Article 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.

Article by DMC College Relations Office On Tuesday, Feb. 4, the Del Mar College (DMC) Board of Regents will hold 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.  A copy of the Agenda Notice and Board Packet is available online  at www.delmar.edu/regents-and-community/board-of-regents/_resources/agendas/regular-board-meeting-packet_2-4-25.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.   

Article by Melinda Eddleman It’s time to file income taxes, again! And, while the main deadline may be less than three months away, many individuals are ready to take care of business now. For many Coastal Bend filers, trying to make sense of the different forms or changes can be a struggle. Furthermore, paying for an accountant to prepare returns may not be part of the budget.  However, Del Mar College Accounting students trained in tax and accounting software hope to make the tax season a little less stressful for area filers as they provide FREE services through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program, which starts Tuesday, Jan. 28. As a nationwide program established by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the VITA Program involves volunteers who prepare tax returns free for individuals who make $67,000 per year or less. The free income tax preparation with the college’s IRS-trained tax volunteers is available every Tuesday and Thursday from 2 to 6 p.m. starting tomorrow, Jan. 28, in Room 142 of Viking Hall on the DMC Heritage Campus, 101 Baldwin Blvd. (78404), get online directions and campus map. Appointments are not necessary, so walk-ins are welcome. Volunteers will answer questions when participants come in. The free VITA Program services run through Tuesday, April 15, but they will not be available during DMC’s Spring Break, which is March 10-15. Filers need to bring tax information, including their W-2 form, other documentation of earned income, Social Security cards for everyone being claimed on the return and a form of identification, such as a Drivers License or other photo I.D. Services are provided as part of the Coastal Bend VITA Coalition, a collaborative partnership headed by the United Way of the Coastal Bend. For more details, visit www.uwcb.org/vita. Del Mar College has been one of several local organizations involved with the VITA Program to provide tax return preparation services to lower income households for nearly 25 years. At the end of the tax season, the IRS recognizes volunteers––including Del Mar College students–– with a certificate for their involvement and hard work. Download the PDF file of a printable flyer with more information:

Article by DMC College Relations Office UPDATED MESSAGE AS OF 1:30 P.M.  TUESDAY, JAN. 21 Out of an abundance of caution and for the safety our students, employees and guests, Del Mar College will remain closed tomorrow, Wednesday, Jan. 22, due to the winter freeze. College officials anticipate reopening at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, byt will continue to assess weather developments and change plans if needed. The health and safety of our students, employees and guests are Del Mar College’s foremost concern. Individuals are asked to continue to monitoring the DMC website (www.delmar.edu), email, social media channels and news media outlets for weather-related updates. College officials advise everyone to exercise caution during all inclement weather events. Please avoid icy roads and hazardous conditions.   MESSAGE POSTED ON JAN. 20, 2025 Del Mar College will remain closed tomorrow, Jan. 21, due to the winter storm and impending outdoor hazardous conditions. The college is closed today in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. DMC will reopen for normal operations at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22. However, college officials will continue to assess weather developments and change plans if needed. The health and safety of students, employees and guests are Del Mar College’s foremost concern. College officials ask that they continue to monitor the DMC website (www.delmar.edu), email, social media channels and local news media for weather-related updates. The college advises everyone to exercise caution during all inclement weather events. Please avoid icy roads and hazardous conditions.  

Article by: Richard Guerrero, Jr. Del Mar College Foghorn News student journalists continue to build on the history of award-winning journalism that the program is known for by adding new accolades to the list. For the 2023-2024 academic year, Vikings earned more than 30 awards in individual categories and six organizational categories in nationwide contests.  In addition, the Foghorn News earned six awards in the Associated Collegiate Press’ Spring 2024 Clips & Clicks contest, which announced winners in August. ACP is a national association composed of collegiate journalists and collegiate journalism advisers with 570 members. The Spring 2024 Clips & Clicks contest received 412 submissions from 50 ACP-member student media outlets.  Foghorn News staff also brought home 23 awards at the statewide Texas Community College Journalism Association (TCCJA) 2024 Awards held Oct. 3-5 at Tarleton Community College in Stephenville. Most recently, Foghorn News staff won more than 30 awards at the College Media Association (CMA)’s Individual Pinnacle Awards during the Associated Collegiate Press/CMA Fall National College Media Convention in New Orleans, which was held Oct. 31-Nov. 3. The CMA has more than 600 members and provides student media professionals, staff and programs with education, research and resources. The Foghorn News is a forum for student news, events and opinions produced by DMC students for DMC students. Robert Muilenburg serves as Adviser and Allison Ehrlich serves as Lab Adviser. The individual list of awards is as follows: TCCJA 2024 Awards First place 1.        News Photo: Lola Ponce 2.        Feature Photo: Lola Ponce 3.        In-Depth/Investigative Reporting: Lola Ponce, Aubree Curran, Irene Flores 4.        Multimedia Package: Aubree Curran 5.        Sports Action Photo: Lola Ponce 6.        Picture Page Panel/Slideshow: Aubree Curran 7.        Open Video Production: Foghorn News Staff 8.        Open Audio Production: Daniela Benitez Beltran 9.        Overall Excellence-Newspaper: Foghorn News Staff Second place 1.        News Photo: Lola Ponce 2.        Video News: Kirsten Soliz 3.        Feature Writing: Lola Ponce 4.        Multimedia Package: Aubree Curran, Lola Ponce 5.        Sports Action Photo: Haylie Godoy 6.        Open Video Production: Foghorn News Staff Third place 1.        Feature Photo: Lola Ponce 2.        Video News: Kat Van Nice 3.        Feature Writing: Aubree Curran 4.        Video Sports: Cidnee Casarez 5.        Newspaper Page Design: Aubree Curran 6.        Critical Review: Paul Farias 7.        Sports Photo: Aubree Curran Honorable mention Picture Page Panel/Slideshow: Lola Ponce   ACP Spring 2024 Clips & Clicks awards Third place 1.        Best Broadcast News Story: Kat Van Nice 2.        Best Newspaper Page Spread: Aubree Curran 3.        Editorial Writing: Aubree Curran Fourth place News Photography: Lola Ponce Fifth place Feature Photography: Lola Ponce Honorable mention News Writing: Aubree Curran   CMA 2024 Pinnacle Awards First place 1.        Video Newscast: Foghorn News 2.        Multimedia News Story: Aubree Curran 3.        Sports Feature Photo: Aubree Curran 4.        Breaking News Photo: Lola Ponce 5.        Multimedia Feature Story: Aubree Curran 6.        Editorial Cartoon: Elliot Hoppis 7.        Newspaper News Spread: Irene Flores, Aubree Curran, Lola Ponce Second place 1.        Sports Feature: Aubree Curran 2.        Video Promo/PSA: David Davila 3.        Editorial Illustration: Elliot Hoppis 4.        Newspaper Opinion Spread: Aubree Curran Third place 1.        Short Video News: Kat Van Nice 2.        Newspaper Photo Spread: Lola Ponce 3.        Multimedia Sports Story: Aubree Curran 4.        Organizational Diversity Initiative: Foghorn News 5.        Radio Station of the Year: Foghorn News Honorable mention 1.        Reporter of the Year (two-year school): Aubree Curran 2.        Design of the Year Newspaper Page Spread: Foghorn News staff 3.        Broadcast Story of the Year Commentary: Kirsten Soliz 4.        Newspaper Feature Spread: Aubree Curran 5.        Feature Photo: Lola Ponce 6.        Podcast: Daniela Benitez Beltran 7.        Video Entertainment Program: Foghorn staff 8.        Infographic: Irene Flores 9.        Sports News Photo: Lola Ponce 10.       Editorial: Foghorn staff 11.       Periodic Newspaper: Foghorn News 12.       TV Station of the Year: Foghorn News 13.       Broadcast Station Website of the Year: Foghorn News 14.      Newspaper Website of the Year: Foghorn News 15.      College Media Group of the Year: Foghorn News  ACP Pacemaker and 2024 Best in Show First place Best Reporting: Bill Eaves Second place Best Website: Foghornnews.com Third place Best Broadcast Feature Story: Nygel Hudson Fifth place Best Advertisement: Brandon Oliva and Saray Ruiz Sixth place Best Broadcast News Program: Foghorn News Honorable mention Best Newspaper (two-year campus): Foghorn News  

Article by Melinda Eddleman You thought about it but kept putting off registering for Spring 2025 credit courses at Del Mar College. Guess what? It’s not too late! The College is offering two more opportunities to register for courses that begin Monday, Jan. 13, with “Late” Advising and On-Campus Registration scheduled tomorrow and Wednesday, Jan. 7-8, from 7:30 a.m. to  6:30 p.m. and “Last Chance” Advising and On-Campus Registration set for Saturday, Jan. 11, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. These Advising and On-Campus Registration opportunities are available on all three DMC Campuses––Heritage, Windward and Oso Creek. For On-campus Registration, students need to contact the department of their declared major for specific instructions (access the Academic Advisor Directory). New students and Liberal Arts majors should contact or visit one of the College’s Student Enrollment Centers to register in-person.  Online Registration for eligible students currently runs now through 6:30 p.m. Jan. 8 and Jan. 9 at 12:01 a.m. until 2 p.m. Jan. 11. Payment deadline for tuition and fees for all credit courses registered since Dec. 5 through Jan. 8 is 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 8. Payment for courses registered Jan. 9-11 are due by 6:30 p.m. Jan. 14 The College offers 8-, 12-, 15- and 16-week as well as Maymester options, including in-person, online and hybrid courses to meet your learning style. Both current and prospective students can access WebDMC at www.delmar.edu to view course offerings, which are frequently updated throughout the registration process. Current students can also use WebDMC to check their financial aid status, review their degree plan and find other information.  Questions? Visit www.delmar.edu/registration or contact the DMC Student Enrollment Center at 361-698-1290 or enroll@delmar.edu.     For in-person assistance during regular office hours and during scheduled On-Campus Registration opportunities, Del Mar College Student Enrollment Centers are located as follows:   ·      Heritage Campus, Harvin Student Center, 101 Baldwin Blvd., 78404, get online campus map. ·      Windward Campus, Coleman Center, 4101 Old Brownsville Rd., 78405, get online campus map. ·      Oso Creek Campus, Main Central Building, 7002 Yorktown Blvd., 78411, get online campus map. Del Mar College … own your dreams!