Campus News


President Leary helps encourage children's love of reading

The Head Start children hung on every word Luzerne County Community College President Thomas P. Leary read. With each rhyming set of words from Dr. Seuss' "The Eye Book," the children giggled, smiled or looked excitedly at Leary in anticipation of how the story would unfold next. Although the teachers had the children sit for the story, some stood because they couldn?t contain their enthusiasm over the playful yet educational story.

LCCC Open House Saturday, April 13, 2024 at 9:30am - Noon

We are excited to invite you to our Open House on April 13, 2024, 9:30 am to 12 pm. This is a great opportunity to meet our faculty members and learn about the programs we offer. You will also be able to speak with our admissions and financial aid staff to get any questions you may have answered.

Therapy dogs offer fun and relaxing distraction for students

As soon as Willow walked into the classroom at Luzerne County Community College's Pittston Center, Sarah Minella couldn't contain her excitement. The LCCC student quickly walked over, threw her arms around her new canine friend's neck, and gave her a hug. Minella sat on the floor next to the light-colored English lab, gently patting the dog on the head as Willow leaned in to soak up the affection.

LCCC President visits local alumni-owned business in Nanticoke

As the employees of NEPA'rogi worked on the latest batches of perogies, Luzerne County Community College President Thomas P. Leary smiled and listened intently as Lauren Gorney gave him a tour of her business. As Gorney took him to the different pierogi-making stations, Leary learned how the LCCC alumni turned her dream into reality. Leary's visit to NEPA'rogi, along with other stops he's made over the years, gives him the chance to see how LCCC is helping graduates succeed in their local communities.

LCCC to hold Kids' Dental Day on April 6

Area children can get a free dental cleaning and checkup at Luzerne County Community College's Kids' Dental Day. The College will hold the event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 6 at the Benco Dental Clinic at 38 E. Main St. in Nanticoke. Parents can call (570) 740-0446 to book their appointments. Appointments are preferred for the cleanings but LCCC officials will take some walk-ins.

As the music quieted for a moment, students, faculty, and staff listened intently as Joseph Patterson spoke about Martin Luther King Jr. The imagines that played on the three large screens in Luzerne County Community College's cafeteria provided attendees with a glimpse into King's life as a Civil Rights leader.

"He was one of the greatest men in our history," Patterson said as the iconic and powerful words of King's "I Have a Dream" speech showed on the screens.

Patterson, along with Nathan Harman and Joy Massie, sang in the Totally Awesome Traveling Black History Show at LCCC on Feb. 19 as part of the College's Black History Month activities. The College's Office of Student Life & Athletics sponsored the event to help teach students and the College community about Black history.

"We're honored to offer events like the Totally Awesome Traveling Black History Show at Luzerne County Community College because it gives our students an additional opportunity to learn beyond the classroom," said LCCC President Thomas P. Leary. "At Luzerne, our faculty and staff are always looking for ways to enrich the lives of our students. This show teaches our campus community about the men and women who have played a vital role in societal changes throughout the years."

Patterson, who owns Key Arts Productions, puts on the show for colleges, universities, high schools, middle schools and elementary schools.

"We want to highlight Black History and honor all the work that has been done throughout the years," said Patterson, who is based out of Philadelphia and has brought his show to LCCC for 10 years. "We can all learn from each other. Our shows are meant to show how it's beautiful to be different and we should embrace that."

Throughout the show, participants were able to sing along and clap to popular songs like "Respect" by Aretha Franklin, songs of faith like "This Little Light of Mine," and music from blues artists and Black composers like John Legend.

"This group does a wonderful job portraying events throughout history," said Teddi Janosov, secretary of Student Life and who has coordinated the event at LCCC for the past 14 years. "Every event they have done for us is different and gives our students an in-depth look at the different genres of Black History."

In between the music, attendees learned more about historic figures such as King, Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman and Ruby Bridges. Bridges attended a desegrated elementary school in New Orleans in 1960 and had to be escorted by federal marshals to school when she was 6 years old.

"People would throw things at her as she entered her school," Patterson explained as the singers sang in the background. "She had said she thought it was part of Mardi Gras and didn't realize what people were actually doing to her. She was instrumental in making big steps in the Civil Rights movement."

If there's one thing in common for everyone in the world, no matter your race, gender, ethnicity, it's that we are all people. Going about our days, doing normal human tasks and the days of Ancient Greece weren't any different. Luzerne County Community College History Club and club President Olivia Kishbaugh will be hosting an Ancient Greece lecture on Thursday, March 21 at 12:30 p.m. in Room 917 at the Main Campus.

Of all the countries and cultures in the world, why Ancient Greece? Club President Olivia Kishabugh said coming up with one mutual topic was difficult but eventually, the club agreed on Ancient Greece. "We were debating what we were going to do, and we narrowed it down to what is something big that can cover everyone's interests within one big umbrella and eventually, we all settled on Ancient Greece," said Kishbaugh.

The club decided on lighter topics to discuss instead of the traditional dark war and politics. Mostly because those topics weren't what they were interested in. They were interested in the kind of jobs they had, the types of clothing they wore, the homes they lived in, what they were built out of, what they used for beds, hygiene, etc.

"When everyone talks about history, they always talk about war from the Vietnam War to Civil War to World War II, but we wanted to make it lighter and say, 'yeah there was war and heavy events that happened, but they were people,'" said Kishbaugh. "They bathed together, they ate together, they had lives, they were people. That was my focus in doing this [lecture], just a reminder that we're all people."

Kishbaugh said that the history club is always accepting new members whether you're a history buff or just wanting to make new friends. "Come hang out and nerd out with us, even if you're not doing anything. We talk about random history facts from Napoleon to the Civil War to World War II, we're just nerds hanging out."

Luzerne County Community College is hosting a campus-wide food drive. The food drive runs from March 11 through 22.

People can drop off their donations at the following LCCC locations:
- Main campus in Nanticoke at 521 Trailblazer Drive
- Wilkes-Barre Center at 2 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre
- Berwick Center at the Eagles Building, 107 S. Market St., Berwick
- Hazleton Center at 100 W. Broad St., Suite 108, Hazleton
- Pittston Center at Education Center, 13 S. Main St., Pittston
- Scranton Center at the Marketplace at Steamtown, 300 Lackawanna Ave., Scranton
- Shamokin Center at the Northumberland Regional Higher Education Center, 2 E. Arch St., Shamokin
- Watsontown Center at the Greater Susquehanna Center, 1100 Main St., Watsontown

People can also donate through LCCC's Food Bank Amazon Wish List by calling (570) 740-0735.

Luzerne County Community College is working toward ending hunger among its students. From March 11 through 22, the campus and its seven centers will be collecting food donations from the community that will be used at its student food banks the College has at each location.

People who are interested in donating can drop off items at LCCC's Campus Center at the main campus in Nanticoke at 521 Trailblazer Drive and at the College's seven centers, see list below. They can also donate through LCCC's Food Bank Amazon Wish List by calling (570) 740-0735.

"We're urging the public to donate to this important cause, which helps students who are facing food insecurity," said LCCC President Thomas P. Leary. "Our students are always our top priority, so we want to make sure they have the necessary resources to succeed. Research shows there's a connection between hunger and negative school performance. Our food banks and the generous donations we receive ensure our students can succeed in the classroom so they can get their education and be successful in their local job markets."

LCCC is holding the food drive in conjunction with National Nutrition Month. A recent study by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health showed that food-insecure students were more than 40 percent less likely to graduate college.

The College created the Peter J. Lello Student Food Bank at the main campus in Nanticoke in 2016 and has opened other food banks at all other centers over the years to help fight food insecurity. The food bank was named after the late Lello, who devoted his life to charitable causes including addressing hunger issues. Lello joined the staff at LCCC in 2006 as a major gifts officer and planning giving specialist and was instrumental in raising money for the Public Safety Training Institute, the Joseph A. Paglianite Culinary Institute, and the Francis and Mary Gill Carrozza, RN, Health Science Center.

"The mission of the College's Student Food Banks is to work to eliminate hunger and food insecurities among our students and their families," said Rebecca Brominski, Executive Director, LCCC Foundation. "Food drives like this one will support and feed hundreds of LCCC students and their families throughout the year."

Students use LCCC's food banks regularly and can get ready-made, to-go items or take-home food that they can make later. Kevin Lloyd, LCCC student, said the food bank is vital to the student community because it ensures there is food for those who may need it.

"Having something to eat helps us focus in class so we can do well academically," Lloyd said. "It's hard to focus when you're hungry. For students who may not be able to afford a lot of food, our food bank ensures that you have access to something nutritious to eat instead of going hungry."

The following are the drop off locations for the food drive:
- Main campus in Nanticoke at 521 Trailblazer Drive
- Wilkes-Barre Center at 2 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre
- Berwick Center at the Eagles Building, 107 S. Market St., Berwick
- Hazleton Center at 100 W. Broad St., Suite 108, Hazleton
- Pittston Center at Education Center, 13 S. Main St., Pittston
- Scranton Center at the Marketplace at Steamtown, 300 Lackawanna Ave., Scranton
- Shamokin Center at the Northumberland Regional Higher Education Center, 2 E. Arch St., Shamokin
- Watsontown Center at the Greater Susquehanna Center, 1100 Main St., Watsontown

Campus Candids - Math Club Pi Day Cornhole Tournament

The LCCC Math Club hosted the first ever Pi Day Cornhole Tournament on March 14. The tournament consisted of a single-elimination bracket for students and a separate single-elimination bracket for faculty/staff. The student bracket consisted of 44 participants playing in two-person teams who battled it out on the cornhole boards. The winners of the student bracket were Jack Long and Jeff Terpak. The faculty/staff bracket consisted of 30 participants playing in two-person teams and the winners of the faculty/staff bracket were Lisa Reilly and Maria DeLucca. Each winner received a prize and a mini cornhole board trophy. The winners of each bracket faced off in a championship game to compete for the overall championship. The students were victorious over the faculty/staff. Congratulations to Jack Long and Jeff Terpak, ultimate winners of LCCC's Math Club Pi Day Cornhole Tournament. The Math Club plans to use the funds that were raised to go on an educational field trip.

Math Club Pi Day Cornhole Tournament