The digital magazine for faculty, staff, students and friends of Pensacola State College
February 28, 2020
There are five new Pirate legends whose swashbuckling tales of athletic success and glory, and stories of unwavering support for Pensacola State College, are now forever enshrined in the college’s rich history and lore. Inducted into the PSC Athletics Hall of Fame in a ceremony at Hartsell Arena on Feb. 22 were Vicki Carson, iconic women’s basketball coach; Brenda Peña, former PSC softball coach and player; Donn Peery, longtime PSC athletic director; Doug Bates, former PSC baseball standout and PSC Foundation past-president; and Dan Shugart, longtime PSC supporter and advocate and veteran WEAR-TV sports director and anchor. A large crowd cheered loudly for the 2020 inductees during the ceremony, which took place between the women’s and men’s basketball games against Northwest Florida State College.  Troy Moon attended the ceremony and wrote this report.


Nine African-Americans were lynched in Santa Rosa County from 1884 to 1937. One of those horrendous murders happened less than a half-mile from the current Pensacola State College Milton campus, according to a PSC researcher. PSC personnel are taking a lead role in researching the Santa Rosa County lynchings, with hopes to document the brutal acts and, eventually, recognize the victims with a historical marker to be erected at a yet-to-be specified location. The PSC African American Student Association is one of nine community groups involved with the Santa Rosa Community Remembrance Coalition, which features community, civic and faith-based groups. PSC Milton campus instructor Darlene Mosley is the coalition’s coordinator. Mosley, along with fellow PSC colleague Tonie Anderson-Steele, are coalition researchers. The Santa Rosa Community Remembrance Coalition meets in the Student Center on the PSC Milton campus. The next meeting is from 6 to 8 p.m. on March 26. The group held its first meeting in January. Troy Moon spoke with members of the group about their work and their mission. 


Once again, Pensacola State College has been acknowledged as a top school for military veterans. PSC was named one of 625 “Military Friendly Schools” for 2020-2021 by VIQTORY, a veteran-owned company that connects former military members to civilian employment and educational opportunities. This is the 11th consecutive year that VIQTORY has named Pensacola State College as a Military Friendly school. In November, Pensacola State was named one of the 2020 “Best for Vets Schools” by the Military Times. “This community loves veterans," said Bill Tice, director of the college’s Veterans Student Support Services. “Pensacola State College is very pro-military. We’re fortunate to have two TRIO programs that focus specifically on veterans.” TRIO is a federally-funded initiative that includes eight programs targeted at specific demographics. PSC’s TRIO programs that assist veterans are Veterans Student Support Services and Veterans Upward Bound. 

Celebrate Great Outdoors at Lumberjack Festival
32nd annual competition/celebration takes place March 28 at PSC Milton
MILTON – Think you have what it takes to step into the Great Outdoors and test your mettle as a rugged lumberjack? (And we’re talking to everyone here – male and female, young and old.)

Then pull on your finest flannels (or whatever’s comfortable) and come to the 32nd Annual Northwest Florida Forestry Conclave and Lumberjack Festival.

Taking place from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 28, at Pensacola State College’s Milton campus, 5988 U.S. 90, the free festival has something for everybody, including children’s activities, tasty foods and treats and nature and wildlife exhibits.

The 2020 festival will take place near the outdoor track and softball fields. In previous years the festivities have been staged behind Building 4200.

“There’s much more room and much more space for vendors," said Milton campus interim dean Jennifer Hill Faron. “We will have a lot of different vendors and we’ll also be promoting PSC.” 

She said PSC’s Mobile Welding Truck will be on site for tours and hands-on virtual reality experience so that anyone can try their hand at welding.

Lumberjack competitions for adults – ages 16 and older – will take place throughout the day and include compass and pacing, axe throwing, knife throwing, log rolling, cross-cut sawing, pulpwood tossing and other events.

Events for youth ages 12 to 15 will be held from 8 to 10:30 a.m. and include knife throwing, compass and pacing and cross-cut sawing competitions.

Children 12 and younger can enjoy face painting, coloring, crafts and outdoor games from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Trophies will be awarded to the winners in each category. The top three male and female contestants with the highest overall points will earn trophies as Grand Champion Lumberjacks 2020.

Registration for the Lumberjack and Forestry Conclave competitions will begin at 7:30 a.m. Competitions are set for 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Senior citizens, middle and high school students and college students can compete for free. For other competitors, there is a $5 entry fee.

Admission is free to the festival. Canned good and nonperishable food item donations are welcome to help support the Milton campus Food Pantry.

For more information, go to: pensacolastate.edu/lumberjack/

WANT TO GO?

  • WHAT: 32nd Annual Northwest Florida Forestry Conclave and Lumberjack Festival
  • WHEN: 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 28
  • WHERE: Near the outdoor track and softball fields, Pensacola State College’s Milton campus, 5988 U.S. 90
  • COST: Some events have $5 entry fee
  • DETAILS: pensacolastate.edu/lumberjack/
CTE Month ends with Job Fair/Open House at Century Center
Pensacola State College’s Career and Technical Education Month comes to a close today with a Job Fair/Open House from 9 a.m. to noon at the Century Center.

Throughout this month, PSC's Career and Technical Education Student Resources has shared its success in sending students straight from the classroom to the workforce, with a series of events showcasing the program’s effectiveness in job training.

“Last year, we just did an open house,” said Deborah Hooks, CTE Student Resources director. “This year we decided we would do something every week. We just want to bring awareness to our program at all of our campuses and centers. And we want people to know what we do in this office, which is everything from providing internships to hosting job fairs, hiring events, and providing scholarships and book loans. There are just a lot of things we do through this office that much of our student population isn’t aware of.”

The month included a showcase of CTE student organizations – SkillsUSA, National Technical Honor Society and HOSA-Future Health Professionals.

CTE students are those working towards an Associate in Science degree, a vocational certificate or college credit certificate.

“These are the students who want to go right into the workforce,” Hooks said. “They’re our welding students, our carpentry students, our dental hygiene and massage therapy students. We have a ton of students who are hired right away because these programs at PSC prepare them for immediate employment.”
Students are invited to have 'Pizza With the President' in March
PSC students at the Pensacola, Milton and Warrington campuses are invited to come have a free lunch with President Ed Meadows in three events in March.

Students at the Pensacola campus will have "Pizza With the President" from noon to 1 p.m. Monday, March 23, at the Student Center. The Warrington campus lunch will be from noon to 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 26 , while the Milton event will be noon to 1 p.m. on Monday, March 30 .
Academy Award nominee Cynthia Erivo stars in 'Harriet'
Cynthia Erivo was nominated for an Academy Award for portraying legendary abolitionist Harriet Tubman in "Harriet," tonight's featured movie at the  Hagler Auditorium  on the Pensacola campus. The movie, which also was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, begins at  6:30 p.m.  The movie is  FREE  for all PSC students, faculty, staff, their families, and friends. Drinks and popcorn are provided by the  Campus Activities Board  (CAB).
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