Del Mar College Music Department unveiling new Music Honors Wall connecting decades of excellence before annual Honors Recital on Monday, March 3
27
February
2025
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16:05 PM
Europe/Amsterdam
GAMBII Building A third-floor display features list of Honors Recital performers dating back to 1959; six new inductees to perform 73rd annual Honors Recital in Wolfe Recital Hall following wall unveiling
Article by: Richard Guerrero, Jr.
About Del Mar College
Del Mar College empowers students to achieve their dreams. We offer quality programs, individual attention, outstanding instruction through faculty with real-world experience and affordable costs to credit and noncredit students in Corpus Christi and the South Texas Coastal Bend area. Nationally recognized while locally focused, we’re ranked in the top two percent of community colleges in the country granting associate degrees to Hispanic students (Community College Week). Del Mar College focuses on offering our students programs that match current or emerging career opportunities. Whether students are interested in the fine arts, sciences, business, occupational or technical areas, students get the education they need for the future they want at Del Mar College.
Latest DMC News
- DMC Board of Regents holding workshop and regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, March 4Article by DMC College Relations Office Tuesday, March 4, the Del Mar College (DMC) Board of Regents will hold a workshop at 10 a.m. and their regular monthly meeting beginning at 1 p.m. in Room 106 of the College’s Center for Economic Development at 3209 S. Staples (78411). Get online directions and map. The regular meeting also will be livestreamed. Community members may access the meeting by going to the online video link at www.delmar.edu/webcast/ by 12:55 p.m. Copies of the Agenda Notices and Board Packets are available online as follows: • 10 a.m. Workshop: https://www.delmar.edu/regents-and-community/board-of-regents/_resources/agendas/workshop-3-4-25-final-packet.pdf • 1 p.m. Regular Meeting: https://www.delmar.edu/regents-and-community/board-of-regents/_resources/agendas/regular-agenda-3-4-25-final-packet.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 COVID-19 guidelines, visit www.delmar.edu/rtc/index.html.
- DMC hosting first day of People’s Literary Festival, kicking-off three-day event with keynote by acclaimed Holy City author Henry Wise on March 6Article by Melinda Eddleman For anyone who loves writing, reading or both, the People’s Literary Festival offers something for everyone during this free collaborative celebration that supports both new and seasoned writers by bridging literary borders and genres. Marking its 10th year, the three-day festival is scheduled next Thursday through Saturday, March 6-8, at different venues across Corpus Christi and will bring together writers and readers for dialogue that honors self-expression and creativity. Six locations will offer a variety of sessions, activities and book fairs, including previous hosts Del Mar College, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and All Saints’ Episcopal Church, along with three new venues: the Downtown Corpus Christi Management District’s First Friday Artwalk, House of Rock and Jazz Room Corpus Christi. Along with the additional venues, Leza noted that by increasing the number of authors, publishers and booksellers traveling to Corpus Christi from acoss Texas and other locations to participate during the festival, organizers have much more to offer this year. To kick-off the festival, Del Mar College will host the first day of sessions next Thursday, March 6, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the newly renovated William F. White, Jr. Library on the Heritage Campus, 101 Baldwin Blvd. (78404), get online directions and campus map. Activities are open to both the campus community and the public. Dr. Andrea Elizondo, an Assistant Instructor and Reading and ESOL Lab Coordinator with the college’s Department of Communications, Languages and Reading, said, “Words ignite worlds. At this festival, we celebrate the power of stories, the voices of authors and the dreams of future writers.” Elizondo added that Del Mar College values the collaboration shared between the festival's founders and successive organizers during the past several years. “Not only has our campus community benefitted from the festival but also the general community, and we’re delighted to host another opening day to celebrate the literary world and all that it offers.” • 11 a.m.: Welcome Remarks • 11:15 a.m.: Session 1: Kick-off Keynote with acclaimed Holy City author Henry Wise for a debut novelist reading and discussion. Holy City (Grove Atlantic, 2024) examines the intersections of labor, racial justice and environmental concerns in rural America’s forgotten communities. A graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and the University of Mississippi’s Master of Fine Arts program, Wise is a writer across multiple genres. His poetry has been published in Shenandoah, Radar Poetry, Clackamas, Nixes Mate Revie, and elsewhere. His nonfiction and photography have appeared in Southern Cultures. Holy City is his first novel. Wise’s visit to Corpus Christi is sponsored by Del Mar College’s Cultural Programs Committee. • 12:15 p.m.: Networking Lunch sponsored by H-E-B • 12:45 p.m.: Session 2 (two concurrent presentations): a) How to Get Published: Cultural & Community Leadership - panel presentation covering editing magazines, journals and books b) Professional Development Workshop – covering research and resources for writing • 1:30 p.m.: Del Mar College Heritage Campus Tour • 2 p.m.: Session 3 (two concurrent presentations): a) How to Get Published: Self-Publishing - The Lived Human Experience in Self-Publishing b) Free speech on campus: Why is it important? - The First Amendment and (Texas) College Campuses Remaining Day 1 programming moves to All Saints’ Episcopal Church (3026 Staples St., 78404) with activities beginning at 7 p.m. with a Corpus Christi Poet Laureate Panel followed by an induction ceremony, Poet Laureate Reading, a 10th Anniversary Commemoration led by co-founders Tom Murphy and retired DMC Librarian and Professor Alan Berecka and presentation of the Robb and Vanesa Jackson Award for High School Poets. The festival moves to Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi’s University Center (6300 Ocean Dr., 78412) on Friday, March 7, with sponsorship of event participation during the First Friday Artwalk in Downtown Corpus Christi by Alamo Drafthouse and readings and other activities at the House of Rock (511 Starr St., 78401). On Saturday, March 8, the festival concludes at All Saints’ Episcopal Church with a book fair and sessions from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and a live jazz fundraiser at Jazz Room Corpus Christi (1314 Ayers St., 78404) from 7 to 9 p.m. Visit the People’s Literary Festival website for more information about all scheduling, session descriptions, other planned activities and book fairs at several venues at peoplesliteraryfestival.com/. T Questions? For information about Day 1 festival activities at Del Mar College, contact Dr. Andrea Elizondo with the Department of Communications, Languages and Reading at 361-698-1952 or aelezondo43@delmar.edu or People’s Literary Festival Chair J.D. Leza at 206-817-8452 or chair@peoplesliteraryfestival.com.
- Scouts converge on DMC’s Windward Campus on Feb. 15 to take part in “Merit Badge College”Article by: Melinda Eddleman and Photos by Richard Guerrero, Jr. It was an opportunity to “learn and earn.” We’re talking about Scouting and the 2025 Merit Badge College, which took place on Feb. 15. Once a year, Del Mar College (DMC) hosts the Merit Badge College for Scouts from troops with the South Texas Council Scouting America (STCSA), formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America. Approximately 186 Scouts attended the one-day event that consisted of activities held all over the Windward Campus and took part in classes taught by more than 50 volunteer DMC faculty and staff to earn those coveted Merit Badges for their sashes. The 11- to 17-year-olds, along with their parents and unit leaders, were able to choose from 27 different classes featuring quality programming, including the opportunity to complete rare and hard-to-find Merit Badge classes not found elsewhere. Among the classes that were offered that day were Architecture, Aviation, Camping, Citizenship in Society, Communication, Cooking, Crime Prevention, Dentistry, Digital Technology, Drafting, Electricity, Entrepreneurship, Fingerprinting, Fire Safety, First Aid, Geology, Health Care Professions, Indian Lore, Law, Personal Management, Public Speaking, Traffic Safety, Truck Transportation, Welding and Woodwork. Overall, Scouting America offers 138 Merit Badges that Scouts can earn. For Merit Badge College, participants had the option to choose either an all-day session or two half-day activities from the classes offered that not only touch on life lessons but also potential career paths the Scouts may pursue later on … even at Del Mar College. Revitalized two years ago after a five-year absence, the annual Merit Badge College also gives participants exposure to a college campus. Additionally, DMC will also host the Council Coordinated Meeting, which includes leaders of the South Texas Council and Units from all levels of Scouting, including Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing, Explorers and Sea Scouts. The South Texas Council operates Scouting America programs in 17 counties in this part of the state. The Merit Badge College is open to Scouts, including boys and girls, and their Troop Leaders. To learn more about the STCSA, visit https://www.southtexasscouting.org/.
- DMC’s long-running “Speech on the Beach” Tournament brings forensic competitors to Heritage Campus Feb. 7-9Article by: Richard Guerrero, Jr. Competition put at least 50 university and college students to the test as they met Feb. 7-9 to demonstrate their skills in public speaking, debate and oral interpretation events. Competitors from eight institutions vied for tournament places in their categories during the 15th annual “Speech on the Beach” collegiate forensics tournament held by the Speech Program with Del Mar College’s Department of Communications, Languages and Reading on the Heritage Campus in the Solomon M. Coles Classroom Building. This year’s competition drew students from Bellevue College (Bellevue, Washington), The University of Texas-Austin, Texas State University, San Antonio College, the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and Lone Star College-North Harris. DMC’s Vocal Vikings forensics team, which includes Team Captain Chloe Castillo, Lauren Cavada, Bella Mendez, Natalie Palacios and Elyda Vasquez, also competed in various events. DMC’s Vocal Vikings didn’t end the competition empty-handed, winning four awards at the event. Here are the team results: DEBATE (International Public Debate Association style) Chloe Castillo – Second Place – IPDA, Second Place - Top Speaker in Debate PROGRAM ORAL INTERPRETATION (POI) Natalie Palacios – Third Place – POI - Saturday; Fifth Place - POI - Sunday Elyda Vasquez – Fourth Place – POI - Saturday; First Place - POI - Sunday Events included Extemporaneous Speaking, Persuasive Speaking, Communication Analysis, After Dinner Speaking, Poetry Interpretation, Dramatic Interpretation and Program Oral Interpretation, to name a few. Sarah Contreras, DMC Professor of Speech Communication and Director of Forensics, said oral discourse has long been a staple of American society, and since COVID, the need for better communication skills has become even more apparent. “By participating in Speech activities like the ‘Speech on the Beach’ Tournament, students not only learn to organize their thoughts and support their opinions with research but also learn the value of teamwork and supportive competition,” Contreras said. She added, “If a student is in Debate, they learn to see and argue for all sides of an issue. If a student participates in Public Address, they learn to organize their thoughts and communicate them in a clear way. If a student participates in Oral Interpretation, they learn empathy for characters and their stories. And by being on a team, the students learn not only to support their own teammates, but to take criticism to improve themselves and to rejoice in any winner from any school. It is truly a wonderful activity for college students.”
- Del Mar College Art Program Opening 59th Annual CAIN National Art Show Feb. 21 with Celebratory Reception with Public InvitedArticle by: Richard Guerrero, Jr. Nearly 70 carefully selected works in 2-D, 3-D and digital media from 21 states await gallery visitors as part of the 59th Annual CAIN National Art Show, which opens with a celebratory reception from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 21. Formerly known as the Annual National Drawing and Small Sculpture Show, the newly renamed CAIN National Art Show is a long-running juried exhibition of contemporary artists from virtually every corner of the United States. “We are proud of what the CAIN National has done for Del Mar College and the Corpus Christi art community,” says Kirstin Dale, DMC Associate Professor of Art, who also serves as the Art Program Coordinator and Gallery Manager. “For six decades, we have built a permanent collection of incredible 2-D and 3-D art, all of which is available for the public to view.” The Friday evening opening reception and two-month art show are located in the Joseph A. Cain Memorial Art Gallery of the Fine Arts Center on the college’s Heritage Campus, 101 Baldwin Blvd. (78404), get directions and campus map. The 59th Annual CAIN National Art Show runs through April 25 with gallery hours scheduled Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Fridays by appointment. Both the reception and show are free and open to the public. The Feb. 21 reception features catering by Citrus Bistro and a cash bar. During the event, three prize-winning artworks will be announced, and these selections will be added to Del Mar College’s permanent art collection. The event is also part of the college’s 90th Anniversary observances scheduled through the fall 2025 semester. For more information about the 59th Annual CAIN National Art Show, visit the gallery’s website at delmar.edu/gallery or contact the Art Program at art@delmar.edu or 361-698-1216. The CAIN National Art Show features a wide array of works selected by 2025 juror Alejandro Macias, a distinguished painter and draftsman with a notable career in the arts. Macias, who has garnered recognition for his artistic achievements, including prestigious residencies at the Vermont Studio Center, The Studios at MASS MoCA and Uncool Artist in Brooklyn, New York, recently received the Lehmann Emerging Artist Award. His solo exhibitions have been held at Texas venues, such as the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts in Lubbock and Presa House Gallery in San Antonio as well as the Tucson Museum of Art in Arizona and Latch-Key Gallery in New York City. A Brownsville, Texas, native, Macias is an Assistant Professor of Painting and Drawing at the University of Arizona School of Art in Tucson. Macias describes a two-pronged approach to curating DMC’s national exhibition, saying, “I am often seeking works that speak to me and help me remember what matters most in my life: family, place, identity, cultural empowerment and sociopolitical concerns affecting our country today. On the other hand, I also value works that are playful, mysterious and aesthetically and technically proficient.” Prior to the Friday opening reception, Macias will deliver a lecture where he will discuss his artwork, perspectives and insights. The lecture is scheduled in Richardson Performance Hall on Heritage Campus on Thursday, Feb. 20, starting at 11 a.m. This year’s CAIN National Art Show attracted record-breaking number of submissions to date – 1,020. A total of 64 artists who submitted 67 works (a little less than 7 percent) were selected. Artists from 21 states spanning from California to Maine are represented, including 34 Texas-based artists with five from Corpus Christi. Additionally, three of the selected artists are alumni of Del Mar College’s Art Program. The exhibition will showcase: · 17 paintings · 11 drawings · 17 sculptures · 2 photographs · 9 ceramic works · 2 prints · 2 digital media works · 6 alternative media pieces Macias hopes the exhibition leaves a lasting impact on gallery visitors. “My hope is that any viewer that gets to see this work together leaves the exhibition inspired and altered. I truly believe that art can heal, transcend and disseminate across time, culture, race and religion,” he said.
- DMC launches 90th Anniversary observances, holds grand opening for renovated Memorial Classroom Building and unveiling of Texas Historical Commission markerArticle by Melinda Eddleman “The benefits of education are essential to the preservation of a free government.” Quote by Sam Houston inscribed on the facade of Memorial Classroom Building Thousands of students have walked the halls of Memorial Classroom Building on the Del Mar College (DMC) Heritage Campus since the facility’s doors opened in 1942. First known as the Administration Building through 1972, the facility was the first permanent footprint of what was known at the time as Corpus Christi Junior College––the first junior college in the Coastal Bend region after Corpus Christi Independent School District (CCISD) leaders steered the initiative and city voters approved a proposition to establish the college on July 30, 1935. On Thursday, Feb. 6, DMC officials held an unveiling of the newly renovated building, along with a Texas Historical Commission marker recognizing Del Mar College as “a centerpiece of higher education in the Coastal Bend region.” About 125 campus and community participants attended the event, which served to launch the college's year-long observances of its 90th Anniversary. He added, “The structure has been a classic landmark at Ayers Street and Baldwin Boulevard ever since, and that legacy is something we’re extremely proud of at Del Mar College.” The nearly $17.8 million modernization of the building is part of the $157 million bond referendum passed by Del Mar College District voters in 2014 as part of Heritage and Windward Campus capital improvement projects. Noting the extensive renovation work completed, ranging from new walls, floors and ceilings to new plumbing, electrical wiring and elevator upgrades, Dr. Escamilla said, “After many decades of use, this old building needed some renovation and upgrades to be part of a 21st century campus. We think she’s ready for the next 90 years.” She added, “The Del Mar College some of you may remember in past years was perfect for the previous generations of students. But times change, and so do the needs and expectations of our students, so in the last decade, we’ve acted to meet those needs as Del Mar College has evolved to become the 21st century college our students deserve.” Scott reminded those attending the event that the Board of Regents never forgets who made the college’s growth and modernization possible: “You, the community,” she said, adding: “This renovation and many others started with the $157 million bond referendum, and as you will see, the bond funds have been put to good use, with an eye on good stewardship.” The Memorial Classroom Building now houses the college’s Executive Administrative Offices, Human Resources Office and the College Relations Office, among others. In addition to other celebratory activities during Thursday’s event, the college unveiled in front of Memorial Classroom Building a permanently installed Texas State Historical Marker provided by the Texas Historical Commission (THC). The historical designation and marker resulted from two former DMC students, Troy Nessner and Preston Martin, initiating the process as part of a project in History Professor Dr. Mark Robbins’ class back in 2017. Completion of that process took two years before the college received the marker, and now, the marker has a permanent home with the Memorial Classroom Building renovation completed. Both Nessner––who is a 2019 DMC Hall of Fame inductee, a member of the Nueces County Historical Commission and now a graduate student at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi––and Dr. Robbins, who is with the college’s Social Sciences Department, spoke before the marker unveiling. The marker also acknowledges Del Mar College’s role with initiating the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra and Texas Jazz Festival, leading integration of minority students before required by law, serving veterans and the Naval Air Station community after passage of the G.I. Bill and offering championship athletic programming during a specific era through the 1960s when sports became focused on intramural options at the college. Today denoted the beginning of a new era for the Memorial Classroom Building, and the institution as the historical marker notes, “Del Mar College remains a significant contributor to the quality of life in Corpus Christi and South Texas.” View below portions of remarks made during the grand re-opening of Memorial Classroom Building and the unveiling of the Texas Historical Commissions marker on Del Mar College's Heritage Campus. Factsheets about the Memorial Classroom Building and the Texas Historical Marker are located in the upper right-hand corner of this page as downloadable PDF files. Click on the photos to enlarge, read cutlines and download.
