Author: Leah Johnston

Campus

Del Mar, community mourn loss of Hector ‘Coach’ Salinas

Leah Johnston

DMC Regent, lifelong educator was 76 Del Mar College Regent Hector Salinas died Friday morning, college President Mark Escamilla confirmed. He was 76. Salinas was elected to an at-large seat on the Board of Regents in 2018 and his term would have run through 2024. He previously served on the Corpus Christi Independent School District Board of Trustees. “Our community was a better place with the passion and dedication to education that Regent Salinas demonstrated,” Escamilla said in a campus-wide email. “His wisdom, leadership and caring nature will be dearly missed by the Del Mar College family.” Salinas was a…

Campus

Counseling center ready to help as finals approach

Leah Johnston

Students offered free services, self-help resources The end of the semester and finals are quickly approaching, making it a stressful time for most students. Fortunately, the Del Mar Counseling Center is here to help. The DMC counseling center offers several free services and self-help resources that students and faculty can take advantage of. They offer individual, couples and group counseling as well as student, faculty or staff consultations. Jessica Edwards, one of five Del Mar College counselors, believes their Virtual Wellness To-Go workshops will appeal to DMC students the most. “They are 30-minute virtual workshops designed to help students improve…

Community, Health

EMT students help vaccinate community members

Leah Johnston

Volunteers assist at clinics throughout county Del Mar College’s Emergency Medical Technician program has played a key role in helping Nueces County residents get vaccinated. Students in the program began assisting the Corpus Christi Fire Department in January with mass administrations of the vaccine. Since then, EMT students have assisted wherever they are needed. They have helped deliver vaccines to homebound seniors and assisted with vaccine clinics at Driscoll Children’s hospital. “At one point there were students vaccinating every day,” said Cooper Woodard, an EMT student and Corpus Christi Fire Department cadet. “The pace has slowed down to a couple…

Campus

Fire cadets perform burn drill

Leah Johnston

Del Mar College fire science students had a live burn exercise on March 17. The 16 cadets wore full protective gear and went into the four-story drill tower. This was their second training exercise of the week, with another planned for March 24. The students are set to graduate in Spring of 2021. PHOTOS BY LEAH JOHNSTON/FOGHORN NEWS

Campus, Education

Nursing program taking applications for bachelor program

Leah Johnston

First class set to begin in fall The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is now accepting applications. Del Mar’s first bachelor program is a post-licensure track, meaning the students are already practicing nurses. The RN to BSN program expands on areas such as nursing informatics, community nursing, beginning research, and leadership and management. The first cohort begins in fall 2021 and will graduate in summer 2022. The cohort will have 30 students with plans for the number to increase annually. The preparation for the BSN began years ago when faculty began attaining higher levels of education so they could…

Campus

College to kick off Black History Month celebrations

Leah Johnston

Del Mar College’s Student Leadership & Campus Life will be celebrating Black History Month with a different event each week in February. This week’s event will be at 4 p.m. Feb. 4 and feature guest speaker Jodi Merriday, a Title IX and multiculturalism subject matter expert, speaker and facilitator. Merriday will speak about trending topics on diversity as part of her series, “What’s In It For Me?” All events will be conducted virtually via Zoom. The meeting links will be sent out the week of each event to students’ Del Mar email addresses. Student Leadership & Campus Life encourages all…

Campus, Food

Campus Dining reopens with limited menu

Leah Johnston

‘We are taking all the necessary precautions,’ manager says After being closed for nearly a year because of COVID-19, Campus Dining has reopened — with a limited menu and a side of social distancing. “We are taking all the necessary precautions to maintain a clean and healthy environment,” said Eliza Olvera, food service manager. “We have limited the amount of occupancy in the ordering area.” Other safety measures include spraying down the counters and machines during the day and requiring staff and guests to wear masks. Hand sanitizer is available at the Campus Dining entrance. Due to low guest count,…

Campus, Education

Stone Writing Center available during break

Leah Johnston

Help offered over Canvas, even on Thanksgiving Day The Stone Writing Center is giving students a reason to be thankful. The center will be available throughout the entire Thanksgiving break, from Nov. 25-29.  The SWC will have some consultants working on Thanksgiving Day and they will also be available the Friday after Thanksgiving.  Physical locations are currently closed but students can access the center remotely via Canvas. The Canvas course is available to all students at all times throughout the day.  According to Laurie Jones, of the Stone Writing Center, many consultants are available throughout the day and into the…

Campus, Education

Southside Campus construction on track

Leah Johnston

Facility expected to be finished in 2022 Construction of the Southside Campus is still underway and on track despite a year filled with hurricanes and a pandemic.  Del Mar College’s new campus features three areas of study known as the Centers for Excellence. These include architecture and drafting technology, biosciences, and hospitality and culinary arts.  In 2013, the Board of Regents approved a $6 million purchase of 96 acres of land for the new campus, located at the intersection of Yorktown Boulevard and Rodd Field Road. Taxpayers in 2016 approved a $139 million bond to begin construction of the campus. …

Campus, Education

Nursing program set to offer bachelor’s degree

Leah Johnston

Application period to open in February Del Mar College is now offering a bachelor’s degree program. Nursing students soon will be able to complete their training at Del Mar and earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Students are expected to start in fall 2021 and graduate in summer 2022. The application period will open Feb. 14, 2021, and close in late April.   Being able to offer the degree was a longtime goal for the college, according to President Mark Escamilla.  “Preparation began years and years ago when current faculty began attaining higher levels of educational experience,” Escamilla said. “There…