The HCC Theater Department presented “Jesus Hopped the A Train,” a play by Stephen Adly Guirgis, about religion, race, and redemption at New York City’s infamous Rikers Island prison for three nights (and one matinee) in November. The show marked a return to the stage for HCC’s theater program after one cancelled season and two subsequent semesters of virtual, live-streamed performances due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
HCC student Miguel Perez (as sadistic guard Valdez) torments inmate Lucius Jenkins, played by student Richard Parris Scott.
Many Happy Returns
Neighborhood children got more than their fill of sweet treats at HCC on Oct. 29. The college’s annual pre-Halloween ‘Trunk or Treat” event gave them plenty of eye candy as well, as nearly 40 HCC clubs, departments, programs, area businesses and community groups decorated vehicles with Halloween-themed displays. Organizers estimated that some 2,000 to 3,000 children – plus parents – attended the two-hour celebration. “Clearly, the event was a hit!” said organizer Sheila Gould, director of HCC’s Early Childhood Education program. “We were thrilled to be able to offer this popular community event again after missing last year.”
HCC’s Veterinary Technician program offered a creepy take on their field of study.
In the Gallery
HCC’s Taber Art Gallery welcomed an exhibition of paintings and drawings by Northampton artist Anna Bayles Arthur titled “Cosmology of the Body” during the fall semester. While the gallery had been closed since March 2020, it did over the following months showcase the work of HCC’s visual arts students and faculty in a series of online collections. “Like much of the rest of the world, our steps back into sharing a physical space are cautious and considerate,” said gallery director Amy Johnquest. “Online exhibitions are a fine alternative when forced to stay in, but there is nothing like seeing the art in person.” For spring 2022, the gallery is hosting artwork by retired HCC professor Frank Cressotti, followed by a memorial exhibition honoring the late HCC professor Alix Hegeler, who specialized in printmaking.
HCC professor Frank Cressotti installs pieces from his exhibit, “Pages: Paintings on Newspaper” in the Taber Art Gallery.
Tournament Delivers
The 34th annual HCC Foundation Golf Classic raised nearly $50,000 for student scholarships at HCC.
The HCC Foundation welcomed 90 golfers to Springfield Country Club Sept. 13 for the annual fundraising tournament, which resumed last fall after the 2020 event was cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns. “The return of the HCC Foundation golf tournament was definitely one of the highlights of 2021,” said Amanda Sbriscia, HCC vice president of Institutional Advancement and executive director of the HCC Foundation. “We had a picture-perfect day at a gorgeous golf course, where we were able to gather in support of HCC students. Connecting in person with our alumni, local business leaders and friends was such a joy, and we are truly grateful for our community’s generosity.”
A golfer lobs a shot onto the green during the annual HCC tournament.
Market Initiative
For HCC students who rely on public transportation to get around, food shopping can often be an onerous and expensive chore. For many, food shopping has gotten much easier since the opening of Homestead Market, HCC’s on-campus convenience store, which the college celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Nov. 4. The store is a collaboration between the college, Aramark Dining Services, and the Thrive Student Resource Center, which operates the college’s food pantry. The Homestead Market is now the first campus store at any public college or university in Massachusetts to accept federal food subsidies. The initiative started in 2018, led by HCC’s Student Senate. “Our own student leaders identified this as a priority for themselves and their peers,” said President Christina Royal.
HCC student Luis Pinto-Jimenez picks up some refreshments at HCC’s Homestead Market.
Bookmarked
Third-graders at Kelly Elementary School cheered in October for the opening of their new Little Free Library, a community project developed by students from HCC’s Latinx Empowerment Association. The library kiosk is mounted just outside the main entrance to the Holyoke school, where students gathered with their teachers and others to mark its debut. The project was led by HCC alum Alexandra Santiago ‘21, former co-president of the LEA club, and Miren Neyra Alcántara, the current president, who organized a book drive last year to build a library collection. “As a resident of the Holyoke Flats, I believe that children who live here don’t have enough access to books that represent them and their experience,” said Santiago, who is now studying at Westfield State University. They hope to install more.
A third-grader from Kelly Elementary School holds up a book she selected.
¡Sí, se puede!
AAs part of HCC’s 75th anniversary celebration, the HCC Foundation allocated $75,000 to create a new Latinx Scholarship Fund. During this inaugural year, scholarships worth $50,000 were distributed to 20 eligible Latinx students, with the remaining $25,000 set aside in an endowed fund for future years. This year’s recipients were celebrated in August at a reception in the HCC Campus Center. “As a Hispanic Serving Institution, we are honored that you have chosen Holyoke Community College,” said Elsie Rodriguez-Garcia, director of HCC’s TRIO Student Support Services and chair of the college’s Hispanic Leadership Committee. “We want you to be educated, inspired and connected as you continue your studies by exploring and expressing your Latinidad.”
Scholarship awardee Jamil Roman and his mother Mabeline Burgos.
