Newsletter Archive

The approval has been given, the plans are in place, and all that’s left to finalize is the location before a new Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Live & Learn Greenhouse will be up and running later this year. The exciting news is the culmination of a lot of hard work by the Phi Theta Kappa Greenhouse team, led by current Greenhouse Manager Vanessa Hanger and PTK Advisor Bonnie Coleman.

The current PTK Live & Learn Greenhouse was opened July 2017 with a mission to renew connections between people and the natural environment, create a resource of healthy, nutrient-rich food for the Quinsigamond Community College community, and provide an educational resource for students, faculty, staff, and children. Located in a former bus shelter, the greenhouse has been busting at its seams with produce that has been donated to QCC’s Food Pantry & Resource Center. 

The new greenhouse will be three times the size of the current greenhouse, according to Ms. Coleman. It will have a sloped roof that has extra wide roof vents, allowing for proper ventilation. This will give the college the ability to grow a lot more produce for the food pantry.

“The current greenhouse has issues with humidity and temperature, since it was a repurposed bus stop. This is an actual greenhouse that will regulate humidity and temperature, which is vital to help things grow,” said Ms. Hanger. “We are thankful to President  Luis Pedraja and the college community for supporting this endeavor.”

Once a site is chosen for the new greenhouse, a foundation will be made and prep work will be done before the greenhouse can be installed. The plan is to also have a meditation garden in front of the new greenhouse that will hopefully be a new location for the mindful meditation sessions during the milder weather.

“We will still use our old greenhouse to start our seeds ideally; then the new greenhouse will accommodate our larger plants, as well as hopefully the meditation garden,” Ms. Hanger said.

PTK is running a greenhouse sale on Thursday, May 2, Friday, May 3, after 2:00 p.m. and Monday May 6 - Friday, May 10, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.outside the patio area between the Administration Building and the Quest Center. Annuals and hangers will be available for purchase. Prices range from $3.75 - $32 (hangers).

“We are working with Matt Olson (former PTK member from another chapter) of Olson’s Gardenhouses, who will be selling us plants at whole sale prices. Any money we raise will go toward the new greenhouse,” Ms. Coleman said. “These are great plants and we hope everyone will decide to buy their plantings from us.”

While Ms. Hanger has been working tirelessly with other PTK greenhouse team members on making the new greenhouse a reality, she will be handing over the reins as greenhouse manger to incoming PTK student Aglae “Aggie” Blanco.

“The new greenhouse is an exciting project for our QCC campus for many reasons. An adequately equipped, full-size greenhouse would shower our community with benefits. From strengthening the connection between inner-city culture with environmental awareness, giving a variety of people around campus an opportunity for community involvement, to sending our locally-grown produce to the food pantry, there is so much this greenhouse can offer,” Ms. Blanco said.

According to both Ms. Hanger and Ms. Blanco, volunteers are always needed and are the backbone of the making the greenhouse what it is today.

“Involvement in the greenhouse can be an inspiration to live a healthy and nutritious lifestyle, as well as a friendly environment for interacting with fellow students who we might not have had the chance to otherwise meet,” Ms. Blanco said. “Building connections through meaningful work can end up turning into the some of the strongest bonds we'll hold onto, which in turn encourages the retention of students and therefore the growth of our alumni community. I am very honored and pleased to be a part of such a purposeful project in which our students themselves can reap the benefits they worked hard for!”

Sci-fi movies are following the advances of real world technology at a startling rate. Today’s Marvel super heroes have evolved from using electricity to using light as a source of power. In fact, the latest super hero Captain Marvel, can be seen shooting photonic blasts from her fingers in the current sci-fi adventure. This technology is nothing new to Quinsigamond Community College’s own super hero, Jacob Longacre, associate professor of Electronics Engineering Technology.

Mr. Longacre has taken his background in optics with the Navy and entrepreneurship in the toy industry, to new heights, and while he may not have the power of flight, super-strength or the photonic blasts of Captain Marvel, what he does possess is even more valuable, the power of educating students about the latest advances in photonics.

Photonics technology has become prevalent in almost every aspect of day-to-day life and the advances in the technology are growing at a rapid rate, with professors such as Mr. Longacre leading the crusade to help build that knowledge base for the next generation of workers. For the last five years the professor has been demystifying science and mathematics for community college students; after having been enticed to come to the college when it started a photonics program. QCC currently offers an associate degree and certificate in photonics.

“Optics and photonics are incredibly exciting and doing it on a tech level, where you are introducing a whole new area to students that you can link back to other areas (electronics, manufacturing and application work), to me is really exciting,” Mr. Longacre said.

A Visionary Culture

At QCC, the students learn about photonics through the lens of their professor’s past experiences that included a goal of working in nuclear fusion after earning his Bachelor of Science in Physics from Muhlenberg College. However, after starting work on his masters’ in nuclear fusion at the University of Michigan, he quickly decided it was not for him.

“I realized this would be all research and I just didn’t want to do that,” he said.

He changed gears, earning Master of Science degrees in Nuclear Engineering and Electronics at Michigan before beginning a career with the U.S. Navy, working on underwater lasers. In the Navy, he did studies of optical properties on snow and ice, working in such barren and arctic regions as Point Barrow, Alaska and Resolute, Canada. He said it was this type of hands-on, technical research that he truly enjoyed. He even got his name on a few patents; however, as time went on his job with the Navy changed.

“It became more managerial and less technical. They had me get my MBA (at Cornell University),” he said, adding that while useful, it wasn’t the career path he wanted.

Eventually the lure of the technical side became too much and he decided to leave the government and follow what had become his passion when he wasn’t working…developing toys.

“It was a hobby at first. I created toy cars and planes in my own style,” he said.

His entrepreneurial designs paid off and eventually a company asked him to help redesign a toy airplane, which began a 10-year career in the toy industry, working with several companies and developing innovative toy submarines, cars and airplanes. He helped create some of the first mass-marketed backyard radio-controlled airplanes, and developed an air powered toy submarine.

Throughout his career, learning has always been front and center and so, when an opportunity presented itself in academia, he jumped at the chance.

“I had always liked teaching and so I applied and got the offer to come here to QCC. I wanted to come here to teach and also to learn,” he said. “Getting the chance to hopefully have an impact on students is what’s kept me learning at QCC. I love working to find ways to express this to such a broad range of students.”

The diversity that community colleges have in its student body is one of the challenges that truly excites Mr. Longacre. The large disparity between students who may have strong educational backgrounds, or those who don’t have much experience in a formal education background is particularly challenging, and rewarding. In fact, he said some of his greatest achievements are when a student has that “aha” moment and understands the concepts he is teaching. He has seen it time and again when students recognize the cell phones they are carrying use different optical processes in order to operate. Photonics at work!

“At bigger four-year institutions students have lots more confidence. Part of the job here at a community college is to get students to realize how much potential they have. They come here for two years and they realize they can do whatever they want to do,” he said, adding that his students have gone on to immediately enter the workforce with lucrative careers, or have continued their education at top four-year universities.

The power of working together

Mr. Longacre has been instrumental in helping to propel students and businesses forward, which is why he has become an important component in the new AIM Photonics Academy Lab for Education & Application Prototypes (LEAP) facility, developed as a collaboration between AIM Photonics, AIM Academy, QCC, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), the Mass Tech Collaborative through the Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2), and the Department of Defense. 

“We have a very broad spectrum of students and that is where we come into this, as a gateway to people, students and industry who are not fully cognizant of how this (photonics) works,” he said. “We want to broaden the awareness of this technology to other areas.”

A collaborative lecture was recently held with Mr. Longacre’s Photonics Technology class and WPI Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Yxiang “Shawn” Liu. Most of the students in Mr. Longacre’s class are already working in some aspect of the optical technology field, which added a unique perspective to the lecture.

“WPI brings more of the research and development perspective, while we (QCC) bring more of a ‘how can this be practically applied on the manufacturing floor,’ perspective,” Mr. Longacre said. “This collaboration is looking at how integrated photonics can be applied in the future workforce. We are identifying ways to support emerging technologies from research through production with this work. This is the future and QCC is front and center.”

Often mere words, spoken with intention can make the most impact. While the words of William Shakespeare were written well over 400 years ago, they still resonate today. The recent school play, “Shakespeare on a Bench,” held April 10 – 14, gave testament to that with a series of segments from Shakespeare’s sonnets, and a variety of Shakespeare’s plays, which drew rave reviews from all who attended.

Directed by Kelly Stowell and Assistant Director Amber Charest, the production was the culmination of a lot of hard work and dedication of both cast and crew, made up of both current and former QCC students. The cast was a mix of both veteran and beginner actors that included:

• Ari Strout
• George Baraklilis
• Daniel Warner
• Vidalyssi Nuñez
• Tris Sackman
• Genesis Sanchez
• Letty Ramirez
• Anye Ngwaah
• Mike Daniel
• Amber Charest
• Melesia Swanston-Alonzo
• David Rodriguez
• Lex Guertin
• Nate Wilson

This production was also entered in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF). This national theater education program identifies and promotes quality in college-level theater production. Productions entered on the participating level are eligible for invitation to the KCACTF regional festival, and may also be considered for national awards recognizing outstanding achievement in production, design, direction and performance.

Last year more than 1,300 productions were entered in the KCACTF involving more than 200,000 students nationwide. By entering this production, QCC’s theater department is sharing in the KCACTF goals to recognize, reward, and celebrate the exemplary work produced in college and university theaters across the nation.

Celebrating and honoring our differences was the premise behind the April 17, Diversity Day 2019. Funded by The Diversity Caucus & Student Life Office, the daylong event featured a celebration of peace and diversity through the arts, culture and literacy. The event began with a Peace Ceremony at the campus peace pole in the Athletic Center, where different groups of people came together for a ribbon tying to celebrate living together in peace. A cultural food festival, complete with entertainment was held after the ceremony.

The alpacas from Angel Hair Farm (always a hit when they visit campus) were in front of the Athletic Center to greet people as they went into the festival. Twice a year these friendly faces stop by the college to bring joy and happiness to students, faculty and staff.

The festival featured food from around the globe thanks to donations by:

• Niko's House of Pizza
• Sake Bomb Bistro
• Live, Love, Nutrients
• Wraps & Bowls
• Brisas Restaurant
• Kabab & Tandoor Grill
• Stop & Shop
• Corporate Chefs
• Fatima's Cafe
• Nola Cajun Kitchen
• Bushel & Peck
• Cafe Reyes
• Polar Beverages

This year’s Diversity Day also featured music, dance, entertainment and merriment from community groups and over 25 QCC clubs. Area mascots, "Paws" & "Sox" from the Pawtucket Red Sox, along with Worcester Railers mascot, “Trax” greeted those in attendance, while dancers from Ritmos Academy performed. Other performances included the QCC Music Club/Music Ensemble; the South East Asian Coalition Imperial Lion Dance Team, who performed a dragon dance to the beat of drums and Salome Strange, who performed, "This is Me,”  from the Greatest Showman. 

Other Community Sponsorships and attendees included:

• Worcester / Boston  = Cumulus Radio Station  104-5 XLO
• QCC Alumni Association &  Mentoring for Perkins Programs
• Worcester’s football team, the Massachusetts Pirates,
• Texas Road House, Lincoln Street, Worcester
• Worcester-based Drag Queen Worcester Youth Pride & Worcester Pride
• City of Worcester Cultural Development Division
• Worcester Cultural Coalition
• Worcester PopUp public
• Harr, Berryl "Bev" Pettiford & Drink Donations
• USA , Air Force, SSgt. Isata Tucker  
• TTLB Mirror Me Photo
• Maurice Horton, QCC  Man's Basketball Alumni 

The saying, “build it and they will come” is a familiar one to QCC’s Career Services department.  For the past 10 years the college has hosted job fair and the employers have come. This year’s Spring Job Fair brought in 25 companies from the New England area to meet with QCC students, who stopped by during the three-hour event to drop off their resumes and network with the companies. One company new to QCC’s Job Fair, Pratt Whitney, came all the way from North Berwick, Maine. The company produces aerospace engine parts at the North Berwick facility and is the largest manufacturing facility in Maine. It has locations in Arkansas Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, as well as overseas in Greece, Turkey, China and Singapore.

Pratt Whitney’s Human Resources Client Manager Maggie Miller said there was a lot of interest from students who attended the fair.

“We have many full-time positions in different plants. It is good to get the word out to students and teach them what’s out there,” she said, adding that the company plans to come back to QCC for its next job fair.

Another first-time company to the job fair was Citizens Bank. Shrewsbury Branch Manager Linda Podmostka said the bank was currently only looking for full-time employees.

“We had a lot of students looking for part-time hours, but we did have four potential candidates interested in full-time,” she said. “I’m happy we came here today and I would like to come back.”

One of the familiar faces at the job fair was Wakefly, Inc.. The digital marketing and web development agency has hired QCC grads over the years. The company was on-hand looking for qualified employees to fill a variety of positions that include a junior web developer, web development intern, digital marketing intern and sales intern.

“We have seen a few people of interest,” said QCC alumnus Zack Berridge. Mr. Berridge graduated from QCC in 2016 and began working at Wakefly as a web developer.

Other companies at the job fair included:

• BB&T Recruiting & Talent Acquisition (Insurance Division)
• Big Y Foods
• BNY Mellon
• Bravo Technical Services
• Coghlin Companies
• Continental Pools
• Department of Youth Services
• Esler Companies (Renewal by Anderson)
• FedEX Ground
• Phoenix Marketing & Advertising
• Randstad at Hanover Insurance
• Resourcesoft Inc.
• ScrubaDub Auto Wash
• Securitas
• Spectrum
• Taco Bell
• Technical Needs
• The Center for Autism & Related Disorders
• The Home Depot
• Valet Park of America
• Wegmans Food Markets
• Westaff

Quinsigamond Community College “high fived” its way in making the dream of higher education a reality for more people. On National High Five Day (April 18), donations made to the QCC Foundation in increments of $5 were matched dollar for dollar. The daylong event raised a total of $2,000, which was doubled to $4,000.

All gifts on High Five Day went into the QCC Foundation lifelong scholarship fund, to help more students attain their dream of attending college. This one-day of matched giving was designed to make charitable donations go further. The lifelong scholarship fund is placed in the endowment and held in perpetuity, with 50% of the net income awarded to students annually. Endowments help to guarantee a financial future for QCC's mission of educating students and is an important source for scholarships at a time when less than 30% of QCC's budget is funded by state appropriations.

“In honor of High Five Day, we asked all QCC alumni to celebrate the day by giving a ‘high five and $5’ to support the QCC Foundation’s efforts to bring affordable, quality education to everyone in our community,” said QCC’s Executive Director of Advancement, Karen Rucks. “Thanks to all who donated.”

For more information or to learn how you can still donate, visit QCC Foundation.

Human service jobs provide a service to society. They are often those positions that make a true life-altering difference in a person’s life. On April 9, the college hosted its annual Human Services Fair to help support its human services program.The fair drew representatives from over 25 human service agencies across the region, who discussed both intern and job opportunities with QCC students.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our human service students, and other QCC students, to interact with agencies,” said Professor of Human Services Jean Kennedy. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for our students to network and understand the kinds of service delivery we have in Worcester. Worcester has an amazing amount of non-profit agencies.”

Ms. Kennedy said that while the human service industry is “really large,” the need is great. She said the fair allows not only the students, but also the agencies to become familiar with the college and all it has to offer.

“I think it is a win-win for both the college and the industry,” she continued, noting that “there are direct care workers who don’t have a college degree and they can think about coming here and getting their credentialing. It’s a nice feeder for both.”

One of the agencies represented at the fair was LUK Inc. LUK is a not-for-profit social service agency located in central Massachusetts dedicated to improving the lives of youth and their families. Hilary Amedy, Coordinator for the agency’s youth mentoring program (ages 6-17) was on hand at the fair to recruit interns to help out with the youth mentoring program.

“We especially like interns in the human service field because we know we are giving them some of the experiences they need,” she said. “We’ve had interns from QCC before and they’ve worked out fabulously.”

While it was the LUK mentoring program that was on-hand at the fair, Ms. Amedy said there are numerous other programs (such as foster, residential, prevention etc.) within the agency.

“There may be job opportunities or internship in other programs as well,” she added.

Victor Carrasquillo, one of the students who attend the fair, said the fair will help him to further his career and future goals.

“This is very helpful,” he added.

Last summer a group of Computer Systems Engineering Technology (CSET) students went through a new student orientation to learn the ins and outs of college life at QCC; toured the campus and visited the labs; learned how to use the applications that will be a part of their curriculum, and discussed the different degree options. The two-day orientation was funded by a STEM Starter Academy Grant and those students who participated received a Microsoft Surface Go laptop.

Today, CSET jobs are some of the fastest growing jobs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics noted an 11% job increase from 2016-2026, faster than the 7% average job growth rate. In 2017, the median salary for Computer Support Specialists was $52,810. Professor of Computer Systems/Engineering Technology, NT Izuchi said there is a growing need to find qualified candidates to do these type of CSET jobs.

“Companies just can’t find qualified candidates to do these jobs,” he said, which makes programs such as the new CSET student orientation so valuable.

QCC CSET student Daikersu Mulbah said he was actually attending another community college near Boston for nursing, when he decided to change gears. A search of IT programs in the region brought him to QCC. He said it was just the program he was looking for and went through the summer new student orientation. He ended up leaving Boston, buying a home in Worcester and began to take classes at QCC in fall 2018.

“I searched online, found QCC and left my email address,” Mr. Mulbah said. “Now I’m here.”

QCC looking like a Gem on the Diamond so far at NJCCA Regional Tourney

On Saturday, May 11, QCC will be hosting the NJCAA Region XXI 2019 Baseball Tournament. Games will be held at 11:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. The Wyverns are currently ranked second in the tourney and have been pulling out all the stops to make this one exciting season.

QCC will also be host to the championship game held the following day, on Sunday, May 12 at 12:00 p.m. Wyvern nation is asked to come and support their Wyverns Baseball team as they swing their way into the record books! Go Wyverns!!

New Sports Teams Added in Fall 2019

This fall there will be some exciting additions to the Wyverns sports teams. The college is adding two NJCAA Intercollegiate sports teams: Women’s Volleyball and Men’s Soccer. For more information, contact either Lisa Gurnick, Director of Athletics & Fitness Center at 508.854.4582 or email gurnick [at] qcc.mass.edu, or Assistant Manager of Athletics and Fitness Center Josh Cole at 508.854.4317 or email jcole [at] qcc.mass.edu .

Renew Your Body and Your Mind with a Yoga Session

The Athletics Department will be offering a four-week Yoga class/session, beginning May 7 – May 30, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12:00 p.m. Cost for the four-week session is $47.  At least six participants will need to join for this class to be held. Those who are interested can sign-up at the QCC Athletic Center or the Business Office. Any questions, please call the Athletic Office at 508.854.4317.

Tone Your Way to a Healthier You

A more toned you is just a month away when you sign up for a Full-Body Toning four-week session. Classes begin on May 6 and will run until May 31, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 12:30 p.m. Cost for this session is $60.Those who are interested can sign-up at the QCC Athletic Center or the Business Office. Any questions, please call the Athletic Office at 508.854.4317.

A new program designed to support Massachusetts community college students in making a successful transition into public 4-year universities as transfer students is launching this summer, as part of the STEM Starter Academy. Students transferring from one of the 15 community colleges in Massachusetts to a state college or university in order to pursue a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field, can apply to a summer STEM Transfer Bridge Program. 

Each summer transfer program is unique, and was designed by each individual university, with input from community college partners. The programs vary in specific content (such as the courses being offered, the dates when they meet, etc.); however, all programs will allow students the opportunity to get a jump start on their bachelor's degree. Students who participate in a summer bridge program will:

• Meet other STEM transfer students
• Get to know faculty who will be teaching their classes in the fall
• Take a free class that applies to their major
• Learn where and how to access key resources on campus

Students who are interested in participating in the STEM Transfer Bridge program should apply to the bridge program at the institution where they intend to enroll for the Fall 2019 semester. Students who have applied to more than one institution but do not know where they will be attending, may apply to more than one summer transfer bridge program.  However, students should only attend the program at the institution they will be attending in the fall. 

To apply, download and complete the application. Please note that the application deadlines are not the same for every institution; however many programs have application deadlines of May 17, with the program beginning May 28. Completed applications should be emailed to the contact listed for each college/university of interest.

For details of the transfer bridge program at Worcester State University (which begins on May 28),  contact Adrienne Linnell, QCC STEM Initiatives Program Administrator at alinnell [at] qcc.mass.edu

For details of the transfer bridge program at Fitchburg State University (which begins on May 28), please contact Darcy Carlson, STEM Starter Academy program Coordinator at Dcarlson [at] qcc.mass.edu

General questions may be addressed to Allison Little, Assistant Commissioner of P-16 Alignment and Outreach, at alittle [at] dhe.mass.edu or the contact for the specific program of interest. All university contacts are listed on the program’s website.

On April 18, QCC staff and faculty brought STEM to life at the spring Avanza STEM Expo held by the Latino Education Institute at Worcester State University. The Expo offered seminars in various STEM topics along with a science fair event featuring different types of “hands-on” STEM experiences. Avanza translates roughly to “Get Moving," and the Expo certainly had people moving and trying out all sorts of STEM activities.

Brandon Won, QCC STEM Ambassador, set up a table with a running 3D printer and brought additional samples of what 3D printers are able to create. He demonstrated a mechanical hand that responds to movements; and had numerous “Creopop” colored pens that create 3D items such as eyeglass frames from materials made with an extruded gel and cured with UV light. Mr. Won noted that the students were eager to learn and didn’t hesitate to test everything he had brought.

Jacob Longacre, QCC Professor of Electronics Engineering and Photonics, shared the science of optics and photonics using a variety of toys and everyday products including 35 mm slides, a digital camera, 3-D glasses, picture books, remote controls using infrared light, and the ever popular View-Master.

Eduardo Rivas, QCC Admissions Counselor, gave a well-attended seminar on STEM Careers and explained the QCC programs available. Mr. Rivas noted that attendees were very impressed with the high salaries available in STEM fields. QCC’s participation in the Avanza STEM Expo was supported through the Massachusetts Biomedical Institute and STEM Starter Academy funding.

Wednesday, May 1: Student Diversity Dialogue - Brave Space, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m., Room 109A in the Harrington Learning Center.

Thursday, May 2: Admissions Information Night! 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. in the Welcome Center. All who are interested in learning more about QCC should attend. 

Monday, May 6: Surgical Technology Program Pinning, 6:00 p.m., Room 109A in the Harrington Leaning Center.

Friday, May 10: The first Municipal Police Training Committee Reserve Intermittent Recruit Officer Course Commencement

Monday, May 20: Radiologic Technology Program Pinning, 6:00 p.m. in the Hebert Auditorium.

Tuesday, May 21: Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting Pinning, 5:30 p.m. in the Hebert Auditorium.

Wednesday, May 22: Respiratory Care Program Pinning, 5:00 p.m., QCC at the Worcester Senior Center, 128 Providence Street, Worcester.

Tuesday, May 28: Gateway to College Honors Recognition Ceremony in the Harrington Learning Center, Room 109A at 5:00 p.m. The ceremony will recognize academic excellence and outstanding academic achievement for graduates for the Spring 2019 term.

Thursday, May 30: Gateway to College Graduation, 5:00 p.m. in the Hebert Auditorium.

May Spotlight: It’s the most exciting time of the year at QCC - Commencement 2019!  Thursday, May 23, 1:00 p.m. at the DCU Center, 50 Foster Street, Worcester. Make sure to come and cheer on our incredible graduates!

The QCC Wyvern was spotted hanging out in the Bahamas with Assistant Director of Operations Shirley Dempsey. During this damp and dreary spring we are pretty jealous of his adventures! 

Have you seen the Wyvern out and about lately? Is so, please send your photos and descriptions through the newsletter submission form . 

Quinsigamond Community College was host to Senator Harriette Chandler and Representative James O’Day on March 25, for a Town Hall discussion to discuss sexual violence on college campuses and the legislators' two priority bills - the sexual misconduct climate survey bill and the campus sexual violence bill, which will be coming up for consideration soon in both the House and the Senate. QCC is the first college to hold a town hall meeting students and their direct representatives.

QCC’s Student Senate President Stephanie Teixeira moderated the hour and a half event, which included candid discussions, as well as questions and answers between those in attendance and the legislators.

"QCC is unique, most schools don't want to talk about it (sexual violence)," Senator Chandler said to the audience.

“I think these bills are wonderful and needed from both sides,” said QCC Professor Jerry Williams. 

A public hearing will be held on April 9 at the State House where the two bills will be discussed and public testimony will be introduced.

“Bring a voice from QCC. It’s that advocacy that makes things work,” Representative O’Day said. “We do have a duty that our college campuses are safe havens and hearing from you folks is very helpful.”