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INSIDE!
Freelon
continues
mission
page 4
Bisons
basketball
Christmas
collage
pages 10-11
THE
WCC
volume 4 no. 1
Tebruary 20V1991
Gulf crisis affects WCC
Bobby Parnell automotive instructor, (le-ft), shares
a farewell handshake with Jack Byrd, Chair,
Automotive Department,
By: Mar t i n Cox
The recent situation in
the Middle East has a-f-fect-
ed several students, sta-f-f,
and faculty members at
Wayne Community College.
Two -faculty members in
reserve units have been
called up for retraining
that will lead to their
eventual deployment.
Bobby Parnell, instruc
tor in the automotive
department, was activated
to a Coast Guard Reserve
unit.
Parnell, who works on
maintenance for patrol
boats, has been assigned to
Camp Banning, Florida, for
orientation and training.
Then he will probably be
deployed to the Persian
Gulf .
Ron Prince, aviation
department instructor, is
an Air Force reservist who
was called up to active
duty during the Christmas
hoii day.
Harry Blanchard,
aviation department head,
said Prince knew of his
impending deployment a
couple of months ahead of
t ime but they still had
difficulty f i ndi ng a
replacement.
Another faculty member
commented on the difficulty
of having a deployed
spouse.
She also finds she has
little time for homework
and does it when she can.
Because of these circum
stances, she has expressed
interest in a student/
faculty support group being
organized to help people
deal with the situation in
the M i ddle East.
The proposed support
organization could provide
babysitting services for
parents who need i t,
help with homework by
providing tutors in the
home, and poss i bly help
with household chores as
well as lending an ear to
someone who needs it.
Many of the services
mentioned could also be
provided by existing clubs
and organizations.
She, as well as other
students, have expressed
interest in having the
Learning Resource Center's
<LRC) hours changed to
accommodate inconvenienced
students better.
She proposed that the
library could close on a
slow weeknight for a few
hours and reopen on Sunday
afternoon for those hours,
still retaining the same
amount of hours open per
week .
Photo; Marty Cox
Her husband flies F-15E
Strike Eagles in the Gulf.
She said he's been gone
since the beginning of the
deployment of forces in
August.
She speaks of her family
having their ups and downs.
Another part-time
faculty member whose spouse
is a KC-10 pilot deployed
in the Middle East said,
"It's hardest on the kids."
Students also either
have been called up to
active duty themselves or
have had spouses who have
been called up.
The college has cooper
ated by allowing recalled
students a tuition refund.
One college transfer
student whose husband is in
the Gulf area said, "I try
to make things as normal as
possible at home."
She and a friend of
hers whose husband is also
in the Middle East take
turns watching each other's
k i ds.
She said she enjoys
going to class and finds
it's more important to her
now than ever for the
adult company and conver
sation.
She finds the support of
other military wives
extremely important to help
her get through this trying
t ime .
Bush visits SJAFB
By: Dennis Cain
February 1, 1991 is a
day that Seymour Johnson
will not soon forget, for
this Friday morning was
full of activity as news of
the President's arrival
spread rapidly.
Trying to go down the
road outside the front gate
was a nightmare. The usual
driving time is about 5
minutes, but on this part-
ticular morning, it took
20 minutes.
[ CfMtt. p. 13]
President Bush signs autographs for the crowd
at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
Photo: Dennis Cain