Palm Beach Community College - Galleon Yearbook (Lake Worth, FL)

Page 9 text:

Mike Higgins TWO JC RUNNERS GO Mike Higgins and Tom Murdock are two runners who have been a real asset to the team. Higgins , who ran in first position, finish- ed no lower than fifth in confer- ence competition. The Brevard Invitational Meet was his best per- formance of the year when he ran 26.10. Mike and Tom claimed a berth in the Nationals with their 8th and 9th place finishes in the Florida Junior College State Cross Country Championships. Their perform- ance helped power the Pacers to a fourth place finish, 29 points short TO NATIONALS of third and a team berth. Coach Dick Melear expressed pleasure that his two runners quali- fied, a first for JC. He also was pleased with the fourth place fi- nish, a big jump from eighth the previous year. In the Nationals held November 8 in Minnesota, . Mike and Tom aptly represented JC. In spite of the blistering pace and gigantic hills encountered in the Nationals, they claimed 147th and 174th places. Tom ran a good soUd race and Mike, accord- ing to Melear, has the potential to become the best runner in the state. The JC Cross Country Team: Frank Smith, Mike Higgins, Tom Murdock, Steve Farnsworth, David Downing, Tim Jamison and Terry Davis.

Page 8 text:

A 25-year-old karate champion from Thailand, who has studied the art for 12 years, teaches karate and self defense to mem- bers of the PBJC Karate Club. Pansak Ratanaprasith-his American friends call him Paul- is a 4th degree black belt and we ' re fortunate to have him as our karate instructor, says Roy E. Bell, Director of Intramural and Recreation ( 1 and R ) Board, which sponsors the club. The karate expert met his wife, Judy, the former Judith Newton, when she was a law enforcement student attending Paul ' s self de- fense classes. The couple was first married in an American-style ceremony last March, and again in a Thai- style wedding at the college in April, to which the whole school was invited. Paul ' s foster brother, Paul Vejjajiva, a 2nd degree black belt, also attends PBJC and assists him in his classes. Paul (Pansak) teaches the Korean-style Tae Kwon Do, and Thai boxing, both of which em- phasize the use of the feet, and Kung Fu, in which hand tech- niques are used more than 80 percent of the time. The instructor went to Korea when he was 20-year-old to learn Tae Kwon Do. KARATE CHAMPION FROM THAILAND TEACHES AT JC KARATE CLUB We spent almost all day, seven days a week, working on karate, and I received my 1st and 2nd degree black belt while there, Paul says. The instructor says it would be a sin for a person to use karate in the wrong way. Before the karate instruction begins, Paul ' s students bow first to the flag, then to their instruct- or, and finally to the higher ranking members of the class as a sign of respect. The first step in the Tae Kwon Do is the white belt, according to Paul. The student then progresses through the various degrees of yellow, blue, brown and black belts. At present Judy is working on her 2nd degree yellow belt. Paul plans to become a doctor, but he is also interested in engi- neering, so I have a pre-medical major and engineering minor. Judy is still working toward a career in Law Enforcement. Both have after-school jobs- and Judy at Gentlemen Jim ' s and at The President Country Club. The long hours of classes, work and study haven ' t affected their grades; both are good students. After such a rigorous schedule, the couple look forward to the time when they finish school and begin their chosen careers. NEWS BUREAU |p Pansak (Paul) Ratanaprasith, Paul Vejjajra, Judy Ratanaprasith

Page 10 text:

FORMER STUDENT NOW ADMINISTRATOR He ' s new to nis job which he thoroughly enjoys, but Dr. Edward Eissey is hardly new to JC. He is a past Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and if he finds it easy to communicate with students, it ' s no wonder. He was once a JC student himself. I was on an athletic scholar- ship here, Eissey said. He play- ed baseball and basketball for the Pacers. He was also a contributing edi- tor to the Beachcomber and president of his sophomore class. JC has obviously changed over the years. The Vice-President feels the increasing size of the school has brought about some of the changes. The college was very small when he attended it, according to Eissey. There were about four or five hundred in the sopho- more class and about that many in the freshman class. Everybody knew everybody, and there was fantastic spirit in athletics. The important thing then was closeness. We did a lot of things together. We had more college parties and dances. The campus wasn ' t so large. He is a former asst. superinten- dent of the north area for the County School Board, and past Principal of Palm Beach Gardens High, Howell L. Watkins Jr. High and Greenacres Elementary and Junior High. He has also taught at area schools and Florida Atlan- tic University Graduate School. In his positions at other schooM he tried to eliminate the big bear in the front office image of the principal. I got to know the students and they got to know me, he said. He feels the same way in his role as vice-president of the north campus. He wants to be avail- able in any way to anyone. Obviously happy in his new position, Eissey hopes he can also make a contribution and be part of making it (JC) even better. JC ' s not the same college it was when he studied here but Eissey says it ' s a great feeling to be here. When you ' ve been a student here, you can ' t help but feel Uke it ' s homecoming. I really enjoy being around young people, he said. I ' m trying everyday to become acquainted with the students m and I have met many students here. Eissey can often be found in the halls or the cafeteria talking with students. , He enjoys being with people, a major reason he chose to be an educator. He feels he has something to offer young people and can relate to them. He ' s been relating as an educator for over 20 years. Eissey came back to JC on the request of JC President Dr. Harold Manor. When Dr. Manor asked him to consider joining the college staff, Eissey was elated at the opportunity. JAN TUCKWOOD I really enjoy being around young people. Dr. Eissey takes skateboard lessons from Jay Bonner. photo; Jim DiVitale