Monday, August 3, 2009

Southeast Whitesburg Mural--31 A stopping point

Today's painting marks a temporary stopping point. I finished off the last grouping of students that I had sketched in. Now I must wait to see where the plaque is placed before continuing on this area of the painting.

Also I have to stop work for several days. Tomorrow begins our in-service meetings that mark the beginning of a new academic year. The first day's sessions will be on our "main" campus in town of Cumberland in Harlan County. Then Wednesday and Thursday in-service sessions will move to the Harlan campus of the college. We have two other campuses, both in Bell County -- one in Pineville and the other in Middlesboro. According to Google maps, it is 85 miles from the Whitesburg campus in the northeast of our service area to the Middlesboro campus in the southwest of our service area. Which is why aside from the in-service sessions, we hold most of our meetings using interactive television or Internet conferencing.


The last face I did today belongs to Brandi White Gentry, who like Johnny King has been a recipient of the Excellence in Sociology award given every spring. Brandi has overcome a lot of physical and mental obstacles to obtain an education. She is one of the most cheerful people I've ever met. She sincerely looks for the good in everyone, even those who cause her pain. She is not only very smart, but very curious about the world, and most of all she is persistent!


Below is an overview of the wall to date.

4 comments:

Jim said...

Your mural is progressing very nicely and looks really nice!
I don't envy you starting back in a way, retirement life is wonderful.
But ... if I lived across the street from campus I would still be teaching. One of my friends, a (very) few years younger than me, has moved up here in retirement land but keeps an apartment across the street so he doesn't have to retire.
Teaching college students was more rewarding for me than any of my aeorspace NASA and Air Force work.

So best wishes for the upcoming semester, you are getting many new chances at helping students get started in a new life. Almost one per student.
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Jim said...

Does your school have athletics? Famous (or infamous) ones are always a draw, they might provide action in the mural.

We had Sam Cassell and Steve Francis, basketball players, and others on our teams. Those two were in my business classes and went on to professional status.
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You may erase this comment after reading if you'd like. Thanks for all you do, you help me more than you might think. I like the insight you are able to contribute in light of your field of expertise.
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sgreerpitt said...

Jim, thanks for the comments, I always appreciate your thoughts. We don't have athletics at the community colleges, which has its drawbacks and its plusses!

Qaro said...

Sorry, I thought I commented. Looking good! : )