Author: Ashlee Burns

Campus

Beto O’Rourke visits Del Mar College

Ashlee Burns

Congressman Beto O’Rourke, along with Congressman Joe Kennedy III, visited Richardson Performance Hall to speak to local voters about his campaign for Senate. The Oct. 13 event, just one stop on a road trip across Texas, was part of a campaign funded by individual contributors rather than PACs. Skateboarding onto the stage, O’Rourke shared his views on immigration, healthcare, education, gun safety and women’s health. Many of the supporters who follow the Beto for Texas campaign are first-time voters. Although it’s his sixth time visiting Corpus Christi, O’Rourke says he will be coming back. “We’re in the home stretch of…

Campus

Vocal Vikings to compete

Ashlee Burns

Since 1996, Del Mar College’s Vocal Viking Forensics team has provided an opportunity for any student to compete in speech activities at the collegiate level. Forensics, not to be confused with criminal investigation, is an activity intended to help students improve their public communication skills through competition. Although competition is an important aspect, the team believes the experience and growth of the team members is more important than the trophies. “I am competitive and I love to get trophies, but I also value the experience,” speech instructor Sarah Contreras said. “You don’t have to come in with past experience. You…

Campus, Community, Health

How to train your mind

Ashlee Burns

Counseling Center helping with Mental Health First-Aid Following previous campaigns to increase suicide prevention and mental health awareness on campus and in the community, Del Mar’s Counseling Center plans to provide mental health awareness training to student groups, faculty and staff. Counselor Johanna Torres hopes the training will help decrease the stigma surrounding mental health. “We want to inform the community about mental health and how common it is,” Torres said. “The more you know about it the less stigmatized it is.” The sessions will take place on the first Friday of every month beginning in September. Sessions will be…

Campus

Counseling Center planning expansion

Ashlee Burns

Ashlee Burns After helping more than 4,000 students in the past year, the Counseling Center hopes to do even more to address students’ growing needs this year. The department has seen a 40 percent increase in use by students and will be expanding the West Campus counseling office into a full functioning Counseling Center. The center will be located in Health Science Building 1, Room 262, and is expected to be completed by the first day of the fall semester. “The purpose of all of our programs is prevention and to meet the needs of as many students as possible,”…

Campus

Kids build, race robots at engineering camp

Ashlee Burns

Ashlee Burns After spending seven weeks preparing, Shiyeon Kim, along with 64 other young geniuses, was finally ready to race robots. Del Mar College’s Corpus Christi Prefreshman Engineering Program summer camp provided sixth- through ninth-graders with the opportunity to get a head start in science and mathematics, with curriculum emphasizing work in computer science and engineering. “It’s very hands on, which is great,” said Shiyeon, a 10th grade Ray High School student. The camp was free to participants thanks to donations by Flint Hills Resources, which presented a $51,000 robot-shaped check to the program on July 18 at the West…