Amarillo College Badger Buzz

As I wrote about a few months ago, my wife Missy (who was one of the guests that were interviewed on The Little Things series…such a great job BTW, Panhandle PBS team!) and I sent our youngest child to college back in August, and as I write this, we are just four weeks into the empty nest phase of life! Season-of-life transitions are a meaningful and natural part of things. So much is happening all at the same time – one season is coming to an end, which usually brings both expressions of gratitude as well as a natural sense of loss; there is an in-between season of reflection, preparation and anticipation where things are not quite normal in this liminal space; and finally, there is the beginning of the new season and all its excitement, anticipation, challenges, and adjustments. I have had such a strong sense lately of the changes and transitions happening in my own life as well as around me lately. There are the familiar, annual transitions like the beginning of the semester; and I have also connected with many faculty and staff who are in seasons of transition, like beginning a new job at AC, having a baby, retiring, or even grieving and adjusting to a new normal when you lose a loved one.

Only the 26 letters of the alphabet are used to write every book on the shelves at the library. Only the single digits, 0 to 9, are used to create the numbers that make the world go ‘round. There are only a few fundamental components to some of the most significant things we use in our lives. Our finances are no exception. There are really only three basic things a person needs to successfully manage their resources.

October is Emotional Intelligence Awareness Month. With that in mind, we thought it would be helpful to make our AC family aware of:

Most people are familiar with IQ and what it measures. It includes the capacity to understand, learn, solve problems, think rationally, recall what you’ve learned, and be able to apply information learned to your everyday life.

Celebrating global diversity is a chance for everyone to learn about and embrace other cultures from all around the world. It can be done in a group setting or on your own; in your office, department, or at home. It also gives us a chance to promote a greater understanding of our differences and encourages conversations about these differences, as well as the many things we all have in common. Below is a list of activities you can do to celebrate global diversity this month.

We at the AC Counseling Center understand that times can be hard, and as your Amarillo College family, we are here to help! 

We provide free and confidential behavioral health services to all AC students. Services may include triage, assessment, referral, individual counseling, group counseling, and psychoeducation. Our counselors use evidence-based practices to treat a variety of challenges that may get in the way of students' academic goals, such as depression, anxiety, life transitions, identity exploration, and more. We also facilitate free, 24/7-access to telehealth services to all academic students and their dependents for medical healthcare, mental healthcare, health coaching, and prescription savings through our partners at TimelyCare.

The mission of the Amarillo College Music Department is to be a center of musical learning and cultural enrichment within the community of Amarillo and the surrounding Panhandle of Texas, by providing:

One of only a few national two-year institutions, Amarillo College has been accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) since 1966. The Music Department remains committed to the high learning standards for a successful transfer to a four-year music degree, and celebrates that AC music majors have had a 100% acceptance rate to their top-choice transfer institution for several years. With music majors at a 5-year high, the Music Department has also more than doubled offerings for non-music majors since 2016.