https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/e5debbe6896609e8070416624ee6dbdd.pdf f284b59171159e102c4e723c6299be0c PDF Text Text Special Edition - April 16, 2019 Casper College’s Student Voice Since 1945 Find us online! Lady T-Birds win big THE MONTHS AHEAD May April showers bring May flowers! June Enjoy some fun in the sun! SCROLL TO SEE... Divine's Intervention Blood Drive Intramural Sports Non-traditional students majority of enrollemnt (page 2) (page 3) Basketball (page 4) Jo Jeremic/Chinook From left to right: Marija Bakic, Raquel Ferrer-Bernad, Reka Soos, and Mya Jones celebrate on the court as Coach Gunnare cuts the net after the team's Region IX championship win. Read more on page four. Spring semester motivation? Maddey Strayer Chinook Writer Skies are sunny, flowers are blooming, and finally the snow is melting! Spring is here! But as our coats and scarves disappear, do they whisk away student motivation with them? As the semester comes to a close, student motivation levels seem to fall with the turn of the tide; however, with the addition of distance learning and online classes due to COVID-19, students may find their desire to finish the semester even lower than before. Distance learning is more vital than ever during this crazy global pandemic, and adaptation to this new change brings quite the challenge to both students and staff at Casper College. Psychology instructor at CC, Jennie Miller, found herself affected by both the warm weather and the pandemic. As an instructor, she finds that students tend to slow down and lose their motivation after spring break, especially those who are graduating. It is the same concept known in high schools as “senioritis,” where graduating students find themselves less and less likely to attend class and complete their assignments. “Students seem to have a hard time keeping motivated after the Spring Break. I think this semester is tougher since it was an extended Spring Break due to the virus,” says Miller. “I also think that students are focused on the shift in our world such as health issues/handwashing, social distancing, finances, changes in childcare & public education. The uncertainty of the current situation creates a lot of stress which impacts focus & motivation levels.” Miller explained how, when nearing the end of the spring semester, her students' energy levels drop. Fewer students attend classes and fewer still actually turn in their assignments on time. Energy levels sink to their all-time lows for students and their busy lives. Perhaps one of the biggest obstacles between students and their energy is the new distance learning policies. Adapting to an entirely new system so close to the end of the school year seems to take a toll on students and — See MOTIVATION, Page 6 Casper college hosts 4th annual Sign Fest Toni Kerr Chinook Writer Over 250 students were exposed to American Sign Language and 207 deaf and hard of hearing students from all over Wyoming were exposed to different STEM career options. With the success from this year's event, Schenfisch and others have already started contacting guest speakers for next year's Sign Fest. The Casper College American Sign Language (ASL) program collaborated with the Kelly Walsh High School ASL program and the Dean Morgan Middle School ASL program to host the 4th Toni Kerr/Chinook Annual Sign Fest at Casper Students practice having a conversation in American Sign Language at the 4th annual College in late February. Sign Fest hosted by Casper College earlier this spring. With approximately 250 students gathering together, which was to “expose students lead breakout sessions, they guage can be used in many one would expect a lot of noise to professionals within the also put on a performance for different careers. According to the public. Sunshine 2.0 will Schenfisch, sign language is and chaos. However, partici- field of sign language.” “The idea is to get stu- “not only entertain but help really important in just underpants remained silent in the sessions still with a great dents together and sign with educate the audience about standing people better. She continued on saying, deal of communication tak- one another because you may the deaf experience through a ing place. The students used learn a language, learn the range of skits and short plays “Learning any kind of lanthe ASL language made up of vocabulary, but you don’t put it involving sign-mime, dance, guage helps you become more hand signs, facial expressions, all together,” said Schenfisch. gestures, American Sign empathetic, and I think right “This creates a very immersive Language poetry, songs, and now in this time where we and body movements. The students gathered environment where it’s all in storytelling, ” said Schenfisch. we’re all fighting with each Schenfisch hopes that after other and being so full on contogether over several days and sign, you won’t hear a lot of voice.” the event, her students have flict in everything we do, that did a series of breakout sesThis year is different from gained a better understanding stretching outside our comsions learning and practicing past years due to Sunshine 2.0, of diversity. fort zone as English speakers ASL. With a new Sign Language and learning American Sign Gail Schenfisch, the a professional theater group. instructor of American Sign Sunshine 2.0 is a professional degree available Schenfisch Language or Spanish or French theater group made up of mem- encourages any student inter- or something else helps you Language at Casper College, spoke about the bers of the deaf community. ested in the language to come become a much more of a reasoning behind the sign fest, Not only did Sunshine 2.0 help try out sign language. The lan- Global citizen.” (page 6) (page 6) COVID-19 Q & A Q: Please describe what you see as your biggest challenge during social distancing. Dr. Darren Divine, Casper College President-- "Not being able to shake hands. I have always believed that when you meet someone, it is proper to shake their hand. Friends, business contacts, or complete strangers, its all the same to me. I believe that simple act can convey a multitude of meanings and signals, and I truly miss having to refrain from that particular social interaction." Dr. Pete Van Houten, Dean for the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences -"The biggest challenge (for the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences) has been meeting the needs of our students, especially those who don't have access to technology or rely on the college for their computers and wifi access. Some of our students don't own laptops, some can't afford internet access at home. That has been a challenge campus wide." Brayden Peak, studying organizational leadership at CC -- "I would say my biggest problem during social distancing is not being able to find certain supplies and foods in stores. Some are cravings or wants but some things are needs, and not being able to find those needs is stressful enough let alone with a pandemic on our hands." Q: Please describe the most inspiring thing you’ve seen come out of this COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Darren Divine, Casper College President -- "This one is tough, because I can think of so many things. Times of stress and upheaval tend to bring out the best and worst in people, and the COVID-10 pandemic has certainly illustrated that point. If I had to choose one, it would be a picture of heath care workers on a flight to New York City to bolster their medical teams. To me this invokes the image of a firefighter running into a burning building to save someone who is trapped. Heroic." Dr. Pete Van Houten, Dean for the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences -"The most inspiring thing on my end was watching the willingness of the faculty in my school to make changes (some of which were dramatic) in how they teach and how they access their students. I heard no complaining, only an understanding that we must alter how we do things. It was inspiring to see how everyone understood what our nation and state are facing and the importance of helping others. Several of our faculty who are much more comfortable with technology reached out to faculty members who were used to live teaching and helped them with this adjustment." Brayden Peak, studying organizational leadership at CC -- " The most inspiring thing I've witnessed during Covid-19 is some friends of mine started building a gym. We couldn't go to our local gym after it temporarily shut down. This lead to one of my friends turning his father's old cleaners building into a gym. With some old weights, mats, home made pull up bars, along with blood and sweat we had turned what was a 100-year-old building used for storage into a gym. This gym showed me that we can make better with the things that we already have." Q: How have you adapted to the current situation? Dr. Darren Divine, Casper College President -- "Fairly well, I believe. While I tend to enjoy being in the company of other people, I am also perfectly content to be more isolated, at least for short periods of time. By nature, I am relatively conservative in my personal planning, and have always tended to make sure that I, and my wife, are stocked up on supplies such as medicine, food, and yes…. toilet paper. I have always been fascinated by group behavior, and thus try to always be somewhat prepared to be self-sufficient." Dr. Pete Van Houten, Dean for the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences -"We have adapted well. I had expected that over time as we got used to this "new normal" that we might start becoming frustrated with what has happened to all of us. Within our school, however, we continue to remain positive.” Brayden Peak, studying organizational leadership at CC - "A huge issue I've had to overcome is when being home, I'm not productive. I myself need to leave and find a quiet spot in the library or coffee shop in order to get work done. I have overcome this issue by setting times for myself to study and really get after school work. This has made me really appreciate going into a class and learning." er pap s w e College’s Casper ok N nline o n i O ChStudent Now Voice Since 1945 �Page 2 Special Edition - April 16, 2019 CHINOOK Divine's Intervention: Chinook Stance -- Home isn’t safe for everyone -Toni Kerr Talks with Toni While you’re staying safe at home, remind yourself home isn’t safe for everyone. I often think about how well I’ve had it. I grew up in a middle class household with a family that always made me feel loved and supported. I went on bike rides around my neighborhood with my siblings, won several family board game nights, and found any excuse to play hide and seek. I received free education from the moment I started school, saw plenty of food on my plate, and slept in my own bed every night. I spent my teen years in the sport I loved and enjoyed my favorite activities. I walked across the stage at my high school graduation. I never experienced any real struggle, which is a thought that constantly crosses my mind--it seems unfair that I grew up with so much while others survived with so little. Why did I get parents that took me to Disneyland when there’s over 400,000 children in the U.S. foster care system due to abuse and neglect from their parents? Why did I get to dress up for prom when other 17-year-old girls were being sold in human trafficking? Why did I get to go to nice restaurants when nearly half of the world's population is living meal-to-meal? At some point, Iearned what my role was in all of the social issues going on. At some point, everyone needs to learn their role too. We all are personally responsible for becoming more ethical than the society we grew up in. If you haven’t learned your role, now is the time to figure it out so we can make a difference. Social distancing is in place for our health and safety, but social distancing instills the opposite effect on many vulnerable people across the nation and within our local community. People who lost their jobs can become more desperate for income, resulting in a possible increase in various forms of human trafficking. There are migrants and asylum-seekers living in tent camps at the Southern Border that are lacking the resources to protect themselves from Covid-19. Women, children, and men are being forced to stay in their homes, several of which can be homes where abuse and violence often takes place. The stress during these times may also lead to the abusers increasing in violence. More social distancing also means less foster families available for children in need. This can lead to children staying in unsafe environments or on the streets left in the hands for traffickers and predators. Evil won’t be practicing social distancing any time soon. Now is the time to take ethical responsibility for the issues going on in our own city. We have to come together while we’re apart and support the most vulnerable in these situations. You don’t need to be wealthy, and you don’t need to be Mother Teresa. We can all support nonprofits using what we have. You can take your passions, skills, majors, hobbies, and money to help support organizations during the pandemic. In the words of Barack Obama, “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.” “ I would like to take this opportunity to fall back into my instructor mode, and offer one last, lets call it, extra credit assignment to all of our students. No, its not extra credit that can be applied to any of your Casper College classes, but it is extra knowledge that I believe will pay large personal dividends in terms of peace of mind and emotional stability as you move through your individual lives. As you continue your educational journey, either formally or informally, I strongly urge each of you to take time to learn at least something about risk analysis/risk perception, as well as statistical analysis, especially as it relates to research design. Hopefully the current COVID-19 pandemic will be the largest social and health upheaval you will experience in your lifetimes, but it may not be, and more importantly, it certainly will not be the last Anyone who knows me, has heard my speech that there are three types of lies: Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistical Lies. — Darren Divine, Ph.D., Casper College President upheaval you will experience. I will not bore you by telling you all of the events I have encountered thus far in my life, but rest assured there have been many. I can unequivocally tell you that my background in scientific research, specifically statistical analysis, has played an enormous role in my outlook and viewpoint during all of these events. Anyone who knows me, has heard my speech that there are three types of lies: Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistical Lies. The last is by far the easiest to achieve. Now, most people, even those on social media (don’t get me going down that road….) are not trying to lie, or even mislead you, with their statistical “facts”. The simple reality is that they do not know enough about the science of statistics, the underlying assumptions built into statistical analyses, and the research design behind a particular study, to make an informed opinion of the data. This is one of the many reasons why the gold standard for scientific research is peer-review, so that other researchers in that field can look at a paper’s research methodology and ensure it is sound. If trained, professional researchers struggle in this area, I can assure you, the average person is woefully underprepared to make such an analysis. So whether it is reading a posting about using malarial drugs and any role they might play in the treatment of COVID-19, or listening to the evening weather forecaster and understanding why a 10 degree deviation from the average low temperature on any given day may, or may not, be “normal”, I believe that enhancing your knowledge and understanding of these concepts will pay personal dividends that will only continue to increase as you move down this wonderful, yet complex, journey we call life. The College Process in 2020... As we draw to the end of the semester and for some of us, our overall time at Casper College, we ask ourselves, “what next?” and consider our plans after graduation. Some students may enter the workforce after graduation while others will continue their education at four-year institutions. For me, well, I’ve got a lot to think about especially because COVID-19 threw a major, I mean HUMONGOUS curveball. I am in a unique, defined as difficult, situation as I currently am a high school senior at Kelly Walsh this year, but I’m also graduating from CC this May as well. On top of my 20-credit semesters and high school shenanigans, I also play basketball and participate in track and field at KW. I also am vice president of the Key Club and a member of National Honor Society, so I’ve got a lot going on. My situation means that COVID-19 hit me with a double whammy. Here are just a few things that made the situation reach its peak of suckiness: the Wyoming state basketball tournament was cancelled, the high school track season isn’t looking too good, college graduation is virtual, high school graduation and prom aren’t looking too good either, and I’m stuck at home with all these things on my mind. I can’t complain too much though—I’ve found a few things to make the time go by a little faster. I’ve completed two puzzles (one of them was missing two pieces *crying emoji*), bingewatched Tiger King, built the Lego Central Perk from Friends, watched about 23459458543102 movies, almost finished The Office for the sixth time, and learned how to ride a hoverboard. I didn’t know what 2020 had in store, but I sure didn’t anticipate a global pandemic. Instead, I was looking forward to Join our the Chinook staff this fall! Interview Write Take photos Design Sell advertising Take Independent Publications for a minimum of one credit. Contact faculty advisor Bri Brasher for more information brianne.brasher@caspercollege,edu graduating and, cross your fingers, going to college. Life made the college application process quite challenging too (and this was before COVID-19. Sheesh). As for all high school seniors, my public schooling is coming to an end, and now is the time to go through the graduation and application process. Picking schools, applying for scholarships, sending out graduation invites, spending A LOT of money, you know, the usual. As I began browsing and applying to universities, I became slightly overwhelmed but mostly excited. When I found a few that I was interested in, I applied for them. The thing is, due to my “unique” situation, I applied to all these colleges as a transfer student, thinking that because I am getting my associate’s degree this May I am technically transferring from CC. I was wrong. Turns out that because I don't have a high school diploma yet, I’m still considered a freshman. It makes sense, I guess. So, I then needed to contact every university I applied to and have them switch my application to a first-year freshman. Once that was done, finally, I had to wait about five months to hear back from all of them. I did further digging into each of my options to ensure I made the right decision. Luckily, there are no more issues with my transfer/freshman situation or with my credits being transferred, and I can start my college experience halfway through. Now, I have decided on a school and plan to leave Casper this August! Well, hopefully. Although times are difficult right now, I try to distract myself from what I’m missing during my high school senior year and think about what’s to come in the future…once I break my door Jayla Johnson High school is no musical down, run around outside, run to Wal-mart, go to restaurants, and see a movie in the theater. At least it will be a good story to tell our grandkids! Double whammy, COVID-19. Double. Whammy. Good News! Casper College’s 8th Student Film Festival Has Gone Digital! Thursday, May 7th Enjoy a selection of student made films,and hear some good news! All welcome! �Special Edition - April 16, 2019 Page 3 CHINOOK Intramural sports: Opportunities for everyone Jayla Johnson Chinook Writer The Casper College Student Activities program offers many sports and activities each year that allow students to take a break from their studies while also providing them with a chance to be active and have some fun. For four to five weeks, staff members, faculty, and students participate in an intramural sport season, which typically includes one or two games a week followed by a playoff tournament in the sixth week. Chris Stier, the Student Activities Coordinator at CC, spoke of the college’s intramural program. “I think [the intramural program] offers a different type of college experience and kind of a break from the studies, a break from student’s jobs outside of school, so it gives them time to do something fun and that they enjoy or maybe participated in in high school and overall just health and wellness.” According to Stier, the most popular sports are basketball, volleyball, and flag football, though Stier said he bases many activities on what students want to see or participate in. In years past, the intramural sports program offered the Harry Potter game of Quidditch, softball tournaments, tennis, archery, and soccer. Stier said volleyball and basketball see the most participation with an average of six to nine teams, each with a roster of six to eight players. This means that nearly 70 students compete in each of sports. Another popular activity is flag-football, which also attracts a large number of participants with four to six teams made up of seven or eight players. CC student and intramural sports participant, Jeremy McKinley spoke with the Chinook about his intramural experience at the college. “I started doing intramurals because I was working for Chris Stier, the Student Activities Coordinator, and when a team needed an extra player I would hop in,” said McKinley. “That was my first encounter with intramurals and I quickly started to love it. Ever since, I have signed up to do just about every intramural event Chris has put on.” Practices for many teams are at night in order to accommodate the majority of staff and students’ schedules. Scheduling flexibility makes it easy for the team to focus on school and work while also being able to participate in intramurals. Aside from scheduled practices and arranged games, Student Activities offers an open gym every Thursday where students can come play basketball or soccer. According to Stier, 20 students, on average, recurring and new, come in each night to freely play these sports. The program offers many ways to exercise while also having fun with your classmates and peers, but many other benefits come out of participation as well. “Students who are trying any type of athletics that is new to them are experiencing something new, and through compe- tition you kind of learn how to communicate differently and learn how to navigate communicating to people in the future as well,” Stier said. Stier also said students have the opportunity to meet people and make new friends along the way, a point that McKinley can personally endorse. “[Intramural sports] has given me the chance to meet new people that I wouldn't have ordinarily met. Intramurals bring people who live on campus and off-campus to participate in sports,” McKinley said. In addition to social benefits, the program also promotes health and wellness by giving students and faculty the opportunity to have fun and be active, which Stier considers one of the program’s main objectives. Stier also said these fun sports can relieve stress among the busy students by gathering friends and playing an easy-going game of basketball or volleyball. McKinley said, “For me [intramural sports] have always been a way of relieving stress, or a great break from studying. The people are great and it’s competitive and fun.” Without student participation, intramural sports cannot occur. Stier’s goal of increasing participation stems from the benefit of students, so there can be more and more sports and activities offered to a wide variety of interests among the CC students. “My goal is to increase participation as much as I can. That’s always something I always strive to do because more participation allows me to put [the sports] on more often,” Stier Women’s Soccer Coach: Ammon Bennett Photo courtesy of Chris Stier A group of Casper College students gathered together for a game of intramural volleyball earlier this year. Intramural sports are currently on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. emphasized. There have been times, said Stier, when student activities could not put on intramural sports or events at CC due to lack of participant sign-ups. For some students it’s disappointing not to have these sports put on because they are very passionate about playing them. “We have a lot of students who participate in any intramural that pops up. These are typically the former high school athletes who want to take advantage of doing [intramural sports]. A lot of our very social people want to participate as well,” Stier said. McKinley told Chinook that he considers the CC spring 2019 softball tournament to be his favorite because he grew up playing and coaching baseball. McKinley said “it was awesome” having the opportunity to play one of his favorite sports through CC while having fun and meeting new people. McKinley mentioned that he’d like to see ultimate frisbee in the intramurals program in the near future; likewise, if you have an idea for a sport or activity you want to see or participate in, feel free to share it with Stier or Student Activities. According to Stier, the most successful activities here at CC have come from student’s ideas and suggestions. You can become a participant in intramural sports by responding to Chris Stier’s weekly emails that contain the Ammon Bennett is coming to Casper with significant coaching experience, formerly coaching women’s soccer at William Penn University and Utah State University - Eastern. Bennett said he chose Casper College because he believes in the college’s ability to compete at a high level and get to the Regional, District and National sign-up sheets and registration forms for you to fill out and return to Stier. Continue checking your emails for notifications from Stier for more information about intramural sports and upcoming events. If you are interested in participating or have any questions, contact Chris Stier or stop by the offices in the Student Union building. “The base impact we hope for is that they’re outside of the classroom and they’re learning to have fun through good health and wellness. I think intramural sports creates good communication skills too, especially those who have been on an athletics team in high school understood the dynamics of working with their peers,” Stier said. championships. He’s currently working hard on recruiting players, and so far he has 17 girls from Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Brazil and Spain that will be joining the T-Birds next season. “My first season here, I would like to establish a winning team and hope that we can compete for the Region Title,” said Bennett. Student or Instructor Turn your online struggles into answers by calling us. Students: Instructors: We make sure you are able to access online learning resources needed to learn in your classes. We will also help you learn to utilize the digital tools available to you for all your classwork. We can help make online course development easier for you as well as assist in making knowledge acquisition more efficient, effective, and appealing for your students through the best teaching practices and use of technologies. Top five examples of items we can help with: 1. How to use Moodle — including how to submit assignments, participate in forums, etc. 2. Use Google Suite — Google Docs, Drive, GMail, etc. 3. Accessing Office 365 . 4. Online tutoring — How and where to get extra help as you need it. 5. Moodle technical issues — except password changes, we don’t do that. Don’t wait! Get your questions answered now. An example of items we can help with: • Technologies that support learning objectives and classroom productivity like GoogleSuite, ProctorU, Zoom, Yuja, and other various Moodle activities and resources. • Providing a sounding board for ways to improve courses. • Sharing examples of instructional strategies used in other courses and programs. • Providing help in developing teaching strategies Plus a lot for online classes. more! • Providing a student perspective. Contact us. Teresa Pat Mike For help or more information contact us at 307-268-3882, dlc@caspercollege.edu, and av@caspercollege.edu. Donnie Dave Camille �Page 4 Special Edition - April 16, 2019 CHINOOK Lady T-Birds are Region IX champs Jo Jeremic Chinook Writer The Casper College women’s basketball team won the Region IX championship after their win in the tournament finals against the, at that time, second placed team in the country, Western Nebraska. Coach Dwight Gunnare’s team put up an amazing performance in a tight game, and managed to win with the score of 66-64. Even though, to the disappointment of the whole team as well as many fans, the National Tournament got canceled, Lady T-Birds are still reminiscing on their final game and the rest of the great season. Raquel Ferrer, Casper College point guard from Spain recalled the team’s last game. “I felt a lot of pressure, it was such a high intensity game that at the end, even though i knew it was over and we won, my body was still shaking,” said Ferrer. Marija Bakic, a freshman from Montenegro and the third best scorer for Casper this season explained how in the moment of victory, she felt a huge sense relief. “It (winning) felt like all those days and months of hard work and sacrifice that we put into this finally paid off,” remembered Bakic. “It was then when I realized how good of a team we were, always working together and never turning our backs to each other.” Moments after the victory were a blur to everyone with fans screaming, the announcer yelling into the microphone, and the athletic director giving out the trophy… It was only after they left the gym and got into their locker room that the team became aware of what had just happened. “In the locker room I told them that they should try to realize just how great of an accomplishment it is to make it to the Nationals and that they just proved that they are one of the best junior colleges in the country,” explained Gunnare, who was named the best Region IX coach of the season by NJCAA. Ferrer explained the team’s tradition. She said after every win, Coach Gunnare would pick the player who improved that game, and that player would add a new tally mark to the board in the locker room. At the end, there was a total of 29 tally marks on the board, representing 29 wins Casper College earned this season. “When Coach G walked in the locker room after the game, we all poured our water bottles on him. Then, our assistant coach, Macy, made him draw the final tally mark on the board,” told Ferrer. Ferrer, who is a sophomore, started in 31 games for T-Birds and averaged 7 points per game and 3 assists per game this season. She was also named to the All Region IX Team and All-Tournament Team, crowning the end of her Casper College career. Natalia Othkmezuri, a freshman from Georgia had an amazing season and led the team with 15 points per game. She also scored the winning points in the final game. Besides Othkmezuri, Marija Bakic, Ashley Tehau, Aspen Cotter, Mya Jones, Emily Achter, Reka Soos, and Kammie Ragsdale played a great game and scored important points in the big win. Juneau Jones, Bailey Johnson and Nazli Bayazit had to skip the tournament because of the injury, but all three had an amazing season and contributed to the success of Lady T-Birds. Everyone was looking forward to the National tournament with great expectations. The unexpected cancelation of the tournament left everyone disappointed. “Coronavirus started spreading so rapidly we didn’t have time to comprehend what was happening. I was hoping that it would somehow avoid our game, but when I heard that the NBA season got cancelled, it was clear to me what was coming next. The disappointment is still there, but it is what it is. We just have to stay ready and set our minds to our next season,” explained Bakic. “I try to look at it this way: at least we finished the season with a win, not many teams can say that!” said Ferrer jokingly. The team is trying to stay positive through these unprecedented times. They are taking a well-deserved break now and are patiently waiting their return to the court. Gunnare is also struggling with the cancelled tournament. “I was very optimistic about our first-round opponent. New Mexico JC was a very good team, but I liked how our team was preparing. We had a pretty good idea of what we had to do to win, and I was starting to see Jo Jeremic/Chinook Natalia Otkhmezuri pulls up for a shot at a home game this season. The Lady T-Birds won the region IX championship in early March. it in our practices. However, I totally understand and respect the decision to cancel. Keeping people safe is the most important thing right now.” No matter how unfortunate the ending came to be, this season will stay the one to remember for Lady T-Birds and Coach Gunnare. Even after they move on to new schools, the memories of this season and the trophy that they’ve won for Casper College will remain. “I have offers from schools, but I’m not ready to make the decision yet. Wherever I end up going, I will always be thankful for these two years at Casper College and all the people that were a part of this great and unforgettable experience!” said Ferrer. T-Birds finish their 2019-2020 season Toni Ker Chinook Writer Thursday, March 5th was the start of the Men’s Region IX Basketball Tournament in Sterling, Colo. The Casper College T-Birds had the goal of winning the Region IX Tournament since the start of their season and had been preparing for it all school year. After putting up a long fight against Western Nebraska Community College, the T-Birds lost 112-108 in overtime. “It was really high level basketball, but it ultimately wasn’t what we wanted to accomplish,” says Head Coach Shaun Gutting. “It obviously was a really hard fought battle between both really good teams. There was a couple times when we really thought we were in control, but we just weren’t able to maintain the lead, especially in the second half.” He continued, “Ultimately that’s what we needed to do against a really good team.” Despite the loss at the Tournament, the T-birds had a successful year, according to Gutting, with a total of 25 wins. “I think it was a successful year. We set goals at the beginning of the year obviously of winning the region championship and fell just short of that. I think we established kind Photo courtesy of Cory Garvin of the culture of what our program needs to be Dathan Satchell, a freshman from California, poses for a photo in his Casper College especially with me being the head coach now.” uniform. Satchell said he found a family with his team this season. Despite several sophomores leaving the team, Gutting said there are strong freshmen returning next season. “Obviously having 5 freshman that really contributed helped us get to where we were going and having those guys come back with some experience really helps us to lead in to hopefully having another good season next year,” stated Gutting One of those returning freshmen is Dathan Satchell, a 6’3 guard from San Jose, Calif. Satchell said he came to Casper College after meeting and talking to Coach Lester Stewart. “I talked to a lot of schools, but I had established a relationship with Stewart, and they told me that they’d let me hoop and just play my game,” said Satchell. According to Satchell, the past season taught him several new things. This ranged from paying more attention to detail to being prepared and locked in during the game. Moving from California to Wyoming could be a big adjustment to anyone to make, but Satchell said his teammates made it a lot easier. “I have a close bond with the team, they’re like a family. It’s really small and everybody is close,” Satchell stated. The T-Birds close their 2019-2020 season and will be taking what they learned to prepare for next year. Gutting said their goal for next year is to, “Win the Region IX Tournament, always to win the Tournament.” https://www.caspercollege.edu/chinook/ We are doing our part to stop the spread and still feed the students at Casper College Our guidelines are meant to protect the students and others in the community 1. We’ve moved to a grab-and-go model 2. A limited number of students are permitted in the dining hall at one time 3. Blue X marks are taped on the floor to regulate social distancing practices 4. There is one entrance and exit plus we have heightened cleaning and sanitizing protocols 5. Cashiers are scanning cards instead of swiping to help limit the spread of germs As we wait out the virus we look forward to serving you ALL next semester Look for updates on our Facebook page or on our website: https://casperdining.sodexomyway.com/ �Special Edition - April 16, 2019 CHINOOK Page 5 Casper College students keep busy and share talents while quarantined Gabrielle Garris, Elementary Education Major, Freshman. "Pictured are DIY stuffed animals that Garris has been making while practicing social distancing." (Submitted Photo) Ben Garvin, Sophomore and Elly Yore, Freshman, both Automotive Technology Majors. "Pictured are the bikes that Garvin and Yore have been building during quarantine." (Submitted Photo) Logan Eggleston, Engineering Technology and Design Major, Sophomore. "Pictured is the Casper Mountain Waterfall where Eggleston spent his free time shooting photos during quarantine." (Submitted Photo) Oral Presentation and Communication Center • Taming presentation apprehension and anxiety. • Confidence and style. • Using organization to create a laser specific message. • Using language effectively. Schedule an online appointment today: Email: OPACC@caspercollege.edu OR Phone: 307-268-2648 �Page 6 Special Edition - April 16, 2019 CHINOOK MOTIVATION............................................................................... continued from page 1 staff alike. Madison Ballard, a freshman at Casper College shared her thoughts on the matter. “I’ve been struggling recently with new material. Sometimes getting a hold of an instructor in person is difficult enough in person, let alone if they won’t answer their emails,” says Madison. “Towards the end of the year I try to focus on those study guides and reach out to any additional information avail- able, but it can be really hard to get thorough communication on both ends sometimes.” Students are affected differently than staff, however. Sometimes, it can be really difficult to feel motivated to finish an online class when the weather outside is just so bright and warm rather than gloomy and grey. On top of that, student lives are busy, and many are unable to attend live online lectures for one reason or another such as their work schedules or prior family matters. “It affects different classes in different ways,” says Riley Box, another CC student. “Doing a group project and trying to work around everyone’s schedules is different than having a designated class time to talk about it. It’s annoying not being able to ask questions face-to-face, and when the weather is sunny I don’t exactly want to do school work.” Student organized blood drive at Casper College Miller does her best to counter this by dressing up in fun ways during her live online lectures and showing silly videos of dogs to students who tune in. By keeping students engaged and interested, they are more likely to tune in to the live lecture. Another benefit of live class time is that a student can ask a question and have it answered almost immediately. It is the secondbest option to a face to face meeting. “Take care of yourself physically--diet, hygiene, exercise, sleep, emotional connections, monitor stress levels--as well as mentally. Create routines, schedule and block out study times, connect with classmates and friends, create mini goals to achieve on a regular basis, think or make a gratitude list of 3 things each day, and most importantly-- smile & laugh every day.” says Miller. “The same boiling water that soft- Non-traditional students account for majority of 2019 CC enrollment Rhonda Hoppa Guest Contributor Jo Jeremic/Chinook Mary Welch watches over Nicole Orden as she donates blood at Casper College in late February. Jo Jeremic Chinook Writer On February 27th in the Liesinger Hall at Casper College, Student Senate organized Blood Drive. Many students, and Casper citizens came and donated their blood to charity. “The first time I gave blood was in basic training, and it really felt good to do, for me, a small thing that can help someone a lot. Ever since then, I started doing this more often,” said Nicole Orden, one of the Casper College staff members, that donated blood on Friday. In the past few years Casper College, joined with Vitalant, has been giving students and other people opportunity to donate blood. Vitalant is one of the biggest transfusion medicine organizations in the country, with more than 1000 hospitals in the US. This year, Casper College Student Senate has taken over this task from the Digital Learning center, that has previously been organizing the event, explained Riley Box, the president of the student senate. “Student senate contacted people and prepares the whole event, and Casper College Forensics team is manning the tables this year,” said Box. Every year around 6.8 million of Americans donate their blood and more than 4.5 million need the transfusion. Every two seconds people enter hospitals around the country in need of blood. Donating blood is a selfless and humane act that only 37% of Americans are eligible for, but only 10% actually do. ens the potato hardens the egg. It's about what you are made of, not the circumstances. We can do this, & ultimately be better!” Although working through the new and challenging platform of distance learning may be a rough change, it is not impossible. Keeping ourselves physically and mentally healthy is key to success, as well as quick and efficient communication from both students and staff. Approximately 65 percent of currently enrolled students are non-traditional, even though recruiting efforts are primarily focused on high school juniors and seniors, according to Rachel Shafer, admissions advisor for Casper College. Shafer believes technology and life circumstances are changing the profile of the average CC student, and non-traditional students are the new normal. A non-traditional student is typically defined by age (over 24), background (race and gender), residence (off- campus), level of employment (especially full-time employees), and enrollment in a non-degree occupational program, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics. Based on research Shafer completed for her master’s thesis, she noted that higher education enrollment is inversely related to the economy. Based on Shafer’s conclusion, she believes there will be an increase in non-traditional enrollment for 2020, due to the current decline in the economy caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Shafer, non-traditional students typically need the flexibility of diverse class offerings and schedules, as many balance their more complex home lives, work schedules and access to technology. The introduction of online and evening classes broadened the scope of CC’s offerings in recent years, which opened new doors for adults seeking to gain new skills or increase advancement opportunities at work. “There is a huge demand for online classes. We have a handful of classes that are all online, and a larger variety of hybrid classes available that are 70 percent online. I think with this current pandemic we’re living in, it shows that we need to make online more of an option,” said Shafer. Morryah McCurdy, vice president of business development for Advance Casper and current CC student, believes these efforts may not be enough. In McCurdy’s opinion, the college needs to provide an even broader variety of classes and increased online class opportunities to provide additional incentive for non-traditional students to enroll at CC. McCurdy stated that having a clear direction and finding your passion are the keys to success at the collegiate level. She admits she struggled in school before she discovered her niche within the communication department. She is on track to graduate with an associate’s degree in communication with an emphasis on public relations in spring 2020, along with her bachelor’s degree in communication through the University of Wyoming at Casper in 2021. For Mindy James, a 41-year-old single mother currently pursuing a triple major at CC, her 7-year-old daughter motivated her to enroll in CC. “My daughter brought home a school project that said she wanted to be a babysitter like mom. I closed my daycare and started school six weeks later,” said James. James’ example seems to be working. “She just told me she wants to be a teacher,” James said, after chuckling softly. While both McCurdy and James successfully returned to college and are on track to achieve their respective degrees, they also acknowledged unique challenges they encounter due to juggling their busy home, work and school lives. James is considering a transfer to an online school that takes a more flexible approach to pre-requisite requirements, due to her frustration with the math pre-requisite. Suggests that CC modify their requirements to give credit for life or employment experience. McCurdy stated that she is frustrated with the class schedule at CC. “If you have a more niche degree, like communication, you have to wait semesters to take some of your required classes, since some are only offered once per year. It can waste a lot of time. I would like to see CC offer a wider selection of classes and offer the classes fully online,” said McCurdy. “It’s not worth the hassle of doing a hybrid class while working full-time.” If Shafer’s predications are correct and there is a continued increase in the enrollment of non-traditional students, like McCurdy, James and Shafer, CC must increase its current online offerings in order to make education an accessible option for prospective students with diverse family dynamics and/or employment responsibilities. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Chinook Student Newspaper Online Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 2019-2026 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text; image Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Casper College Chinook Student Staff Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Chinook Student Newspaper, CCA 08.i.2023.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 08.iii.2023.01_Chinook_Digital Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Online Chinook Newspaper 2020-04 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 2020-04 Description An account of the resource This is a copy of the online Chinook Newspaper from April 2020. Type The nature or genre of the resource Text; image Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Casper College Chinook Student Staff Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Chinook Student Newspaper, CCA 08.i.2023.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA_08.i.2023.01_2020-04 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF