Contributor Review by Brittany Sullivan: The Happy Elf

Photo from Montgomery College

Harry Connick Jr. visited Rockville on Saturday and was interviewed by Montgomery College student Brittany Sullivan, one of the writers for My Life At MC, an uncensored and unedited blog by nine students who write about their experiences both inside and outside the classroom.

On Saturday, November 13, 2010, Harry Connick Jr. made a star-studded appearance to Montgomery College to help promote his new children’s musical, The Happy Elf. Montgomery College and Adventure Theatre teamed up together to present a new, live stage production that told the story of Eubie, a North Pole elf who must bring Christmas joy to the sad little town of Bluesville to ultimately win a coveted spot on Santa’s sleigh team. Other big names in the industry helped to make this production possible including Tony Award-winners John Rando and Michael Rupert.

Harry Connick Jr. explained “this is a really exciting project, and it is my first time writing children’s music; however, it is still a work in progress.” The Happy Elf originated as a song, and later adapted into an animated TV special. Connick adds: “The stage version gets more deep into the character than the TV special. The show has a deeper meaning, it’s thicker.”

This was Connick’s first time to Montgomery College but he was “thrilled about The Happy Elf coming here,” citing Dr. Pollard’s ambition and the healthy campus environment.

This will be The Happy Elf’s last workshop before it attempts Broadway in New York. Each workshop allows for the cast to make their own interpretation of the script. “This will be the second innovation of writing the script,” explained Connick, “but that’s the great thing about theater; that’s how it works.”

When asked which character most resembled him, he chose the main happy elf, Eubie. “I am very impulsive and enthusiastic,” stated Connick, “but sometimes I can have a short attention span. However, I think there is a little Eubie in all of us.”

This hour and fifteen minute production had both its pros and cons. The vocals by Clint Johnson and Elliot Dash were spectacular, and had the smooth richness required to conquer the jazz melodies. Also, the set and lighting helped capture the audience and bring them into Santa’s workshop and the town of Bluesville. However, there were small glitches in the sound department, and the vocals by Valerie Issembert and Nova Y. Payton were pitchy at times. For a play that was filled with so much talent I felt that it compared to the typical Montgomery College production. The songs were not extremely catchy, and when asked to perform one of his songs he wrote for the play, Connick had trouble remembering the lyrics and required assistance from Clint Johnson.

The Happy Elf is a production that is sure to amuse children, but if it wishes to perform on Broadway there is much room for improvement. It will continue to play at Montgomery College at the Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center through November 28, 2010. For more information you can visit www.montgomerycollege.edu or www.adventuretheatre.org.

Brittany Sullivan

This is a contributor review. We welcome submissions on all sorts of things — shopping, restaurants, performances, art, cultural events, and more. Rules: it should be in Rockville, and you should try to be nice. Get in touch with us, [email protected], if you would like to submit something!

Weekend to Weekend Pick 11-11-10: The Happy Elf

Official Montgomery College photograph by Sanjay Suchak

Montgomery College and Adventure Theatre open The Happy Elf at the Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center on the Rockville Campus this weekend. The musical features music and lyrics by Harry Connick Jr., and is directed by Tony Award-winning director John Rando, and features Tony Award-winning actor Michael Rupert.

The Happy Elf
Dates and Times:
Previews – November 12 at 10:30 AM & 7 PM & November 13 at 11 AM
November 19 at 10:30 AM
November 14, 20, 21, 27 & 28 at 11 AM & 3 PM
November 13, 18, 19, 20, 26, & 27 at 7 PM
Tickets are $20 Regular, $15 Seniors and Students
Box office information at the Parilla Performing Arts Center of Montgomery College Rockville.

“The Happy Elf started as a song from Harry Connick Jr. on his 2003 holiday cd, and was later developed into a 2005 CGI-animated TV special. This new, live stage production tells the story of Eubie, a North Pole elf who always wears a smile. Eubie’s overly optimistic outlook is put to the test when he decides to bring Christmas joy to the sad little town of Bluesville, which has fallen into a state of permanent blues. If Eubie can fix Bluesville, he may win a coveted spot on Santa’s sleigh team.”

Montgomery College Inaugurates A New President

Photo from Montgomery College

On Friday, October 29, 2010, Dr. DeRionne P. Pollard was inaugurated as the ninth chief executive officer in the College’s 64 year history with approximately 700 people in attendance including Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio, County Councilmember Phil Andrews, and Maryland Senator Jennie Forehand. The Rockville City Police Department’s honor guard showed our City’s support for the College by presiding over the presentation of the colors.

During her speech, Dr. Pollard emphasized her high aspirations for our local community college:

My vision is for Montgomery College to become the most relevant community college in the country by meeting the needs of our students and our community. The Board of Trustees and I want this institution to be as meaningful to the lives and goals of our students, employers, and community as we can possibly be.

Although an educated workforce is key to maintaining our standing in the world, Dr. Pollard explained that in just a decade, the U.S. has fallen from first place to ninth in the proportion of young people with a college degree, then she painted a picture of Montgomery County today:

• Nearly 30 percent of public school children rely on free and reduced meals at their schools each day;
• 13 percent of public school students are enrolled in ESOL courses;
• A family of four needs around $100,000 to live without government assistance (referenced from Wider Opportunities for Women report, 2010.), but many families don’t reach that threshold.

Photo from Montgomery College

Dr. Pollard underscored the importance of education to economic security and quality of life:

We feel—we see—increasing desperation for more and more Americans who are struggling to pay their bills, maintain a roof over their heads, and take their kids to the doctor when they are sick. People worry about getting—or keeping—the kinds of good jobs that support a middle class life.

And yet, there are good jobs out there, like registered nurses, computer support specialists, police officers, and auto mechanics. Area employers are still looking for skilled employees, but the reality is that while 48 percent of all jobs in Maryland are classified as middle-skill, only 37 percent of Maryland’s workers have the education and training required to fill these positions. And, they require a college education or certificate.

She explained that the College is not only in the business of meeting this requirement, but it also is in the business of changing lives:

We have seen, firsthand, how Montgomery College can change the trajectory of an individual; transform the quality of life for a family; and enhance the intellectual, economic, and cultural essence of a community.

She intends to throw open her arms to ensure that every person receives a college education by serving both the “haves” and the “have-nots”, in order to make the College fully relevant to the entire community. Education is the only truly liberating and equalizing force and a high school diploma isn’t enough anymore. Students who earn an associate’s degree from Montgomery College, when compared to those workers with only their high school diplomas, earn $593,000 more in salary over a lifetime. Dr. Pollard stressed that a college degree is the most reliable way to break a cycle of poverty for a family.

Since President Barack Obama has challenged community colleges to produce an additional 5 million graduates in the next ten years, the state of Maryland has embraced the completion agenda. The community colleges in Maryland have committed to increasing their graduation numbers by 20 percent in just two years. Dr. Pollard called on the College community to join her in supporting the national and state initiatives to increase college graduation.

Montgomery College is the second largest undergraduate institution in the state, behind the University of Maryland College Park. The College serves nearly 60,000 students a year, through both credit and noncredit programs, in more than 100 areas of study, including continuing education and training opportunities through noncredit courses and programs offered by the Workforce Development and Continuing Education division.

In the Campus Conversation interview below, Dr. Pollard highlights her “radically inclusive” philosophy where everyone is engaged and involved for the long haul. She believes by working together, Montgomery College can make a difference in our community.

Predrag Gosta's New Trinity Baroque Debuts In Rockville

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Photo from NTB by Richard Calmes

As some of you may know, Predrag Gosta, formerly with the National Philharmonic, often jets down to Atlanta, as well as many other places in the world. Well, he’s finally bringing Atlanta to Rockville!

Predrag founded and conducts New Trinity Baroque (NTB) which calls Atlanta its home while presenting over 25 concerts and educational events each season. His NTB is doing a special Gala Scholoarship Concert for Montgomery College’s School of Music at Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center on Thursday night, March 11, 2010 at 7:30 PM.

This concert is NTB’s debut in Washington DC area. The program for the evening is entitled “VIVALDI ON FIRE” and will feature as a soloist Magdalena Wor, who sang at the November’s Haydn/Mendelssohn concert as well - she is alumni of the Young Artists Program with P. Domingo. NTB uses “period instruments, stylistically appropriate voices, and historically informed techniques” to delight its audiences.

Tickets are $25 (students only $10). For more information and tickets visit newtrinitybaroque.org or call the Performing Arts Center’s Box Office at (240) 567-5301.

Montgomery College President Out

As >Rockville Central readers know, Montgomery College president Brian K. Johnson has been under fire for a number of issues including erratic behavior and exorbitant expenses. Last night the Montgomery College board of trustees voted “overwhelmingly” to place him on paid administrative leave effective immediately. His contract, which is up in June, will not be renewed.

Former vice president and provost of Montgomery College’s Germantown campus, Hercules Pinkney, will serve as intermim president.

From the Washington Post’s excellent roundup:

We arrived at these decisions after much discussion and deliberation,” said Michael C. Lin, chair of the board of trustees, speaking at the conclusion of a four-hour, closed-door meeting. “We make this decision for the greater good of Montgomery College and the entire community at large.”

Johnson could not be reached for comment immediately after the vote. The trustees’ action followed a no-confidence vote on Johnson by faculty members last week and allegations of mismanagement and overspending compiled by faculty leaders over the summer.

Lin said the vote to remove Johnson was “overwhelming” and came after “a long, long discussion, as you can tell by the hour.” Trustees met at 6 p.m. and emerged shortly after 10.

Montgomery College serves 60,000 students and is the largest community college in Maryland.

We wish Interim President Pinkney the best of success in restoring confidence of the college’s community.

Montgomery College President To Face Trustees Thursday

As >Rockville Central readers know, our neighbors at Montgomery College have been the subject of some controversy over the effects of their no-smoking policy on the surrounding neighborhood. (The latest on this is that the City and the College are discussing the possibility of a timed access system so people can use the gates into and out of campus — a system not unlike one in use at American University.)

However, there is another and possibly more serious controversy at the largest community college in Maryland. College president Brian K. Johnson, who began his tenure two years ago, has come under fire recently from a number of quarters over lavish spending and erratic behavior. Last week, faculty overwhelmingly approved a “no confidence” resolution, according to the Washington Post.

This morning, the Post includes more details on some of the allegations:

Faculty leaders have compiled a dossier on Johnson’s activities, building a case that the president of Maryland’s largest community college, with 60,000 students, should be investigated and placed on administrative leave. The 10-member board of trustees meets Thursday to consider his future. Any action taken by the board requires a majority vote of the members present for ratification. . . .

“It’s a mess,” said Rose Sachs, president of the local chapter of the American Association of University Professors. “And I think we’re all feeling it.”

Johnson, 52, has made little public comment on the controversy. He told colleagues in a statement Friday, “I remain focused on our students and ensuring that they receive the high-quality education and services that they expect and deserve.” He said he would answer his accusers “in an appropriate manner in the near future.” Johnson said, through a college spokesman, that he is not commenting on the allegations on advice of counsel.

Contributor Opinion By Elyse Gussow: Open Access To Princeton Place

>Presented Before The Montgomery College Board of Trustees Meeting on June 15, 2009:

Good Evening, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I come to you this evening representing the Community Task Force for Open Access to Montgomery College to request that Montgomery College continue on the path to re-establish pedestrian and bicycle access to and from the Montgomery College campus.

We understand that Montgomery College has signed a separate twenty-page Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City of Rockville to open the fence at the Princeton Place cul-de-sac on July 3, 2009 to permit their neighbors access to view the fireworks. We appreciate very much your doing this.

We wish to remind you of two highly attended meetings sponsored by the City of Rockville this spring at which the overwhelming voices were for the re-opening of the access to Princeton Place . We further assure you that there was no advance orchestration of what the citizens who spoke to at those meetings presented regarding opening the fence and restoring the pedestrian and bicycle entrance to the College from the community. Those opinions reflect the 40 years of open access that has been a hallmark of the relationship of our residential community and our immediate neighbor, Montgomery College . We would most earnestly request that the Board of Trustees exercise its authority to ensure the continuity of that relationship throughout the coming years. The leadership of our community is working with the City of Rockville to assure that necessary procedures will be in place to provide necessary assurances to nearby residents such as establishing permit parking on Princeton Place and advocating implementation of Neighborhood Watch, and appropriate management of Anderson Park .

At the recent mediation overseen by the Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County no conclusion was reached in that one side would not consider re-opening the fence. The mediation began on time and ended abruptly without agreement to have further meetings. Opposing views were made known but no follow-up mediation sessions were planned.

In order to move the process forward, other Community Task Force members met earlier tonight with Mayor Susan Hoffman and Council Member Anne Robbins to request the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), prepared in good faith by Montgomery College, be made part of the Mayor and City Council agenda. However, in recent hours we learned that the Mayor and City Council are at this time preparing the City’s presentation as a finalist for the All American City Award and will, we understand, defer their consideration of the MOU until they next meet on Monday, June 22.

With final accord on the MOU between the City of Rockville and Montgomery College regarding the gathering/smoking area, that with conclusion of those necessary actions, we respectfully request that the Board of Trustees direct the Rockville campus administration to proceed forthwith with re-opening the pedestrian and bicycle access to and from Anderson Park in the vicinity of Princeton Place. If possible, we would welcome the opportunity for representatives of the community to meet with college officials regarding the details of the timing and scope of the re-opening of that fence. The citizens of College Gardens and Plymouth Woods, a community of 1100 residences, very much look forward to the re-establishment of this pedestrian and bicycle access to and from the Rockville campus of Montgomery College .

Further we welcome that this kind of pedestrian access is an opportunity for Montgomery College to support the stated goals of Governor Martin O’Malley’s administration as well as that of President Barack Obama to restore the environmental advantage that such access provides the community, the college and the City of Rockville .

Let us agree to join together to knit the wounds and continue working together toward resolution and to further enhance our long-standing relationship of the College Gardens subdivision of Rockville and the Rockville campus of Montgomery College which we cherish.

Thank you for time for the opportunity to speak to you tonight on this important matter.

Elyse Gussow, On Behalf of the Community Task Force for Open Access to Montgomery College

This contributor opinion is by Elyse Gussow, writing on behalf of the Community Task Force for Open Access to Montgomery College.

This is a contributor opinion. Rockville Central encourages readers to submit such opinions for consideration — the more voices the better. We especially welcome people who disagree with us. We ask that all such contributions be civil and we reserve the right to edit (in consultation with the author) or reject. Contributor opinions should not be seen as reflecting opinions held by Rockville Central editors, as they are just as frequently at odds with our own views. That’s the whole point!

Contributor Opinion By Gerry Cashin: Princeton Place Access To Montgomery College

>It seems logical to most folks that a reasonable, cost-effective first approach to re-open the Princeton Place access to Montgomery College would be to establish the gathering/smoking area sooner rather than later, institute permit parking on Princeton Place, install surveillance cameras at the fence and in Anderson Park, give the smokers an incentive to go to the gathering area, and open the existing fence at the Princeton Place cul-de-sac. See what happens!

Don’t forget the disabled who absolutely require unblocked access at all times! Compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act comes to mind.

As the City of Rockville moves its application through the All-American City Award process, keep in mind the residents of College Gardens and Plymouth Woods as well as Princeton Place. As stated in the City’s press release, “An All-America City has a proven capacity for community-based problem solving, grassroots civic engagement and cooperation between sectors (public, private and nonprofit).”

It’s beyond a sad day when our elected officials, staff and academic neighbors -– all public servants — ignore the greater good of the community.

Gerry Cashin

This is a contributor opinion. Rockville Central encourages readers to submit such opinions for consideration — the more voices the better. We especially welcome people who disagree with us. We ask that all such contributions be civil and we reserve the right to edit (in consultation with the author) or reject. Contributor opinions should not be seen as reflecting opinions held by Rockville Central editors, as they are just as frequently at odds with our own views. That’s the whole point!

Loophole Allows City To Rescue College Smokers

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Demise Of The Duck Pond

A reader recently sent a note: >“Did you know that the duck pond at Montgomery College has already had the ducks and geese eliminated and the frogs,fish,turtles, etc. are next? Life in and at the pond will be gone. So many years that pond has given us so much, it is hard to watch its life disappear. . . . [W]hy drive away or kill the creatures living there? It has always been a place for photos and summer strolls and conversations. Even a blue heron stopped there. Seems a shame to end it. True, a new science building is good but I believe the pond should remain.”

This reader is not alone, as our friends at the Gazette point out this week:

Montgomery College’s decision to drain a storm-water management pond for a construction project without removing the fish and wildlife that inhabited it has angered many students and faculty on the Rockville campus.

“It’s disgusting,” said Evin Eldridge, 20, who is to graduate from Montgomery College in the fall. “The most ironic thing is this is going to be a biology center.”

A new, roughly $60 million science center is being built on the Rockville campus. The planned four-story building will house the biology, chemistry, physics, engineering and geosciences departments. . . . The pond was to be drained as part of the construction. As of Tuesday, most of the water had been removed. Fish that were in the pond either were pumped out into the stream or scooped up with other debris, said college spokesman Brett Eaton.

Our reader included a watercolor by Mary Jane Lynch, “showing how wonderful the pond has been thru the years.” Here it is:

Contributor Opinion By Carl Henn: The Five Trees Agreement For Princeton Place

Montgomery College: Smokers, Take A Walk

Today’s >Gazette details the lengths to which students who smoke will go in order to satisfy their need for a butt: they’ll take a walk off campus, through a hole in a fence, and right into College Gardens.

That’s got Rockville Central friend and College Gardens Civic Association president former president Mark Pierzchala steamed, saying they’ve simply “externalized the problem.” Translation: by banning smoking on campus, the school has handed the problem over to the neighboring community.

And a problem it is, evidently. “It really is becoming a dump,” the Gazette quotes Judith A. Pretka. “There are so many cigarette butts and cigarette packets and Starbucks cups left there.” Pierzchala says it’s more than just a few people complaining, too. His groupp wants the ban lifted.

For its part, the College is standing firm against any suggestion that it reinstitute its old policy of no smoking within 25 feet of buildings. “That’s a bit challenging,” replies vice president and provost Dr. Judy Ackerman in the Gazette. “The purpose of the ban is to create a healthy campus and repealing it would be back-stepping.”

Students agree that the ban has had some unintended consequences on the health of the surrounding neighborhood. “[I]t’s just moving the problem,” according to one 22-year-old student smoker. “Now residents have to deal with us, and that’s not fair to them.”

[UPDATED 9:10pm]

Montgomery College To Get New Science Building

>The Washington Business Journal reports that Montgomery College’s flagship Rockville campus has received $29 million from the State to build a science center.

Lt. Governor Anthony Brown made an appearance today to deliver the check.

Per the Business Journal:

“Community colleges are the largest suppliers of workforce training in Maryland and Governor O’Malley and I are proud to support their efforts,” said Brown, in a statement. “With the addition of the Rockville Science Center, Montgomery College will provide the training and skills to even more Marylanders and will continue to promote Montgomery County’s vibrant I-270 biotech corridor.”

The building is expected to house chemistry, biology, physics, engineering, and geosciences. It’s also slated to be LEED gold-certified, placing it on the cutting edge of environmentally aware development.

Economic Development Through Ties With Asia

>There is an excellent profile of Dr. Pradeep Ganguly, the director of the Department of Economic Development for Montgomery County, in Asian Fortune News. He is the driving force behind county executive Ike Leggett’s “Smart Montgomery” business development strategy.

Basketball in Rockville

Did you know Rockville has its own professional basketball team? Neither did I, but that is because I live under a rock. It’s called the Maryland Nighthawks and the team has >recently joined the Premier Basketball League.

The PBL says it “will not only offer fans affordable sports entertainment, but will also re-establish the fan-player bond that was once the foundation of professional athletics.” It markets itself as an antidote to the high-price, high-glitz world of the NBA.

The best part? The Nighthawks play right down the street at Montgomery College!

Oh, one other thing. The Nighthawks are a bona fide World Record team:

Maryland achieved a Guinness Book world record by starting the tallest lineup in the history of basketball. The lineup included 7’9″ Sun Ming Ming, 7’7″ former Washington Bullet Gheorghe Muresan, 7’1″ Ayo Adigun, 7’0″ Deng D’Awol, and 6’8″
Barry Mitchell.

The season’s over, but I plan to see a few games when it comes back around.