Calendar of Events

Monday, December 9

Today-Last day of classes

6:00 p.m.-On-Campus Evening New Student Orientation (Cordell Conf. Room A)

Tuesday, December 10

Today-Final Exams

11:30 a.m.-20^th Century Library Club Christmas Luncheon (Magnolia Room)

7:00 p.m.-Brooks Body Shop Christmas Banquet (Magnolia Room)

Wednesday, December 11

Today-Final Exams

10:00 a.m.-CPA Satellite Program (Cordell Conf. Room C)

Noon-DFCS Christmas Luncheon (Magnolia Room)

1:00 p.m.-Nursing Division Final (Cordell Conf. Room A)

Thursday, December 12

Today-Final Exams

10:00 a.m.-University System Comprehensive Program Review Workshop (Cordell Conf. Room A & C)

11:30 a.m.-Faculty/Staff Luncheon (Magnolia Room)

7:00 p.m.-First Baptist Adult IV Sunday School Dinner (Dining Hall)

Friday, December 13

11:30 a.m.-CAAP Testing (Cordell Conf. Room)

11:00 a.m.-Graduation Rehearsal (Gressette Gym)

11:30 a.m.-Prestolite Christmas Luncheon (Dining Hall)

5:00 p.m.-TCHS Chorus Madrigal Rehearsal (Dining Hall)

Saturday, December 14

8:00 a.m.-National ACT (Student Life Hearing Room)

7:00 p.m.-TCHS Chorus Madrigal Dinner (Dining Hall)

Monday, December 16

Noon-South Georgia Bank Board Meeting (Magnolia Room)

Tuesday, December 17

6:00 p.m.-ABAC Graduation (Gressette Gym)

7:00 p.m.-Police Academy Graduation (Cordell Conf. Room)

7:00 p.m.-Southern Ave. Church of God Banquet (Dining Hall)

7:30 p.m.-Northside Baptist Deacons Christmas Banquet (Magnolia Room)

Thursday, December 19

9:00 a.m.-Institutional SAT (Student Life Hearing Room)

6:30 p.m.-City of Tifton Employees Christmas Banquet (Dining Hall)

7:00 p.m.-Kelley Manufacturing Management Christmas Dinner (Magnolia Room)

Friday, January 3

6:00 p.m.-Paulk/Martin Wedding Rehearsal (Chapel)

Saturday, January 4

6:00 p.m.-Paulk/Martin Wedding (Chapel)

7:00 p.m.-Paulk/Martin Wedding Reception (Dining Hall)

Monday, January 6

Today-New Student Orientation

7:00 p.m.-Basketball: Stallions vs. Seminole (Gressette Gym)

ABAC on the Square

ABAC on the Square, the Downtown Moultrie Association, and the Moultrie-Colquitt County Chamber of Commerce will host Business After Hours at ABAC on the Square Thursday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The annual Colquitt County Christmas ornament design involves ABAC on the Square this year.

Regent Hunt to Speak at Graduation

John Hunt, a member of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, will be the guest speaker at ABAC’s graduation ceremony on Dec. 17 at 6 p.m. in Gressette Gym.

Appointed by Governor Zell Miller in 1997 to the Board of Regents, Hunt represents the Second Congressional District. He is a member of the class of 1960 at ABAC and an alumnus of the University of Georgia. Born in Ashburn, he currently lives in Tifton.

Hunt is President of J. H. Services, Inc. in Tifton, operators of Shoney’s and Captain D’s restaurants in South Georgia; Treasurer of R-One, Inc. in Tifton, operators of Shoney’s restaurants in Naples and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; and President of Hunt Advertising and Communications, Inc. His other business interests include apartments and real estate, National Franchise Advisory Board for Shoney’s, Inc., and farm related activities.

Hunt is a past president of the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce and was instrumental in locating several major industries, bringing over 1,000 new jobs to Tifton. He was a member of the Stone Mountain Memorial Association for 17 years and Chairman for nine years. During that tenure, Stone Mountain became the third largest park in the United States in terms of visitors.

Approximately 105 graduates are expected to participate in the ceremony.

New Tift Hall Occupants

The Admissions Office and the Evening and Off-Campus Programs Office are now located in Tift Hall. Admissions personnel now located in Tift Hall include Angie Palmer, Joyce Willis, Bruce Applewhite, Carlos Howard, and Traci Bryan. Evening and Off-Campus personnel now located in Tift Hall include Dr. Gail Dillard and Ellen Resta. They are located in the former Registrar’s Office.

PSBOC to Move

The Public Service and Business Outreach Center at ABAC will move to Weltner Hall on Jan. 13. Vonda Doss and Mandy Vassey of the former Youth Connection Program will now be a part of the PSBOC staff and will be working with a new program called ABAC Kids College.

Last FOCUS Today

This is the final issue of this prized publication for the calendar year 2002. The next issue of the FOCUS will appear in your boxes on Jan. 6, 2003.

Personnel Changes

Director of College Services Bertha Daniel reports that Wasdon Graydon is now serving as the interim director of the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) and the High School Equivalency Program (HEP). Marsha Anderson is the interim director of Student Support Services. Vonda Doss now serves as a program coordinator for Public Service and Business Outreach, and Mandy Vassey is a senior secretary for PSBOC.

No Water December 18

Beginning at high noon on Dec. 18, there will be no water in Conger Hall, Branch Hall, the Carlton Center, King Hall, the Horticulture Building, the Chambliss Building, and Chandler Hall. December 18-22 is the anticipated cut off. The reason for the lack of water is continued construction on the Pedestrian Mall.

Csinos Joins Admissions

Celebrating Birthdays

December

9 Trina Jones

10 Evonne Connell

12 Jeffrey Wilson

16 Tammy Groover

17 Stephanie Holcombe

18 Ava Courtoy January

18 Bam Pirkle 2 Abul Sheik

18 Verlin Scott 3 Vickie Wilson

20 Nathaniel Varnadoe 4 Lisa Lewis

21 James Weeks 5 James Weeks

23 Raymond Lundy 5 Emory Johnson

24 Kip Hall 5 Frank Landers

26 Herbert Shippey 6 Bobby Mathis

28 Alton Hudgins

29 Nancy Coleman

29 Garvie Nichols

29 Ellen Resta

Ali Csinos is the new admissions counselor at ABAC. She begins work on Dec. 16. Bruce Applewhite will be moving to take over the north Georgia recruiter’s position. Csinos received her liberal arts degree from ABAC in 1998. She was a member of the Golddusters, the Honors Program, and a staff writer for The Stallion. She continued her education at the University of Georgia where she received a B.S. degree in ag communications in December, 2000, and her master’s degree in ag extension education in August, 2002.

NSO This Week

New student orientation for evening students on the Tifton campus will be held today at 6 p.m. New student orientation for ABAC on the Square will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday in Moultrie.

Seven More Certificates

The Curriculum Committee has approved seven more certificate programs, including Office Technology, Web Technologies, Business Systems, Administration and Supervision, Sales Technology, Small Business Management, and the Paraprofessional Certificate in Education. The Paraprofessional Certificate will have to be approved by the Board of Regents.

Notes of Thanks

Thank you for all your kind words, prayers, cards, and flowers during the hospitalization of my husband, Gene. It is great to be a part of the ABAC family.

Margie Senkbeil

Dear faculty and staff members,

Thanks for remembering me in the loss of my mother. Your green plant, cards, prayers, and words of comfort all meant a lot.

Hubert Wood

I would like to thank the Tift Hall family, President Vollmer, and his wife, Lennie, for your prayers and support during my recovery. Thank you for coming to see me while I was in the hospital. I will always be grateful for your generosity. You will always be in my heart. I love you all!

I would also like to thank my co-workers, boss, supervisors, and ABAC maintenance for their warm welcome. God bless you all, and God bless America!

Fran Kester

On behalf of my husband, Isaiah, and the Kinchen family, thank you for all your acts of kindness during the loss of my brother-in-law. Your cards, calls, and prayers were very much appreciated. During times like these, it reminds me of how proud I am to have my extended ABAC family.

Fran Kinchen

Care and Concern

Maggie Martin’s husband, Mike Goss, is recuperating after undergoing surgery on Nov. 22. Jewrell Rivers’ wife, Janie, is also recuperating after undergoing surgery on Dec. 5.

Retired ABAC staff member Sandra Hunt’s husband, Mitch, underwent bypass surgery on Dec. 2 after suffering a heart attack. Retired ABAC faculty member Ellen Vickers suffered a massive stroke during the Thanksgiving holidays. Keep these members of the ABAC Family in your thoughts and prayers.

New Phone Numbers

The new Enrollment Services Office in the J. Lamar Branch Student Center is now open for business. New phone numbers include Michelle Barton, 3394; Anita Hobbs, 3236; Anita White, 3236; and Ramonda Holton, 3564. Personnel in the office with the same numbers are Stephanie Hightower, 3243; Caren Bierbaum, 3434; Evonne Connell, 3649; Jennifer Murphy, 7235; Angie Newbern, 3236; and Beth Saxon, 3236.

Official Holidays

ABAC will be closed for official holidays on Dec. 23-27 and on Jan. 1. The college will be open Dec. 30-31 and Jan. 2-3. Classes for the spring term begin Jan. 8.

Notes of Sympathy

The ABAC Family expresses sympathy to Mary Ellen Hicks whose mother passed away on Nov. 24. Sympathy is also extended to Jim May whose father passed away during the Thanksgiving holidays. Sympathy is expressed as well to Polly Huff whose uncle, Guy Finch, also passed away during the holidays. Keep these families in your thoughts and prayers.

Positions Open

ABAC:

■ GEAR UP Program Specialist (deadline 12/10)

Permanent Part-Time, Salary $833.33 per month

Contact the Office of Human Resources for details.

ABAC Family

Sheila Hughes attended the National Communication Association’s annual convention in New Orleans on Nov. 20-24. She was elected as the secretary to the National Communication College Association. She also conducted a panel on hosting forensics tournaments.

Dr. Ed Seagle served as a judge for the Georgia Farm Bureau Federation’s W.J. MCKemie Award for Excellence at Jekyll Island on Dec. 1 during the organization’s 64^th annual conference

Mike Chason spoke to Wendy Smith’s career exploration class at Tift County High School on opportunities at ABAC on Nov. 21.

Melvin Merrill and Mike Chason attended the Georgia Education Advancement Council meeting in Young Harris on Nov. 13-15.

Bruce Applewhite and Robin Poor represented ABAC at the annual Georgia School Counselors Association Convention held in Savannah Nov. 20-22.