The halls are hopping at Danville Area Community College despite the chill in the air. The spring semester is always the busiest for campus events and outreach, and 2024 is no different.
Before the first college students returned to campus, we had a full house at Mary Miller Center for the Vermilion County Principals’ Association Boys and Girls Basketball Tournament and Cheerleading Competition. We get such a charge from hosting this event and seeing all the local families on campus. Our media team goes all out producing hype videos and posters for each team so they get a real “college tournament” experience. Our goal is to leave everyone with a positive impression of our campus, our technology, and especially, our people.
In the middle of the tournament, regular 16-week spring classes got underway January 16. In the coming weeks our campus will host Danville High School’s Future Problem Solvers and Representative Robin Kelly in the Bremer Theater. That same day, January 23, our Nursing program is hosting a Community Blood Drive in Mary Miller Center.
On February 12, our Spring Late Start (12-week) classes begin. That’s also the first night of try-outs for the Jaguar Players’ spring musical, Bye Bye, Birdie! Try-outs are Feb. 12 and 13 at 6 pm in Jacobs Hall. Parts are open to students, staff, and community members. The performances will be May 3-5.
Also in February, on Saturday the 24th, is our PACC the Place event for Men’s and Women’s basketball. It’s sophomore night for both teams and admission will only be $1. Games are at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and we’ll have the Legends Dance Team perform for entertainment. Look for additional Black History Month events to be announced later.
March ushers in actual Spring, as well as our second set of 8-week classes beginning March 11. Applications for the Rad Tech, Echocardiography, and Sonography AAS programs are due by March 15 for the summer 2024 cohorts. This will be the first year for the Echo and Sono programs to be elevated to associate degrees.
March also brings the NJCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Tournament. This year the tournament starts Monday, March 18 — a day earlier — and we’re hosting 20 teams instead of 16, so get ready for some great basketball!
March 23 our Corporate Education department is hosting its 2nd annual Easter Egg Hunt starting at 10 a.m. Last year’s inaugural hunt was a big hit, despite the weather, so we’re hoping for repeat — of the crowd and fun, not the weather — this year. Meet on the Quad lawn between the Clock Tower Center and Lincoln Hall. The hunt is open to all ages.
The spring semester concludes with a bang in May. DACC Foundation scholarship applications, available online now at dacc.edu/scholarships, are due Wednesday, May 1. For the past three years, every qualified applicant attending DACC received at least one scholarship. Last year the awards totaled over $1 million.
We have a two-fer on May 2nd. We’ll be hosting our very first Alumni Mixer from 4 to 6 p.m. at Vermilion River Beer Company, and then the Liberal Arts division is hosting Open Mic Night at 7 p.m. in Vermilion Hall.
The Bremer Theater will be packed the weekend of May 3 through 5 for the Jaguar Players’ performances of Bye Bye, Birdie! Stay tuned for ticket information.
Graduation activities start off May 16 with the Nurses Pinning ceremony at 10 a.m. in the gym, and then the GED/Middle College graduation at 6pm. Commencement exercises for degrees and certificates are Friday, May 17 at 7 p.m. in the Mary Miller Gym.
Applications for the fall cohorts of Nursing Level 1 and 2 are due May 24 at noon. Applications for the Health Information Technology degree program are due May 31, and the Cancer Registry Management certificate program applications are due June 30.
Whether you come out for a ballgame or stay for a career, we look forward to seeing you this semester at DACC.