Category: Campus

Professor and reference librarian Alan Berecka has recently published a collection of poetry called “A Living is Not a Life: A Working Title,” adding to his growing list of works. Berecka, born in Utica, New York, in 1959, spent most of his childhood in neighboring Stittville. After graduating high school, he attended the University of Dallas where he earned his bachelor’s degree in literature. Berecka then attended graduate school at the University of North Texas where he earned his master’s in interdisciplinary studies. While at North Texas, Berecka received encouragement to publish his works from professors Les Palmer and Del…

This year’s Circle of Pride winner is Lisa Leal-Garcia. The Student Engagement and Retention coordinator was nominated based on her hard work especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This award is given to an employee who went above and beyond in their responsibilities and job-related duties. “I am humbled and surprised to receive the Circle of Pride Award,” Leal-Garcia said. “It is so nice to be recognized by my peers for my efforts on campus.” Leal-Garcia’s role as coordinator of Student Engagement and Retention involves working on student conduct cases. Leal-Garcia works with students with possible conduct violations to make sure…

More students seeking assistance from Viking Food Pantry this semester  The Viking Food Pantry is on pace to distribute over 20,000 pounds of food this semester to Del Mar students, according to its director. In its first year of operation in 2019, the pantry only served 15 students but that changed once Travis Collingsworth, a social work major at Texas &M University–Kingsville and DMC alumnus, came to the program. “They didn’t have a full-time pantry person,” Collingsworth said. “As soon as I got here, we had a 200 to 300% increase. We were serving 60 to 80 students a month…

Previous drug convictions will no longer mean students are ineligible  Changes have been made to the latest version of Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.  The Department of Education released the first phased update on Oct. 1. There will continue to be smaller changes in the near future but for now the Department of Education has decided to take a phased approach. “The Department of Education is always looking for ways to make it easier for students to complete FAFSA,” said Joseph Ruiz, director of Financial Aid Services.  The Department of Education reduced the number of questions and…

Board of Regents also hears about plans for new police department building  The Board of Regents learned of the latest enrollments numbers at its Oct. 5 meeting. There are 10,401 students registered this fall, down 2.3 percent from fall 2020, which had 10,678 students. One likely cause of the drop, officials said, is that the fall 2021 semester began at the height of the COVID-19 delta variant.  Even though the number of students was down the college credit hours were up 4.6% from last fall, enrollment figured showed. “It’s significant to point out that contact hours are up from fall…

The Student Government Association and Coastal Bend Wellness Foundation will present a virtual event to give students an opportunity to obtain more information on the LGBTQIA+ community. DMC students and faculty are invited to tune into a three-hour Safe Zone training program course that will result in certification. The virtual event will be at 2 p.m. Oct. 19 and at 10 a.m. Oct. 22 via Microsoft Teams. Students only need to attend one of the meetings. Students and faculty will receive e-mails, which will include a link to access the free event. The SGA plans to raise awareness for the…

Del Mar offers gift cards worth $200 for students who get COVID-19 vaccine Del Mar has announced an incentive program aimed at getting students, faculty and staff vaccinated. The Viking Two-Step program is an effort to encourage students and employees at DMC to help stop the spread of COVID-19 by becoming fully vaccinated, said Michael Bratten, communication manager for Del Mars College Relations Office. The program also encourages mask wearing. “Those who voluntarily participate in the incentive program can receive a $200 H-E-B gift card if you’re a student and a $200 incentive payment if you’re an employee,” Bratten said.…