Spring 2013 off to a good start!

Another semester began for the Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology students of Paris Junior College on January 14, 2013. The first week was pretty hectic with everyone getting back into the groove of things. However, the first week went swimmingly and the students and instructors began working full force.

On January 30, the jewelry department had their traditional new student luncheon to welcome all of the new students in the department. Each student from every class was given one ticket to be put in a drawing for the class prizes. The winner from first semester, Kirsten Saffel, was awarded a file set and a flex shaft wheel. Second semester winner, Melissa Walden, was given a respirator mask, bright boy wheels, and barrels. In third semester, Janice Bise won a plier holder and drills, and in fourth semester Shanna Morphew received a bench lamp. The CAD/CAM prize winner, Hannah Pickett, obtained wax and a sketch book while Samantha Lanphier, winner from gemology, won a gemological identification book and a micrometer. Last but not least, Ryan Pagoria was the winner from horology and received a watch parts box and a watch. After all of the individual class prizes were awarded the rest of the tickets were thrown together for the overall grand prize drawing. The winner would obtain a flex shaft from the jewelry department and after much anticipation the winner, Toby Cavasos, was finally announced and given his prize with much surprise to him and his fellow colleagues.

On February 5, the department had a meeting after class for any students interested in attending the Stuller Convention that will be held on March 17-19^th in Lafayette, Louisiana. Also, that same week on February 7, the deadline for the department’s spring semester T-shirt design contest commenced and the voting to take place on February 11 during second break. In sum, between all of the preparations for the luncheon, projects, meetings, exams, and so on and so forth, the month of January and the beginning of February flew by quickly for all students and teachers alike.