Mark Knockemus grades a lot of papers.  

Forgoing the calculator, the Northeastern Technical College English Instructor breaks out the pencil and paper and calculates that the average semester sees about 1,000 pages (give or take) of student work among the classes he teaches. 

“That’s a lot,” he said leaning back in the chair examining his math. “That doesn’t count the discussion forums.” 

The key to staying on top of grading papers is maintaining a system, he said, which has changed from the days of pen and paper to the digital age. 

Knockemus, a mainstay at NETC, has taught English courses for 25 years. He joined the college full time in 1999 after two years of teaching adjunct classes in Aiken. No matter what pathway a student is taking at the college, many of them go through his English course. 

Knockemus teaches about 150-180 students a semester – he has instructed small classes of four to standing room only of 43 students (especially when NETC’s Associate Degree in Nursing program began). 

Some of his best students come from the classes he teaches in the prison system, an experience that was life-changing for him.

“One semester, a class at the prison fell behind due to prison lock downs. I didn’t want that to happen to them. During my spring break, I gave up my time off to catch-up and keep the inmates completing course on time,” he said. “And we did.” 

At the end of the course, the inmates learned Knockemus sacrificed his time for them. 

“Each one of them got in line to shake my hand,” he said. “I was stunned.” 

Knockemus has an affinity for teaching and credits the college and Dean of Arts and Sciences Dr. Lisa Johnson entrusting him with the freedom to educate students from every corner of the service area – and inadvertently from out of the country. 

After 10 years teaching English, Knockemus expanded into religious studies in which his office is displayed with various holy books and religious artifacts.  

“I’ve always been interested in how different cultures and people celebrate their faiths,” he said. 

As part of developing online courses, Knockemus created a library of 396 lectures and instructional videos available on YouTube.  

The purpose was to provide instruction for students available 24 hours a day but was pleasantly surprised when he first began receiving emails with follow-up questions from around the globe. 

“It’s amazing to field questions from someone from Moraco or the European Union about short fiction,” Knockemus said. 

More math: Knockemus’ YouTube channel has about 1,320 subscribers with more than 43,000 views. 

Due to a sinkhole that developed April 18 at the NETC Cheraw Campus exit point facing Hwy 9, it has been closed to thru traffic.

There is one entry and exit point facing Hwy 9.

Traffic may also utilize the entry and exit facing Tec Road.

College Administration and the Maintenance Department are working diligently to address this issue.

It’s not every day a middle school student can walk on a college campus to fight against a pantheon of gods. 

Northeastern Technical College Athletic Department can arrange this ethereal combat through its Summer Esports Camp open to both middle and high school students. 

From 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 8-10, NETC Esports hosts middle school students where they are introduced to competitive gaming with strategy sessions for individual along with teamwork skills while playing a variety of games such as the Call of Duty, Super Smash Bros., Fortnite, NBA2K, Madden, Overwatch 2, Counter-Strike, Valorant, and more.  

High school students follow up July 15-17 diving into more advanced gaming strategies, said NETC Athletic Director and Esports Head Coach Tyler Nolan. 

Spaces limited to 16 participants on a first-come, first-serve basis. Registration is $150, which includes lunch throughout camp. 

“Between gaming sessions, students are tasked with researching and reporting on various topics about the video game industry, skills and education needed to enter various fields, and jobs available,” said Nolan, whose gaming background includes being a member of pro team FaZe Clan earning a spot through a national competition and maintaining streaming content.  

“The video game industry generates about $100 billion annually in America outperforming Hollywood with opportunity to be a part of it from game developers to reporting,” he said. 

High school students who enjoy competition gaming, can transition into the intramural program open all full-time, part-time, and dual enrollment NETC students, Nolan said.  

However, to be an official Trailblazer team member, students must be full time with at least 12 semester hours and maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0, according to National Junior College Athletic Association rules, in which NETC participates under.  

Competitive gaming generates more than billion dollars annually in the United States with professional teams franchising into larger areas, Nolan said.  



Outside of playing a video game competitively, career paths in esports are like physical sports – video NETC’s set-up for student gamers consists of 20 Alienware machines with monitors in a dedicated space in the John C. West Building.