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Former student killed in Afghanistan
by Caroline Basile, associate editor
The South Plains recently lost a hero.
Mark Russell Cannon, a hospital
corpsman 3rd class in the United States Navy and
a native of Lubbock, was killed in Afghanistan on Oct. 2. He
was 31.
Cannon was a student at South Plains
College after he graduated from Coronado High School in
1994. He enrolled in the LVN nursing program in Fall 1994
and attended classes periodically while working at Covenant
Medical Center as a nurses’ aid. His last completed semester
at SPC was in Fall 2001, when he received his LVN
certificate.
Born November 21, 1975, Cannon was
raised with a background in public service. His father Tom
was a criminal defense attorney and then a court-at-law
judge for Lubbock County. Also, his late mother Becky was
the founding director of the Lubbock Rape Crisis Center.
Cannon died after being shot in the
chest while giving medical aid to a wounded Marine,
according to the military reports given to his family.
Faculty who worked with Cannon as a
student remember him as a hard working, caring individual.
“Mark was pretty shy, but he was well
liked by his classmates,” said Teresa McNabb, instructor in
vocational nursing. “He was very hardworking and a caring
person, even though he remained reserved.”
Cannon completed several basic courses
at SPC’s Lubbock Campus, taking courses in mental health and
anatomy and physiology.
“I didn’t have much time with him,”
McNabb added. “But I remember him as a great, hardworking
student.”
Cannon’s father said he saw several
changes in his son after his first tour of duty in Iraq in
2006.
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Regents discuss new training program, freeport exemption
by Courtney Bullard, co-news editor
A new program to improve
intercommunications within South Plains College was
introduced at the October meeting of the SPC Board of
Regents.
After reviewing the bi-annual faculty
survey, it was determined that SPC employees feel that there
is not enough communication between departments. To correct
this barrier, LeadSPC was created. This is a new
supervisor-training program, which is being developed by the
Institutional Committee.
The primary objective is to connect the
supervisory personnel for the purposes of improving
organizational communications, creating opportunities for
shared decision-making, and to foster employee awareness,
understanding and involvement in planning and assessment.
The directors of LeadSPC are the members of a subcommittee
of the Institutional Effectiveness Committee. Members
include: Jeri Ann Dewbre, chairperson and director of human
resources; Fran Cotton, director of libraries; Ginger Mulloy,
director of the computer center; Rafael Aguilera, associate
dean of workforce development; Lee Cox, associate dean of
student services; Barbara Walker, secretary of the
controller.
The training course will include three
development workshops that will be scheduled once a month
during the fall and spring semesters. Each class will
include 20 to 25 supervisors from all campus locations.
Participants will also tour all four SPC campuses. The
LeadSPC team has invited 17 supervisors to participate in an
abbreviated version of the program and will later be the
core leadership group.
“It’s to better what they do so they
can better the students,” said Stephen John, vice president
for institutional advancement.
In other action, the Board discussed a
resolution enacted by the Texas Legislature that allows
certain applicants to be exempt from tax on certain items,
excluding oil, natural gas, and petroleum, that is being
temporarily held at a location. The Board has decided to
continue to uphold the tax for goods-in-transit on SPC
property . The resolution passed by a 4-1 vote, with Regent
Jim Montgomery opposing.
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