Del Mar College Celebrates “New Era” with Official Opening of Oso Creek Campus

Article by Melinda Eddleman Del Mar College (DMC) students with the Hospitality & Culinary Institute on the Oso Creek Campus are learning their craft by creating some of the most delectable dishes every week in class. On Sept. 21, they demonstrated what they’ve learned by preparing a Japanese-inspired buffet meal for invited guests as part of the kick-off of the third annual Coastal Bend Restaurant Week (CBRW) scheduled Sept. 22 through Oct. 1 at participating Corpus Christi restaurants. The fall RSTO 2405 Food Production and Services class prepared and served the following menu: Chicken Yakitori, which is skewered and grilled chicken marinated in soy sauce, mirin and sake; Pork Katsu, a pork cutlet breaded in panko bread crumbs; Potato Mochi, which is mashed potatoes and mozzarella cheese rolled and fried; Soba Noodles made with buckwheat noodles, soy sauce and hoisin; Stir Fried Vegetables that combines carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini and mushrooms; Honey Garlic Green Beans; Japanese Milk Bread; Matcha-Strawberry Cake; and  a full salad bar featuring Edamame Salad,  Sweet Sesame Vinaigrette  and Miso Soup.   As part of remarks during the kick-off, CBRW founder Mirza Mirely announced the start of the event and noted the release of participating restaurants and specially-developed menus offered during the 10-day gastronomic adventure meant to tantalize the taste buds of area diners. To learn more about where diners can experience the culinary creativeness that South Texas has to offer as part of the 2023 CBRW event, visit coastalbendrestaurantweek.com. Among current DMC students who assisted with the preparation of the meal for the Sept. 21  CBRW kick-off celebration is 27-year-old Culinary Arts major Joseph Lemus, who served as the student manager for the day of the Teaching Restaurant. Formerly in the military for six years, Lemus’ inspiration to enter the culinary arts profession comes in part from his mother. Before pursing his current training, Lemus knew he wanted to earn a degree, even trying majoring in physical therapist assistant before changing his major to culinary arts with encouragement from his fiancé. “I’ve never looked back,” he added. Also working the event was classmate and Hospitality Management major Ashlyn Martin, who currently works at Snoopy’s Pier and interned during the summer at the U.S.S. Lexington Museum while taking courses. The 24-year-old has worked in the hospitality industry for about seven years but admitted that while she’s required to take some culinary arts classes as part of her degree plan, she doesn’t plan to work in the restaurant industry directly. “My dream job is to work as an event planner at an upscale hotel. However, the training I’m receiving in the kitchen and in this class will help me be a more well-rounded employee,” she said. As the only institute of its kind in the region, Del Mar College’s Hospitality & Culinary Institute is supporting Coastal Bend Restaurant Week as part of its mission to educate and train students for careers in the food and hospitality sector. The institute, which is accredited as Exemplary by the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation, offers certificates and associates degrees in culinary arts, baking & pastry and hospitality management. To learn more about the programs offered by the Hospitality & Culinary Institute, visit www.delmar.edu or call the Business Administration and Entrepreneurship Department at 361-698-1372.    

Article by Melinda Eddleman It’s a gift that will help build the workforce while assisting students with pursuing higher education and joining the ranks with a good paying career. That gift is scholarship funds; and, Cheniere Energy, Inc. donated another $50,000 on Sept. 20 toward the Cheniere Process Technology Scholarship handled through the Del Mar College Foundation. Company representatives presented an oversized check in front of 30-plus students majoring in the College’s Process Technology Program. The students then heard a moderated panel discussion learn about the Cheniere Energy; its apprenticeship program; job experiences from current employee and DMC alumni Alexis Gutierrez and Yesica Juarez Hernandez; job opportunities; and how to apply for the scholarship, which  targets students majoring in Process Technology as well as those in the Industrial Instrumentation, Millwright and other related programs. Lance Brown, Cheniere Energy’s Asset Training Manager and a member of the DMC Foundation board, added, “Cheniere is proud to support Del Mar College on its mission to prepare students for fulfilling careers. As a company, we believe that investing in opportunities to help local students gain specialized skills is fundamental to our commitment to making a difference in the communities where we live and work.” In total, Cheniere Energy has donated $100,000 with the current $50,000 gift marking their second consecutive year to support the scholarship. Ten students will benefit from the current funds with five receiving $5,000 scholarships divided into $2,500 to cover costs for the fall 2023 and spring 2024 semesters. Another five students will receive the same scholarship amount for the 2024-2025 academic year. Cheniere Energy will give first preference to students who are residents of San Patricio County or those who graduated from a high school located in that county. Recipients must hold and maintain a 3.0 grade point average and enroll in one of the programs full-time (minimum 12 semester credit hours). Scholarship recipients will also remain eligible for the Cheniere Apprenticeship Program. Regarding students who have already received a Cheniere Process Technology Scholarship, Brown said, “We congratulate all scholarship recipients and wish them great success.” For 37-year-old DMC Process Technology major Arturo Berlanga IV, receiving one of the 2023-2024  Cheniere Process Technology Scholarships would serve as a “game changer” if he’s selected. As a disabled U.S. Navy veteran, family man raising with his wife two boys and six pets and a former full-time security guard at Cheniere Energy when he first started the College’s Process Technology Program, Berlanga is now a full-time student and said, “My time spent in the Navy has allowed us to manage bills and the mouths we need to feed; but I’d be lying if I said that it isn’t hard at times. We are always forward-looking as a family and can always find a way to make things work.” Berlanga learned about the College’s Process Technology Program through a friend and didn’t hesitate to enroll at the College to begin his training. He also met several professionals in the field while working full-time at Cheniere Energy and was convinced his choice was the right career to pursue. Before he and his wife made the decision for Berlanga to attend the College full-time, he spent his first three semesters working the security guard position, noting that “the 12-hour night shifts going into school during the day were taxing.” His hard work will soon pay off. Berlanga is scheduled to graduate next spring but no later than summer 2024. Before becoming a security guard at Cheniere Energy, Berlanga worked for the company from 2013 to 2019 as an ironworker, rigger and nationally-certified crane operator; and he feels his new career path could bring him full-circle with the company if he’s hired upon completing the Process Technology Program. During the donation event, Berlanga represented the Industrial Process Technology Association Club as one of the registered student organization’s officers. To learn more about Del Mar College’s Process Technology Program and other fields, visit www.delmar.edu.  Information about the DMC Foundation and scholarship opportunities is available at www.delmar.edu/foundation.    

Article by Melinda Eddleman and DMC Art Program She grew up on the Texas-Mexico border and became a scholar of Chicana cultural theory, along with feminist, gay and lesbian theories. Her body of written work includes the semi-autobiographical book, Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza (1987), which explores the borders between countries, languages, genders, social classes and even those within one’s self and was voted one of the 100 Best Books of the 20th Century by both The Hungry Mind Review and Utne Reader. Who is this individual? She’s the late Gloria E. Anzaldúa (1942-2004), and on Friday, Sept. 29, the Del Mar College (DMC) Art and Drama Department will hold an opening reception for this fall’s art exhibit, “Now Let Us Shift,” a show that features a collection of 20 artists’ works inspired by the life of the Chicana activist. From stirring paintings of borderland landscapes to thought-provoking mixed-media installations, this one-of-a-kind exhibit includes diverse artwork in dialogue with Anzaldúa’s writings about the U.S.-Mexico border.  The reception is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Joseph A. Cain Memorial Art Gallery located in the Fine Arts Center on Heritage Campus at Ayers St. and Baldwin Blvd. Get online directions and campus map. Join the department and artists for an evening filled with artistic revelry, delectable snacks, refreshing beverages and a cash bar––all serving as the perfect backdrop for fostering connections and furthering discussions inspired by the powerful works on display. Prior to the opening reception that same evening, a panel discussion with four artists from the show is scheduled from 5 to 6 p.m. in the adjacent Bartlett Theatre. Join them for “Voices from the Borderlands: Art, Activism, and Identity” as these exceptional creators share their perspectives on art-making, Gloria Anzaldúa’s legacy and their own professional journey through the arts industry.  The panelists include:  • Gina Gwen Palacios, Assistant Professor and Associate Director of the School of Art and Design, at the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV),    • Rigoberto A. González, Lecturer in Painting at UTRGV,    • Grace Zuniga, Director of the Houston Arts Alliance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and   • Lauren Moya Ford, artist and art critic for the online arts magazine, Hyperallergic.   Either during the opening reception or throughout the more than two-month long  exhibit, art aficionados can experience Anzaldúa’s reflections on gender, nature, spirituality and the family through the artistic perspectives of Franceska Alvarado, Millicent Alvarado, Julia Arredondo, Liene Bosquê, Alexandria Canchola, Maclovio Cantu IV, Josie del Castillo, Lisette Chavez, Lauren Moya Ford, Leticia Ernestina Gomez, Rigoberto A. González, Marcelina Gonzalez, Carlos Israel Villarreal, Ricardo Vicente Jose Ruiz, Omar González, Veronica Ortuño, Gina Gwen Palacios, Alexis M. Ramos, Mayra Zamora, and Grace Zuñiga. The show runs from September 29 to December 6.  “Now Let Us Shift” runs through Dec. 6 with Cain Gallery hours being Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Fridays from 9 a.m. until noon. For more information about the opening reception, directions to the gallery or group tour arrangements or to make artwork sales inquiries, contact the Art Program at art@delmar.edu or 361-698-1216. Interested in the Art Program at Del Mar College? Visit www.delmar.edu/degrees/art/index.html.  Note: Shown at the top of this release page is a cropped version of artist Marcelina Gonzalez’s piece “Sunny South Texas at Our Casita,” one of the works among the collection of 20 artists’ works in the Del Mar College Art and Drama Department’s fall 2023 exhibit, “Now Let Us Shift.” . (Credit: contributed)  

Article by Melinda Eddleman The culture is rich, diverse and influential locally and across the state and nation. Each year, Del Mar College (DMC) celebrates the national observance of Hispanic Heritage Month with a month-long schedule of activities. This year’s observances starts tomorrow, Sept. 13, and runs through Oct. 26. DMC Hispanic Heritage Month activities are sponsored by the Center for Mexican American Studies (MAS), the Art Program’s Joseph A. Cain Memorial Art Gallery, the Department of Social Sciences, the Del Mar College Libraries and the College’s chapter of the Texas Association of Chicanos in Higher Education. Events are free and open to the public You can expect a month-long celebration between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15 every year as communities across the nation observe Hispanic Heritage Month. This observance also serves to enlighten participants by recognizing the diversity, innumerable contributions and influence Hispanics have provided to shape our communities, states and the country. For more information, contact Professor of Spanish and MAS Coordinator Javier Morin at jmorin@delmar.edu or 361-698-1582.  The following events are currently scheduled: • Wednesday, September 13 Kick-off Event with Center for Mexican American Studies Open House and Gallery Talk with Artist David Longnecker Del Mar College will begin the its celebration with an open house at the Center for Mexican American Studies on the Heritage Campus. The festivity includes refreshments and music at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 13, along with a Gallery Talk by artist David Longnecker as part of the Creative Works and Artistic Exhibits Series. Known for creating contemporary and culturally rich alternatives on indigenous imagery from deep within his Mexican heritage, Longnecker promises the viewer a visual invitation revealing his innermost conscience. And, through his personal trek, Longnecker  documents his emotions and experiences using the sentiments set before him as a platform for discussion that will enlighten all who attend his talk. The artist renders the form in a realistic and abstract fashion exposing his ability to have somewhat of a self-understanding, while still allowing continual growth aiming to be a stark individual. The open house and gallery talk are scheduled in Room 133 of the Coles Classroom Building on the Heritage Campus, 101 Baldwin Blvd. (78404), get online directions and campus map. • Thursday, October 19 Gallery Talk Titled “Two Spirited: The Duality of Individuality” with Artist Leticia Ernestina Gómez As part of the Creative Works and Artistic Exhibits Series sponsored by the DMC Joseph A. Cain Memorial Art Gallery, the College’s Center for Mexican American Studies will host a Gallery Talk on Thursday, Oct. 19, at 11 a.m. with artist Leticia Ernestina Gómez for her presentation, “Two Spirited: The Duality of Individuality.” Gómez is a multimedia artist based in Corpus Christi whose artwork explores ideas of indigeneity, queerness, intimacy, spirituality and cultural belonging. Her inspirations and techniques range across the disciplines of drawing, painting, collage and installation art. She received an associate’s degree in Art from Del Mar College, a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree in Drawing & Painting from the University of North Texas and a master’s degree in Consciousness and Transformative Studies from John F. Kennedy University. Her artwork has been shown in exhibitions at K Space Contemporary, the Conduit Gallery and many other cultural venues throughout the state of Texas. The Gallery Talk is scheduled in Room 133 of the Coles Classroom Building on the Heritage Campus, 101 Baldwin Blvd. (78404), get online directions and campus map.  • Thursday, October 26 “Forging Race and Gender Power in Houston,” a History Lecture by Houston Community College Professor Samantha Rodriguez Del Mar College’s Social Sciences Department will host a history lecture, “Forging Race and Gender Power in Houston,” by Samantha Rodriguez, Professor of Humanities and History with Houston Community College, on Thursday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. Currently, Rodriguez is working on a monograph that leverages oral histories to examine the way Tejanas in Austin, Houston and San Antonio balanced a commitment to gender liberation and ethnic self-determination within the broader nexus of the Chicano/Chicana Movement, the Black Power Movement and the mainstream Anglo Feminist Movement. The lecture is scheduled in Wolfe Recital Hall, located in the Fine Arts Center Music Building on the Heritage Campus, 101 Baldwin Blvd. (78404), get online directions and campus map.    

Article by Melinda Eddleman Sept. 17 marks a significant day in United States history. On that date in 1787, the country’s forefathers signed the final draft of the U.S. Constitution, which has stood the test of time for 236 years. And, in 2005, the U.S. Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act requiring all educational institutions receiving federal funding to observe Constitution Day, which is officially  Sept. 17 every year. In observance of Constitution Day 2023, Del Mar College’s Political Science Program with the Social Sciences Department presents “Texas Politics in a New Age of Fractious Federalism”  by guest speaker Dr. Jason Casellas. Associate  Professor of Political Science with the University of Houston as well as author of  Latino Representation in State Houses and Congress (Cambridge University Press). Dr. Casellas’ presentation is scheduled Monday, Sept. 18, at 1 p.m. in Room 100 of the Venters Business Bldg. on the Heritage Campus, 101 Baldwin Blvd. (78404). Get online directions and campus map. The presentation is free and open to the public. For more details, contact DMC Professor of Political Science Dr. Adrian Clark at aclark14@delmar.edu or 361-698-1639. Dr. Casellas specializes in American politics with specific research and teaching interests in Latino, legislative and state and local politics. In addition to authoring Latino Representation in State Houses and Congress, he is a co-author of Governing Texas (W.W. Norton & Company), the textbook that some DMC Political Science faculty use to teach the College’s Texas Government: Texas Constitution and Topics course. During his presentation, “Texas Politics in a New Age of Fractious Federalism,” Dr. Casellas will discuss how federalism has evolved in recent years to a more antagonistic relationship between the state and federal government, especially when the opposing party is in control of the White House. He will also cover the constitutional implications and how governing might be affected by more partisan division. Among his credits, Dr. Casellas has received numerous fellowships, including a Princeton Fellowship, an American Political Science Association Fellowship, a Ford Motor Company Fellowship, the Samuel DuBois Cook Postdoctoral Fellowship at Duke University and the United States Studies Centre Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Sydney, Australia. In 2011, he also was awarded a National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship. Dr. Casellas is a member of the Texas Advisory Committee of the United States Commission on Civil Rights, and his work has appeared in several peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Politics, Legislative Studies Quarterly, Political Research Quarterly and Aztlán: Journal of Chicano Studies, among others. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola University in New Orleans and both Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from Princeton University.    

Article by DMC College Relations Office On Tuesday, Sept. 12, the Del Mar College (DMC) Board of Regents will hold a called meeting to hold a public hearing on the tax rate for Fiscal Year 2023-2024 beginning at 11:30 a.m. and the regular monthly meeting at 1 p.m. Both meetings will be held in Room 106 of the Center for Economic Development located at 3209 S. Staples (78411). Get online directions and campus map. The called meeting and regular meeting also will be livestreamed. Community members may access the meetings by going to the online video link at www.delmar.edu/webcast/ by 11:25 a.m. and 12:55 p.m., respectively.  Copies of the Agendas for both meetings are available using the following links: • Called Meeting (public hearing on tax rate): www.delmar.edu/regents-and-community/board-of-regents/_resources/agendas/tax-rate-packet-9-12-23.pdf • Regular Meeting: delmar.edu/regents-and-community/board-of-regents/_resources/agendas/regular-agenda-9-12-23.pdf Meeting agendas and other resources are also available on the DMC Board of Regents web page at www.delmar.edu/regents-and-community/board-of-regents/index.html. The health and safety of students, faculty, staff and visitors are a priority for Del Mar College. To view the College’s current guidelines, visit delmar.edu/rtc/index.html.