The Pioneer Press

By Erin Holloway

“The Pioneer Pen prints any art forms from poetry to short stories, memoirs, photography, videos, cartoons, and songs,” said Laura McClister, faculty advisor and chair of the English department.

The Pioneer Pen has been Volunteer State Community College since 1995, known as “Squatter’s Rites,” before the name was changed, and every year they print a new issue.

The Pioneers Pen makes its yearly issues from art submitted by Vol State students through the school’s website. To submit, go to www.volstate.edu, go to “Academics,” click on “English” and “Publication,” then you sign a Creative Works waiver where you give Vol State permission to print your work while you still own it.  Then, you leave your name, email address and title of your work(s).

By Gloria Cortes

Construction for a pedestrian sidewalk around Volunteer State Community College was scheduled to begin last fall.  

In an email from Vol State Senior Director of Plant Operations Will Newman, the project has already begun.

Newman wrote, “One of the two crosswalks are under construction at the moment. Once the sidewalk that leads to Nashville Pike is complete the city will complete the crosswalk.”

By Gloria Cortes

Volunteer State Community College’s Work Based Learning (WBL) academic program gives eligible students the opportunity to earn work experience and college credit simultaneously through a course.

“Work Based Learning is an academic program that allows the student to gain work experience directly related to his/her academic major and/or vocational choice. Students work off campus and have the opportunity to apply classroom learning to practical work situations and learn work-related skills,” according to https://www.volstate.edu/work-based-learning.

Students must have a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA, 2.5 program GPA and 70 percent of their degree completed in order to be eligible for the program, but there can be an appeal if they are close to meeting the requirements depending on their situation.