.

This year’s theme is “A Toyland Christmas: Past 75 Years/Future 75 Years,” a press release said. It promises to provide spectators with plenty of music, lights, and beautiful floats, the release said.

The parade will be a part of Oak Ridge’s 75th Anniversary Celebration. Sponsor of this year’s parade is The Cowperwood Company. There is no cost to participate.

The Chamber will be accepting entries online through Monday, December 4. Register by visiting the Chamber’s website at www.oakridgechamber.org.

According to Greta Ownby, executive vice president of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce: “People began signing up for the parade in August, as soon as we announced our theme. The second Saturday in December is always the date for our Christmas parade, and it’s nice to know that people start planning early make the parade a special part of their holiday tradition. We also wanted to incorporate the 75th anniversary of Oak Ridge into the event this year.” [Read more…]

ORAU sponsors leading students, researchers at Heidelberg Laureate Forum

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Part of the ORAU campus in central Oak Ridge is pictured above on May 29, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Part of the ORAU campus in central Oak Ridge is pictured above on May 29, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

ORAU and the National Science Foundation sponsored 21 top U.S. students and postdoctoral researchers in the fields of mathematics and computer science at the 2017 Heidelberg Laureate Forum in Heidelberg, Germany.

Similar to the Lindau Laureate Meetings for Physics, Chemistry, and Life Sciences, students and postdoctoral researchers attended the week-long Heidelberg Forum to network with Laureates in their STEM fields, as well as with international colleagues. (STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.)

Laureates who are invited to attend the meeting are recipients of the Abel Prize, the Fields Medal (including the Nevanlinna Prize for contributions in “Mathematical Aspects of Information Science”), the ACM A.M. Turing Award, and the ACM Prize in Computing. [Read more…]

Roane State Internship Fair connects students to valuable opportunities

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Representatives of 15 area employers participated in Roane State Community College’s first Internship Fair, held Sept. 27, 2017, in the Coffey-McNally Building on the Oak Ridge campus. (Photo by Roane State)

Representatives of 15 area employers participated in Roane State Community College’s first Internship Fair, held Sept. 27, 2017, in the Coffey-McNally Building on the Oak Ridge campus. (Photo by Roane State)

 

By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer

There are numerous job internship opportunities available in the area, Roane State students learned during the college’s first Internship Fair.

Representatives of 15 employers answered students’ questions, took down contact information, and even conducted some interviews during the event, held last month in the atrium of the Coffey-McNally Building on the Oak Ridge campus.

“We want to match students with part-time, skill-building opportunities,” said Kim Harris, Roane State’s workforce training and placement director.

Too many graduates in the college’s non-healthcare fields come out of Roane State with a degree but no job experience, she said. Internships offer employers a chance to “test drive them (potential employees) before you hire them.” [Read more…]

Tennessee Higher Education Commission awards Roane State a Tennessee Promise Forward Grant

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Tennessee Promise Logo

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission has awarded a $91,940 Tennessee Promise Forward grant to Roane State Community College to develop and expand innovative student success and retention programs.

Through the grant, Roane State will work to enable more Tennessee Promise students to earn a post-secondary credential, a press release said.

“Across our state’s community colleges, great work is being done to ensure that the students who begin college with the Tennessee Promise go on to earn a credential,” said Mike Krause, executive director of Tennessee Higher Education Commission, or THEC. “Tennessee Promise Forward grants provide community colleges with the opportunity to expand successful programs and develop innovative student supports. From parent engagement pilots to service learning, THEC is excited to see the impact that this year’s Tennessee Promise Forward grants have on student success.” [Read more…]

More than 400 attended Taste of Anderson County

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eighth-annual-taste-of-anderson-county

A file photo showing a previous Taste of Anderson County in Jackson Square. (Photo courtesy United Way of Anderson County/Taste of Anderson County)

 

More than 400 people attended the Ninth Annual Taste of Anderson County in Jackson Square the last week of September.

“Thanks to the volunteers, vendors, sponsors, and over 400 attendees, the event was a great success!” a press release said. “The whole evening was full of food, fun, and friends.”

This year, 11 restaurants from around Anderson County showcased some of their most delicious treats and eats, the press release said. Among them were Aubrey’s, Burchfield’s, Centennial Golf Course, Hot Bagel Company, Panda Express, Pizza Inn, Razzleberry’s Cafe, Riverview Grill, Smoothie Patch, and The Soup Kitchen.

McAlister’s, McDonald’s, Kroger Marketplace, and Panera donated the tea and lemonade at the event, the press release said. [Read more…]

ORAU Annual Giving Campaign exceeds $100,000 for 10th year in a row

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Part of the ORAU campus in central Oak Ridge is pictured above on May 29, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

Part of the ORAU campus in central Oak Ridge is pictured above on May 29, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

$1 million raised in past 10 years benefits United Way and Community Shares

For the 10th consecutive year, ORAU exceeded its goal of raising $100,000 in donations as part of its internal annual giving campaign that benefits the United Way and Community Shares, making total donations more than $1 million for the timeframe.

As part of the 2017 ORAU Annual Giving Campaign, a total of $117,604.41 was pledged. Employees donate via payroll deduction and could earmark their donation for United Way, Community Shares, or both nonprofit organizations, a press release said. [Read more…]

Be ready for Reconnect: Get help filing your FAFSA at Roane State’s Oak Ridge campus Oct. 16

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Thanks to the Tennessee Reconnect Act, eligible adults can complete two years at Roane State Community College tuition-free beginning in fall 2018.

The first step, though, is to file a 2018-19 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Roane State’s financial aid staff will host special events to help you complete your 2018-19 FAFSA.

The FAFSA event at Roane State’s Oak Ridge campus, which is at 701 Briarcliff Avenue, will be held on Monday, October 16, from 5-7 p.m. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Schools ACT scores exceed state goals

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Oak Ridge Schools have announced that students are again performing well above the state average on the ACT in all areas.

In the 2016-2017 school year, the overall average composite was a 22.8. Oak Ridge students particularly excel in English on the ACT exam, at which Oak Ridge students score about 20 percent higher than the state average, a press release said.

In addition, more than 65 percent of Oak Ridge students score at or above a 21 on their average composite, as compared to the state average of 42 percent. [Read more…]