February 2008: Visit England, Ireland and Wales on NCCC tour

If visiting England, Ireland and Wales has taken a back seat to getting a college degree, now you can earn college credit by taking North Country Community College’s HUM-124 and -126 International Travel classes.

The tour will run 9 days, from January 5 through 13, 2009, and cover the three countries with Education First (EF) Tours, members of NCCC’s student body and area residents. The travelling student will experience new (and old) architecture, cultural diversity and much more – but best of all, your college or life resume will be expanded.

Stacey Mascia, NCCC’s Assistant Professor of English and Humanities Coordinator says, “The EF Tour Group has been very beneficial in terms of educational, cultural, and international growth for students.”

Included in the trip will be an EF tour-guide, NCCC group leader, an all-inclusive travel package (including airfare) and memories for a lifetime. [Not included are extra tour extensions, some meals, transport to the airport -- and the dates and actual locations are subject to change.] If this trip sounds interesting to you, contact Stacey Mascia at smascia@nccc.edu.

February 2008: North Country students contribute to and enjoy Saranac Lake’s 111^th Winter Carnival

Winter Carnival Princess Becky Strack (shown in blue cape) ...

 was elected by the NCCC student body to serve on the Saranac Lake Winter Carnival Court. After participating in the Grand Coronation, she had the pleasure of attending a variety of family-oriented activities including innertube races at Mt. Pisgah, an ice skating show, and of course, the Parade.

North Country students volunteered...

 their time to build the Hooray for Hollywood theme float and participate in the parade. Cold temperatures and snow didn’t stop the NCCC students or the thousands of parade viewers who cheered them on.

Members of the North Country Men’s Hockey Team …

 were on hand to celebrate the fireworks display over the Ice Palace that marked the conclusion of Winter Carnival week. They described the fireworks show as “spectacular” and posed on the Ice Palace throne to capture the moment. 

January 2008:From the clouds to the beaches -- NCCC students travel to Costa Rica

Between January 3 and 11 of this year, three North Country Community College students and two faculty advisors  -- Chelsie Geesler, Ashleigh Macey, Kathryn Thomas, Daniel Heims, Stacey Mascia respectively  -- went to Costa Rica as part of an international travel class. The group (along with students from Concord University of West Virginia) spent nine days traveling around Costa Rica to learn more about the culture, ecology, biodiversity, and conservation efforts of this amazing country. 

This was a non-stop trip where the group saw the capital and Costa Rica’s largest city, San Josè, as well as smaller towns and villages, active and inactive volcanoes, river rafted the Sarapiqui River in a rain forest region, walked and zip-lined through the Santa Elena Cloud Forest, and experienced a grueling hike through Manuel Antonio National Park.

Several species of animals such as Howler and White Faced Monkeys, iguanas, crocodiles and caiman alligators, Scarlet Macaws, White Faced Coati --to name a few -- were often seen on hikes and drives. 

Later as a part of the conservation effort the students participated in a “tree planting” of native tree species as a part of a secondary growth effort at the Santa Elena High School.

This is the second year running an educational trip through the NCCC Humanities Department wherein the travelers go to a different country, and is designed to vary slightly in what the students gain. Labeled as a cultural, ecological, and conservation trip, these journeys provide students the opportunity to visit and travel in another country while experiencing its unique cultural heritage, historical sites, and ecological aspects of the country and its language. 

January 2008: Get OUT … with the 2008 Adventure Education Series!

SARANAC LAKE -- North Country Community College’s Center for Lifelong Learning, in conjunction with the Wilderness Recreation Leadership degree program, will be sponsoring a new Adventure Education Series in 2008.  Community members are invited to participate in a wide variety of outdoor courses that introduce beginners to essential outdoor skills or allow experienced adventurers to learn new skills or brush up on forgotten skills.  From backcountry cooking, wilderness medicine and winter survival to teambuilding, GPS and Canoe Safety, the Adventure Education Series strives to provide quality outdoor instruction and personal growth opportunities for community members of all ages and interests. 

December 2007: A successful Holiday Toy Drive on the SL North Country campus

SARANAC LAKE – Between December 10 and 14 the Saranac Lake campus of North Country Community College Student Government Association and the NCCC Association Massage Therapy Club joined forces to collect toys for the Saranac Lake Holiday Helpers.

North Country’s Assistant Director of Campus and Student Life, Daniel Heims, noted that, “Our students, faculty and staff generously contributed to our efforts and helped us to have a successful toy drive. We would like to thank everyone who participated in this event. This is an opportunity for us to give back to the community in a positive way.”

Heims added that boxes were set out all over the North Country campus to collect donations in order “to do our part in making sure that everyone’s holidays can become a reality,” said Heims.

Four boxes of toys were collected, and the Massage Therapy Club made a monetary donation to the Saranac Lake Holiday Helpers. The North Country participants “really opened their hearts in the spirit of giving,” said Heims.

North Country Community College is always very happy to join Holiday Helpers in this joyful annual event. 

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