LAKEWOOD - Learn to recognize and help stop the cycle of domestic violence at the 10th annual Domestic Violence Impact Panel from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Health Education Center at Pierce College Fort Steilacoom, 9401 Farwest Dr. S.W.

Victims’ advocates and law enforcement, as well as county, tribal, and military representatives, will be available to answer questions, provide information and support, and outline the domestic violence issues facing Pierce County. In addition, a victims panel will highlight personal stories of overcoming violence.

One of the event organizers, Teresa Carlo, faculty advisor for the Pierce College Student Criminal Justice Club, said this event is especially important for young people to attend with their parents.

“We want parents to bring their kids, their tweeners,” she said. “These young people are just beginning their dating lives and they often don’t understand what domestic violence is. They are being violated without knowing it and it has to stop.”

This free, public event is sponsored by the Pierce College Criminal Justice Department, Women and Family Services, and the Pierce County Commission Against Domestic Violence.

With so much information out there (and so many devices to harness it all), how can you stay up to the minute with Pierce College news and events? Well, it’s called Twitter.com and it’s a new way we’re sharing information with students and employees. 

Twitter.com is a free messaging service that allows family, friends, and coworkers to keep tabs on each other via brief, electronic messages sent to a phone, instant messenger, or computer.

The messages are 140 characters or less, short enough for a brief update, but not long enough to be particularly annoying or obtrusive. So far, Pierce has been warming up to the Twitter concept over the last few weeks, and is now ramping up the updates, posting information at least daily of upcoming events and any breaking news.

To use Twitter, you need only an Internet connection or mobile device (such as a cell phone or PDA). All communication is free and you need to download no extra software.

To start using Twitter, simply visit twitter.com and click the “Join Here” banner across the top. Follow the directions to open your own free Twitter account.

Then, to receive Pierce College updates, go to twitter.com/piercecollege and click the “Follow” tab on the right side of the screen. You can then determine which device you want to use and how you want to be notified of the college’s Twitter updates.

You can also submit responses to the news we post on Twitter by clicking the loopy arrow icon that appears when you scroll over the messages.

Questions? We’re here to help. Contact either Amanda Haines (ext. 3239 or ahaines@pierce.ctc.edu) or Andrew Glass (ext. 3233 or aglass@pierce.ctc.edu).

The Fine Arts Gallery at Pierce College Fort Steilacoom is for a limited time showcasing “Pierce Arts at Pierce College,” a singular group of pieces in various media, all from Pierce County artists.

This exhibition is set to run through Dec. 12.  Featured artists include Kathryn Baur, Kenyon Cook, David N. Goldberg, Jennifer Inah Ahre, Gail E. Kelly, William Mitchell, Leanne Seaburg Perry, Peter Serko, Key Sun, Benjamin Toombs, William Turner, and Sarah Kemp Waldo.

The gallery is located at Pierce College Fort Steilacoom, 9401 Farwest Drive SW, Lakewood. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to noon Friday.

For more information, call Gallery Director Jennifer Olson-Rudenko at (253) 964-6535 or visit the Web site at www.pierce.ctc.edu/art.

LAKEWOOD - College catalogs. Brochures. Web sites. Campus tours. Sometimes the problem isn’t lack of information, it’s sorting through it all to find the best choice for you.

We can help.

Find answers and get the information you need to choose the four-year college that’s right for you at the Fall Transfer Fair at Pierce College Fort Steilacoom from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Nov. 18 at the Health Education Center, 9401 Farwest Dr. SW, Lakewood. 

Representatives from both state and private universities will be on-hand to explain admission procedures and requirements, application deadlines, majors and prerequisites, transfer options, and more. 

Most state colleges, including Central, Eastern, and Western Washington universities, University of Washington, and Washington State University, will be represented, as will a number of private universities, including Pacific Lutheran, Seattle Pacific, St. Martin’s, and University of Puget Sound. 

For more information, call Mike Childers, Pierce College Fort Steilacoom faculty advisor and transfer coordinator, at (253) 964-6705.

Author, essayist, and acclaimed humorist Augusten Burroughs will share his often hilarious, always engaging, perspectives on writing, movies, relationships, family, addiction, and dysfunction at 7 p.m. Dec. 4 at Pierce College Puyallup, 1601 39th Ave. S.E. The event is sponsored by the Office of Student Life. 

Cost is $8 for general admission and $5 for students. Tickets are available in the College Center building, Room 210 (there is no service fee for tickets purchased from Pierce College), or at any Ticketmaster location. For tickets or more information, call (253) 840-8416. A book signing and reception will follow his presentation.

Though he has no formal education past elementary school, Burroughs is one of the most acclaimed modern writers. His best-selling, autobiographical books include Running With Scissors (this was made into an Oscar-nominated movie in 2005), Dry, Possible Side Effects, Magical Thinking, and A Wolf at the Table. Burroughs has headlined the world’s most prestigious literary festivals, including the 2008 Melbourne Writer’s Festival, and was twice named to Entertainment Weekly’s list of the “Twenty-five Funniest People in America.”

An advertising copywriter for more than 17 years, Burroughs’ life as an author began after a long battle with alcoholism. Relying on no structure or formal training, Burroughs wrote his first book, Sellevision, in just seven days, a project that resulted in a bestselling book and his subsequent sobriety. Sellevision is currently in development as a feature film.

 Burroughs’ most recent book, A Wolf at the Table, is his most controversial work yet. Brutal, stark, and gritty, the book is a departure from his characteristic humor, but it is Burroughs’ best-selling hardcover to date.