On-campus Childcare Offers Relief for Student Parents
Palo Alto College offers low-cost, flexible childcare to its students. The Ray Ellison Family Center works with students’ schedules and budgets.

For a full week, REFC charges $115; for three days (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays), they charge $69; and for two days (Tuesdays and Thursdays), they charge $49. Fee assistance is available to those who qualify.

The family center is open Monday through Friday from 6:50 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., and they accept children from 21 months to school age. For more information on the Ray Ellison Family Center, call (210) 486-3500.

-Lindsey Heckman

Carpe pecunia (seize the money)
Very few students take advantage of the numerous scholarship opportunities that Palo Alto College Scholarship Support Service provides.

Palo Alto’s goal is to give its students the opportunity to pursue their education. The support service has anything and everything from tips for successful applications to internal and external scholarship availability.

There are 24 scholarships available to Palo Alto students. To see what these scholarships are, go to the ACCD Scholarship web site.

For more information, e-mail Carmen Velasquez or visit her in the Applied Technology Building, Room 220, or call (210) 486-3121.

-Margaret Tovar

New Palomino Rides into Palo Alto
For the first time in 20 years, Palo Alto College has a mascot costume. The new Palo Alto Palomino can be seen at campus functions as well as the many sporting events we have on campus.

The costume is designed to be used as a two-person team: one person inside the suit and another to spot for them. Students interested in participating in the mascot program should contact Dr. Daniel Rodriguez in the college’s Student Life Office at (210) 486-3125 or prodriguez1@mail.accd.edu.

In other sports news, our Men’s Basketball and Women’s Volleyball and Basketball seasons are in full swing. Home games are held inside the Gymnasium. For more info, go to the PAC Sports web site.

-Shaun Springfield

Welcome South American Eco-tourism Students!
Twenty students from Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia arrived in San Antonio on Aug. 13, 2008, and will study ESOL for one academic year at Palo Alto College, and eco-tourism at St. Philip’s College during the second academic year.

The students were chosen through national contests in their respective countries. Among the requirements for this World Development Bank-funded program were excellent grades and proven leadership in their communities.

For more information on this program and to interact with these international students, contact Julia Jarrell, Alamo Community College’s International Education Coordinator, at (210) 486-3414 or by email.

-Mariana Garcia

Texas A&M-San Antonio Links to Palo Alto
A new shuttle bus now runs between Palo Alto College and Texas A&M- Kingsville System Center-San Antonio. The bus starts running at 2 p.m. and makes a round every 15 minutes until 10 p.m.

With parking limited at A&M, students are able to park in Palo Alto’s Lot 2. The bus leaves from the edge of Lot 2, at the corner of the campus on Villaret at Lytle.

This service is completely free and students are urged to take advantage of the shuttle bus during the afternoon and evening hours.