https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/75e7b7abcf2649c4109d7240a26e126f.pdf 1ba2b44eaa4aa00e71f463ed4b94c3ff PDF Text Text March 1, 2021 Casper College’s Student Voice Since 1945 Find us online! Student Senate starts food pantry Julia Nielsen Chinook Writer The Casper College student senate launched a food pantry this semester that is located on the 4th floor of the student union with food available to all students with no needs test required. The food pantry is open 12 – 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 12 – 5 p.m. on Fridays. Any student can get eight food items and two personal hygiene items per week. CC’s Student Senate put the initiative in motion with hopes of improving the lives of students. “The food drive and food pantry are really good ideas because I didn’t realize how many students were food insecure. If there are issues like this that students bring to our attention, there is a lot we can do to help them. I feel like we’re always trying to help students and do what’s best for them,” said Anastacia Slack, CC’s student body president. Students are not required to reveal a certain income level to qualify for access to the food pantry. Nutritious, non-perishable items are preferred, such as canned fish, canned fruit, vegetables and beans, pasta, rice, soup, and peanut butter. Students can also donate personal hygiene items, such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo and conditioner, toilet paper, soap, deodorant, and feminine hygiene products. The student senate is responsible for overseeing all of CC’s student clubs and organizations. The senate provides set guidelines for each club and decides the amount of funding they receive. Each club is sanctioned and must have a constitution in place, as well as a president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and an advisor. The advisor must be a full-time staff member at the college. Each club is required to do a food drive to help supply the food pantry. The club that donates the most food wins a grand prize of $2,000, and the club coming in second place receives $1,000. The student senate discussed other potential initiatives during their meeting, including improving the roads on campus and parking lot lighting for a safer campus. “Task number one is providing support and giving direction for our clubs. The second thing senate does is advocacy, which involves the improvement of our campus. They’ve passed a couple of resolutions to President Devine’s desk, with this month’s initiative involving the fixture of several potholes around campus,” said Corey Peacock, the student senate’s advisor as well as the director of student life here at Casper College. During their meeting, Anastacia and her team discussed the athletic watch parties to be held in the cafeteria the following week. The watch party for women’s basketball was held at 4:30 p.m. and men’s basketball at 7:30 p.m. on February 24th. Another watch party was held for women’s volleyball at 7:30 p.m. on the February 26th. There was a live stream of the games with wings and an ice cream bar provided for students. Spirit week will also be held in late April for the beginning of Casper College’s soccer season. A blood drive is also scheduled for the semester on April 8th, with the senate discussing last week how Photo courtesy of Student Senate The 2020-2021 Casper College Student Senate launced a food pantry. Members of the senate starting in the front row (left to right) include: Dani Warner, Anastacia Slack, Bre Long, Abby Hudman, Morgan Bundy, Emma Mercer. Back row (left to right): Tierra Price, Logan MacKearney, Paige Noble, Jake Duncan, Charissa Parker they can get students involved for the upcoming drive. Another initiative that senate discussed goes by the name of “thundering through barriers” with the goal of bringing students together to discuss uncomfortable yet important topics that improve student life. Last semester, students discussed suicide intervention training. This semester the group plans to discuss sexual assault and how it can be prevented. If you have an issue regarding campus or an important initiative you think the student senate should address, contact a member of the student senate or a student senate advisor. Rodeo team prepares for spring Savannah Peterson Chinook Writer Dozens of Casper College rodeo athletes are gearing up for the beginning of the 2021 spring rodeo season. The men’s team finished the fall season in high standings, and the women’s team is focused on growth. The 43 rodeo athletes are busy at practice. The real and raw practices are very com- petitive. Everyone is working to get better and the best way to do that is to work hard at practice. Carter Sandberg, a freshman saddle bronc rider, said, “We have great practices every week, awesome horses and great pickup men.” Although the practices are filled with many fun times, the students and coaches keep it competitive and focused. Sandberg credits the productive practices and teams’ success to his coaches, Jhett Johnson and Sandy Forbes. Johnson is the Head Rodeo Coach at Casper College. Forbes, a Casper College Rodeo Alumni, is the Assistant Rodeo Coach. After a very successful fall season, the men’s team is currently ranked third in the 20202021 Central Rocky Mountain Region standings. Such a ranking gives the team high expectations for the upcoming season. Sandberg shared his thoughts from the end of his rookie season. “I did not have the best luck this fall but feel I’ve been riding best as ever thanks to the good horses and awesome coaching,” said Sandberg. The women’s team is currently ranked 10th in the region going into the beginning of the spring season. For Megan Van Liere, a freshman barrel racer and goat tyer, the spring season looks exciting. “It (the season) looks very Bryce Hindman/Chinook everyone has been working hard with the help from both coaches, Jhett and Sandy.” Despite challenges from COVID-19 last fall, Van Liere is hopeful that the team can compete at all six rodeos this spring. When the school went into lockdown, the rodeo team had to miss a rodeo this fall, which set the team back in standings. “We had to miss one rodeo — See Rodeo, Page 5 Wilson says goodbye to CC Bryce Hindman Chinook Writer Grant Wilson posed for a photo outside of his classroom during his last semester at Casper College. busy; very competitive,” Van Liere said. “It looks like it will be a good season over all.” Van Liere said she started rodeoing at eight-years-old, and college rodeo is her next step to going pro. “My goal is to make the College National Finals and place in the top ten,” said Van Liere. Sandberg is also ready for the start of the spring season. Sandberg said, “I’m excited for the team this spring as Communication instructor Dr. Grant Wilson is retiring from Casper College in May and moving on to Western Nebraska Community College where he will start as the school’s vice president on June 1. After over three decades at Casper College, the school’s halls will feel his absence this coming fall. The right professor can have a huge impact on student lives. For many, that professor is Grant Wilson, Ed.D. When walking the halls of CC, it’s easy to just pass by person after person while not really paying attention to others or thinking about who those people might be. When walking by Wilson in the hall, he may seem like your ordinary college professor. But in class, Wilson’s teaching tells a different story. The Chinook visited with one student who took three of his classes over the past two years. “He made class really fun. I’ve taken a couple classes from him and he's always really good at making classes really interactive and interesting,” said Emily Byrd, a sophomore studying communications at CC. “His interpersonal communication class helped me choose the major I wanted to be in and helped me discover what my interests really are.” Of course, Byrd isn’t the only student that can reflect on the pleasure of taking a class taught by Wilson. With an above average course load of typically five classes per semester and around 20 students per class, around 6,000 students have gone through his classes in roughly 60 semesters. S uch a number is an impressive figure, especially considering the number does not take into account his former speech and debate students. If Byrd’s experience is any indication, the vast majority of these 6,000 students have enjoyed, learned, and benefited from the experience Wilson provided them in class. However, before Wilson could teach, he too put considerable time and effort into his studies to perfect his craft. He graduated with his Bachelor’s of Science in Education as well as English and speech from the University of Wisconsin at White Water. He then went on to obtain his Master of Arts from Northern Illinois University in communication studies, and finally, he graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Doctorate in Education. After putting in all the work, it didn’t take long for Wilson to land the career he wanted. “I always joke that after I finished my master’s degree this was the only interview that I had. I wanted to teach. I didn't want to get into doing research at a big research university,” said Wilson. “That's how I got into you applying to community colleges all over, and then this position became available, and they offered me the job so I moved out here. But I like it, I mean I've stayed 31 years for a reason.” Along with teaching a variety of communication classes at CC, Wilson worked with the student senate, started and helped coach speech and debate for 16 years, and even served as dean for the School of Science here at CC. Out of all of these roles, Wilson said his favorite subject to teach is public speaking and not just because he teaches it “better than anything else,” but also because of a more touching reason. “No one speech stands out to me as the best or even really good. It’s the shy, quiet kids who come out of their shell who I remember. Getting to watch students push past that shyness and get out of their comfort zone and deliver a speech is what I enjoy the most,” Wilson shared. Dr. Wilson, Grant Wilson, Lil G Willz, whatever you call him, has been an integral part of CC for decades. To this day he continues to educate and inspire future graduates all while using humble humor and a relatable attitude to do so. When walking the halls of the college, try not to take for granted the wealth of knowledge, hard work, and commitment within these walls. Everyone is either striving for an education and a better life, or they’ve already conquered their educational goals and only aim to pass their knowledge down to others. Take advantage of what the seasoned, humble professors like Wilson have to offer while you still can. "I was surprised to hear that Grant is retiring. He was genuinely one of my favorite professors, and I think it will be a great loss to Casper College,” said Byrd. “But I know that he will have a great future." �Page 2 March 1, 2021 CHINOOK Chinook Stance How a sustainable student garden could aid in campus food insecurity Julia Nielsen Just Julia Student farms have been around for decades with the mission of educating students on basic farming techniques but also to feed students on campus. Learning the importance of organic and local food production provides numerous benefits for college campuses. With Casper College launching their first food pantry, a student garden could aid in supplying fresh food for the pantry. This would be a space where we can come together to grow the campus community, as well as grow local produce for the betterment of Casper College and its students and faculty. Wyoming has a particularly short growing season, combined with unpredictably cold weather that could pose a threat to premature gardens. This means that timing would be one of the most important aspects if Casper College were to launch a student garden. Since our growing season is limited to about 125 days and our winter season is relatively long, an indoor facility for the college's garden would be ideal. At the very least, planting the seeds indoors first would potentially extend our growing season by several weeks. Cool-season crops would be ideal for Wyoming because they can withstand frosty weather conditions. These crops include broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, and other dark leafy greens along with onions, garlic, carrots, and radishes. Food insecurity across college campuses in the United States is more common than one would assume. Food insecurity affects students’ ability to learn and have a fulfilling college experience. A community garden would provide fresh produce for our food insecure students. Although most food pantries recommend donations that consist of non-perishable food items, student grown produce would add an element of vibrancy and color to the pantry. Fresh fruits and vegetables are one of the most important aspects of a healthy diet, and health and wellness is one of Casper College’s most important values as a community. The agriculture department at Casper College could take this initiative and turn it into an opportunity to teach students about the importance of sustainable agriculture on an entirely different level. Applying the methods of sustainable farming within a community garden will increase student awareness about where our food really comes from, how it is grown, and who grows it. The recently launched food pantry on campus is going to fulfill our students and their immediate needs. An increased awareness of food insecurity within campus and the launch of our pantry should motivate students to donate. I truly believe that a community garden would be an important addition for our food pantry because it will increase access to fresh produce that is costly at grocery stores, provide nutritional education, improve interpersonal relationships between students and faculty, and reduce student stress while improving student health. “ The German theatre practitioner Bertold Brecht once said, “Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are.” These are true words indeed. A little over a year ago, few us of could have imagined the breath of depth of change the world was about to experience. But now, I want to caution everyone not to be too complacent with that change, as Divine's Intervention: Make sure you have reviewed your plans, both short- term and longer-term, and make sure your plan still fits with the foreseeable future." things will change again; they always do. Most of us have fallen into a routine of mask-wearing, a bit of a slower pace in life with less travel, and remote working to one degree or another. However, life is slowly getting back to something a bit more recognizable and relatively soon, if you are not careful, you will look around and realize circumstances constantly — Darren Divine, Ph.D. Casper College President changed, and you did not keep up. My plea for you today is to not get left behind by the next big change, or even the next series of small changes. Make sure you have reviewed your plans, both shortterm and longer-term, and make sure your plan still fits with the foreseeable future. Remember, planning is not for the past, or even the present, but for the future. 'Kids these days' There’s a big stigma around “kids these days.” Supposedly, we’re lazy, selfish, and more connected to technology than we are to one another. In some ways, these descriptions are fitting. Like any generation, we too have our downfalls. “I think most of our generation knows about the value of face-to-face connections and interaction. It’s not like it’s a foreign concept to us,” said Casper College freshmen Maddie Hernandez. “But it’s so easy to just not do it. If there’s someone about to pass us in the hallway, we turn to our phones to avoid talking with people. It’s cliche, but in a lot of ways we really do need to learn how to better interact with one another in real life.” “It’s really just the time we live in,” added fellow freshmen Sophie Henley. “If older generations had grown up with the same technology, they would have the same usage problems we do. We aren’t addicted to social media because we’re bad people, it’s just how we were raised.” We’re constantly on our phones, and we seem less approachable to each other. Relationships can crumble because one person ghosts the other, or someone’s snap map shows they’re somewhere they shouldn’t be. We let friendships end because we don’t like who the other person is following, or we expose screenshots that prove someone is lying. In many ways, technology is reestablishing human interaction for the worse. But in many other ways, technology is helping shape this generation for the better. We have these platforms to express ourselves, and we have the power to create a following of supportive people and to block out anyone that’s not. We’ve been given the opportunity to be more liberal in our beliefs and have been taught to include more people in our metaphorical list of those who deserve respect. Whereas drag queens, transgender folks, those with disabilities, and racial minorities were looked down upon as inferior or less than, technology has proven to be a place to celebrate such vast arrays of life and expression. Among the younger generations at least, we have found similar values, laughed at the same memes, and learned to wholly communicate with people far away. “I think kids our age are a lot more empathetic and more careful of what they say than older generations.” Hernandez said. “It’s like we don’t care what people think about us as much as other generations did because we don’t have to. We’re more expressive of ourselves, have more individuality, and are just overall more mindful of whether or not we’re harming anyone by just being ourselves.” While technology and media has divided us in many ways, there’s this honest connection between people online. Young people are largely supportive of people with different lifestyles, and it seems we share more similarities with more people than ever before. Young people today are speaking a very exclusive technological language. “Sometimes I honestly don’t understand how people made friends and kept in touch before social media,” Henley said. “The first thing you do when you meet someone is ask for their snapchat. We’ll all do the half swipe before fully opening someone’s message, and know not to use periods and that some smiley-face emojis are better than others. We all know these rules, and will be in touch with people all day, so in a lot of ways we have these really solid relationships.” We share so many similarities, and so many dreams. We care deeply about our lives, and the future-- both for ourselves and others. Rachelle Trujillo Rachelle's Reflections “We don’t want to settle,” Hernandez added. “It seems like our parents said ‘this is what we’re given and this is what we got to work with’. We want to be happier, and we want to change things and do more than just get by.” This so called “lazy” and “selfish” generation of people are very much concerned with the state of the world. We care about kindness, and the way we’re treating each other. Just because the world we are growing up in is different than any other, it doesn’t make it bad or wrong. There are so many things going wrong in the world today. It’s reassuring to see young people so confident in one another to make it a better place than it currently is. In this innovative state of affairs, it’s a guarantee we will find innovative ways to improve things. “I think we really are just such an empathetic and passionate group of people,” Henley added in closing. “There’s a lot of problems in the world, and I’m hopeful about what we’ll do to fix all these problems. We’re going to change things. I truly believe our generation is going to change the world.” 2021 Humanities Festival Bryce Hindman/Chinook Above, Richard Burk presents at the 2021 Humanities Festival to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Casper College Theater and Dance Department. Left, keynote speaker Mark Jenkins gave a presentation titled, The Future of Water in Wyoming: Global Warming, Drought and How Wyoming Can Protect Its Water. �March 1, 2021 Page 3 CHINOOK Agriculture at CC Photo Courtesy of Colby Hales At the February meeting for Ag Club, members elected the yearly officers. The officers are in charge of planning and facilitating meetings, leading service projects and interacting with members. Photo Courtesy of Jermey Burkett The Livestock Judging team has been busy traveling across the country attending Livestock Judging Contest. On February 13, the team found success at the Nebraska Cattlemen’s Classic. Photo Courtesy of Colby Hales The Ag Club held their monthly meeting in the Ag Pavilion. At the meeting, members made root beer floats, voted for officers, and discussed the upcoming spring semester. Savannah Peterson/Chinook Berkely Stroh, animal science student, is checking the baby pigs in the Ag Pavilion. The eight piglets were born before the start of the spring semester and are used in the Swine Production class. Oral Presentaion and Communication Center Conquer your fear of public speaking Po li sh yo u r c C re ate p ommu n ic at io n s k il ls To book your appointment online or in-office Bri Weigel brainne.brasher@caspercollege.edu call 307.268.2375 r a l p re s o f e s s io n e n t a io n s Learn organizational skills Photo Courtesy of Heath Hornecker Colby Hales won the Phi Theta Kappa Terrific Learning Coach of the month in January. He was recommended and presented the award by sophomore, Kaylen Stearns Join our the Chinook staff this fall! Take Independent Publications for a minimum of one credit. Interview Write Take photos Design Sell advertising Contact faculty advisor Bri Weigel (Brasher) brianne.brasher@caspercollege.edu https://www.caspercollege.edu/chinook/ �Page 4 CHINOOK March 1, 2021 A Start to a New Chapter “Our fingerprints don’t fade from the lives we touch” ~Judy Bloom~ Brendan Saunders Chinook Writer Bloom’s quote holds true to all educators, but the words especially describes Casper College’s own, Debra Swedberg. A mathematics instructor at CC for more than 30 years, Swedberg made a decision to end her teaching career and retire when the 2021 spring semester concludes. Swedberg grew grew up in Casper and attended CC. She earned her Associates in Mathematics before transferring to UW to earn her bachelors. “Back then it was trendy to take a technical background and apply it to Masters in Business Administration,” Swedberg explained. “During this time I was fortunate enough to get a Teaching Apprenticeship with the Math department rather than in the Commerce and Industry College. I was given two classes to teach each semester, and that is not only where I solidified my love for math, but that I found out that I enjoyed sharing it with others.” Swedberg then waited a couple of years for an instructor position to open up at CC, and when she saw one open, she jumped right on it. “My husband and I then raised our two daughters here in Casper. When they became independent, I was fortunate enough the get the support from my department chair to begin work on my Masters of Science in Math. So, for three years back and forth to Laramie -- that took a while -- but invigorated my passion for my area of study.” Swedberg worked at CC all of her 30-year career, starting in the fall of 1985. She shared her love for the team here. She reflected back on one year in particular. In 1996 to 199, Swedberg and her former colleague, Diane Ginsbach, split the schedule of the honors math course at Natrona County High School. That year, Swedberg taught at CC in the morning then went to the high school to teach two classes in the afternoon. “The differences of cultures of these two institutions were so amazing” she said. “At the high school, I got to know the students better than my college students because we were together five times a week and more time to discuss math topics. At the end of that school year, I was exhausted.” Swedberg explained that the high school students in her classes seemed to have a much higher energy level than the college students. “Very few college students were throwing spit wads or bouncing into class to tell everyone a cool song or their plans for the weekend. I was thankful to come back to the college full time the next year.” Over the course of her career, Swedberg found what works for her in the classroom. “One teaching method that I have found tried and true throughout all these years is even though I have been teaching this for years, this could be a student’s first exposure to some material. Patience and compassion rule the day!” A close friend and fellow math instructor, Claudia Stewart, said she’s known Swedberg since she became a department head in 2007. Stewart remembers how they met. “I was moving up to the third floor, and I wanted to make friends and get to know some of the other professors there,” said Stewart. “We went to lunch and noticed that we had easy conversation -- sometimes you get together with someone and just click. With our busy schedules we still try to get in a couple on lunches in a month to talk.” Stewart said one thing that really makes Swedberg unique is her compassion and patience that she brings to every person and every situation. “When it comes to a person or a situation, she doesn’t go about things from point A to point B. She looks at things from different angles, and she edits her thought process as she goes,” Stewart said. Stewart recalled a time at one of their lunches when Swedberg gave an interesting answer to a question. “I asked her if she could do anything in the world and money wasn’t an issue what would it be. Debra told me that she would help clean the plastic out of the ocean,” Stewart shared. “Most people when you ask that question would say something about a vacation they would take or something they would buy, but Debra is always thinking of other people instead of herself.” Knowing her for more than ten years Claudia has had the chance to observe and sometimes work with Debra. “One unique thing that I notice about Debra’s teaching style is the kindness and patience that she brings to everyone and everything. She is always thinking about other people and how no one person learns the same way,” said Stewart. Outside of class, Swedberg said she enjoys photography and likes to take pictures of all the places that she travels. Retirement marks a new chapter in her life, but her overwhelming compassion looks to stay the same. “I am a part of the sandwich generation where I have aging parents and a grandbaby, both seem to need me.” Swedberg said, explaining her plans for retirement. “I plan to maintain my physical health and am prepared to take whatever life throws at me. I plan on getting my Dive master certification and my husband and I are anxious to explore this world of ours, once it is safe to do so. I have also talked with Photo courtesy of Debra Swedberg the department chair to see if there are still Casper College Mathematics Instructor, Debra Swedberg, is returing after more contributions that I can make to our school and than 30 years with the institution. Swedberg said she is ready to 'take whatever life college.” throws' at her while exploring the world and maintaining physical health. Whatever the next big adventure is for Swedberg, Casper College wishes her good luck and thank her for helping so many. �March 1, 2021 Page 5 CHINOOK RODEO.............................. continued from page 1 because the college went into lockdown … that gave other schools the chance to get ahead of us,” she said. The team will begin their season on March 18 with a double header against Sheridan College in Gillette, Wyo. Both Sandberg and Van Liere are confident the team will find success against Sheridan College. Casper College rodeo will then travel to Torrington, Wyo. for the Eastern Wyoming College Rodeo. Finally, the team will compete at home in Casper from April 16 to April 18. The college hopes to relax some social distancing restrictions this spring to allow spectators at rodeo events, according to a recent email from CC President, Dr. Darren Divine. The team looks forward to having the stands full of fans. The season will wrap up at the University of Wyoming Rodeo and the Colorado State University Rodeo at the beginning of May. After the conclusion of the regular season, the team will begin preparing for the National College Rodeo Finals. NCRF is scheduled to take place in June at the Casper Event Center. Submitted photos To the right, Casper College's Megan Van Liere competes in Cheyenne. Members of Casper College's Rodeo Program are pictured below. The front row includes (from left to right): Ben Kukowski, Quinten Taylor, Carter Sandberg, Sadie Podzimek, Megan Van Liere, Makayla Seely, Kandace Lumbardy, Whitley Heitsch, Whitley Reder. The middle row includes (from left to right): Trace Fuller, Beau Scarborough, Clayton Atkinson, Chantel Kolb, Madison Enos, Kristen Williams, Erin Mcaleenan, Beau Rees, Ethan Mazurenko, Wyatt Atkinson, Jhett Johnson, Kress Johnson. The back row includes (from left to right): Davin Tysdal, Cody Fosket, Nevada Berquist, Kobly Bradley, Cain Birkeland, Cade Herring, Jack Skavdahl, Quincy Reynolds, Ty Christensen, Weston Mills. Soccer queues up for the spring season Rachelle Trujillo Chinook Writer The first official season of the Casper College soccer program is set to begin in just a few weeks. After a fall semester of scrimmages, the CC men’s soccer team is queuing up for their first “real games,'' according to head coach Ben McArthur. “The guys are itching to play,” he said. “We want to lay the foundation of CC Men’s soccer in year one.” Official practices are scheduled to begin March 15th, though the team has already been busy with workouts and futsal practices-- a type of game and practice typically done indoors on a much smaller court. Players and coaches alike expressed excitement, as they share in this new milestone in the college’s history. The players and coaches said they’re as equally focused on victory as they are team-bonding. CC’s men’s soccer team consists of players from around the state, nation, and even the world. From Casper, Wyo. all the way to South Korea, the team is as diverse as the players themselves, but all members of the team share a single goal: compete for the championship. Gabriel Gonzalez is a freshman from Phoenix, Ariz. who’s already enjoying the environment at CC. Gonzales said he hopes for the entire team to be on the same page and share the same championship mindset. “We all came here for a reason. Now it’s time to go get it!” Gonzalez said. Fellow teammate Jack Pascoe from Barry, Wales seems to be in the same headspace. Pascoe said he is excited to grow together as a team through practices and tournaments, and expressed that he wants to make history together at the college. “We are really excited for the season,” said McArthur in closing. “We are going one day at a time and building for the long term.” The men’s soccer team is scheduled to play its first game April 2nd in Kansas with a game following every few days thereafter. If all goes as planned, the determined CC players will head to nationals later this spring. Until then, McArthur said that all there’s left to do is put in the work to make the team's goals a reality. Volleyball to compete this spring Elisa Ayungua Chinook Writer Elisa Ayungua/Chinook Casper College's Olivia Muir spikes the ball in a recent game while teammate Jada Suguturaga works the net. Photo courtesy of Cory Garvin Victor Hugo (left) and Gonzalo Bazan (right) pose for promotional shots taken earlier this academic year. The Casper College Volleyball Team found competition through scrimmages in the fall of 2020, as the regular season took a back seat to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the season is finally underway this spring, and the team is not letting the delay hold them back. The played team its third game against Northeastern Community College on January 23, one of the first games to officially count for the 2021 season. Jana Gilic, a sophomore middle hitter on the team, said, “We are competitive, and we will fight for what we want.” Gilic started playing volleyball in 5th grade and hasn’t stopped since. Gilic is from Trstenik, Serbia, and she said she chose Casper due to its great reputation and community feel. She also said a previous player informed her about Casper, and her contact had nothing but good things to say about the program. “They are expecting big things from us definitely. We have a strong team and they are expecting us to make it to the regional tournament and of course to grow as a player and as a person,” said Gilic. Gilic also shared some expectations she holds for the team. “(My expectations are) to go to nationals, get better, and beat the teams that we wanted to beat,” said Gilic. There are quite a few good teams in the region but a few teams the Lady T-birds are keeping their eyes out for are Central Wyoming and Western Nebraska Community College. Regardless, Angel Sharman, Casper College’s Head Volleyball Coach, shared high hopes as the season continues. Sharman said she too played volleyball in college and enjoyed the sport so much she decided to take on coaching volleyball as a career. She started coaching at CC in August of 2001. “I am expecting a lot from this group -- you know we’re half sophomores and half freshmen. So I think we have a great group of people and a great comradery of different types of people, said Sharman. “So we have strong defense and we lost a kid because of injury, but you know we are going to overcome that.” According to Sharman, the team is now a better passing team, a better hitting team, and a lot taller than the previous year. “I think we’re going to see some good net play this year, and like I said, we’re going to scrap. This team is one that if they get down a little bit, they’re going to continue to fight. So I am hoping we can continue to do that from what I’ve seen so far,” said Sharman. Sharman stressed the value of academics first and foremost. In terms of volleyball specifically, she said she focuses on the team atmosphere, working hard, effort, and letting her players succeed in having a good time. Though the season is going to move along, COVID restrictions remain. Sharman noted that teams no longer change sides between games due to COVID. “You just have to be careful. You have to wear the face mask on the side(line), and it’s just gonna be different. But you know, you gotta take it as it is, and if somebody gets COVID there’s a chance you don’t play,” said Sharman. “ It’s just basically a day-to-day thing, but you know we’re out here right now. So that’s what we’re looking at and hopefully we can continue to you know what we’re doing to keep kids safe, and that’s the biggest thing, keeping the athletes safe and not harming them in any way.” To protect students, the program is taking is keeping up with the sanitation, cleaning the volleyballs frequently, making sure hands are sanitized, and checking temperatures. The program is doing its best to keep the players and coaches safe. �Page 6 March 1, 2021 CHINOOK Smith’s journey to journeyman A: As far as work goes probably my Tyler Gallegos Chinook Writer Here at Casper College, students work on pursuing jobs in many different fields. Some, however, start the job they are pursuing before finishing their education. Cedar Smith is a young electrician who is attending Casper College to build his knowledge while working towards his journeyman electrician certification. The Chinook sat down with Smith to learn about what it’s like to be one of the many tradesmen who attend CC while also working in their field. Q: What are a few things that lead you to your choice of career? A: I always thought that having a trade job would be smart for the sake of finding work. There were a couple people in my family that were electricians. My dad was an electrician and so was my cousin. coworker Jeff who was my journeymen. He has been doing this for a long time and he is very knowledgeable and helpful. He made my start into being an electrician easier. Q: Did they encourage you to continue your education? A: They definitely all agree that the more certifications and knowledge you have will further you more. There are other careers pertaining to being an electrician that I can branch off to if I have more education as an electrician. Q: Do you have any challenges when it comes to balancing work and school? A: The days that I do have school are defi- nitely harder for me. Sometimes it's hard for me to focus in the night at class after a long day of work. Q: Where do you see yourself five years Q: What is the most challenging thing from now? about your job? A: With a journeyman's electrician's licen- A: Right now I’d say the most challenging se. Working towards getting enough experience to become a master electrician. Something with a better living situation. In a few years when I'm 26 or 28 I'd like to start a family. thing about my job is trying to learn so many things at once and how to do them efficiently at the same time Q: What does your typical day look like? A: Wanting to be independent motivates A: My work day starts at seven o'clock in the morning with a break for lunch and then I'm off usually at 4:30, depending if we're working out of town or not. And then on days when I have school I go to class from 6:30 to 9. Q: If I asked your coworkers to describe you, what would you think they would say? A: They would say I’m quiet and hard working. They can tell I am trying to learn new things. Something along those lines. Q: Who are some of your mentors within the trade? Q: What motivates you? me. Finishing what I started motivates me because I have already invested into this career. Q: What are you most proud of in life? A: The fact that I don't need much help from anybody else at this point in life and that I can keep being able to do that in the future. Talking with Smith provided insight on just how much work students put into achieving their goals. Smith has been working on this trade for almost a year now, and he’s and making more and more progress every day on his road to becoming a journeyman electrician. Tyler Gallegos/Chinook Casper College student Cedar Smith works on installing an electrical system into a new home. Smith is working as an apprentice electrician while also working towards earning his journeyman electricians license. BOCES: Helping students prepare for college Anna MIller Chinook Contributor The Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) is unique to Wyoming and began right here in Natrona County in 1991. The program dual enrolls high school students in college level courses. According to Casper College, the BOCES program is designed to ‘meet the educational needs of high school students through cooperative articulated programs in technical and academic areas where students earn college credit while still enrolled in high school.’ BOCES is offered throughout central and western Wyoming. All BOCES classes are free for high school students. “The dual credit is really nice because it’s on your college transcript too,” said Anna Burton, a current BOCES student enrolled at CC. “Then you don’t have to take them other places.” Burton currently has 30 college credits under her belt as a senior in high school. She has the majority of her general education courses out of the way so she can specialize more during her time at university. Due to her Burton’s BOCES coursework, she will enter college as a freshman with a sophomore standing, and she is excited to start her college career. BOCES provides a wide range of classes for students. Some students choose to take courses specific to their intended major while others branch out and try something completely outside of their comfort zone. Classes can range from calculus to AP English to welding. Ashton Sunday, a senior at Kelly Walsh High School and BOCES student, took welding, woodworking, and American Sign Language. Both Sunday and Burton enjoy their BOCES, but one stands out in particular for Sunday. “My ASL1 (class has been my favorite) because that’s the one I’ve continued to keep doing and I’ve been enjoying it,” said Sunday. Sunday and Burton have both been taking these classes for the majority of their high school careers. Sunday began as a sophomore and Burton began as a freshman. However, students can begin these classes no matter their grade. Seniors can take BOCES classes as well as freshman. Depending on the class, students may stay at their high school for class or go to class on the CC’s campus. “I’ve gotten something different out of every class that I’ve taken,” said Burton. “A lot of them were actually at the high school with instructors there. This (calculus class) is the first one I’ll get to take on campus.” The BOCES program offers students beneficial classes as well as incredible opportunities. High school students are preparing for college and learning new life skills in the process. Sunday has been taking American Sign Language classes and has been learning how to communicate with the deaf community. Sunday said, “It’s going to be easier to talk to people who can’t hear or talk, so I can actually talk to deaf people. The BOCES credit is just a bonus.” In addition, the course also fulfilled Sunday’s high school foreign language credit, and he qualified for Wyoming’s Hathaway Scholarship. While Sunday will likely not stay in Wyoming for his undergraduate, he likes that the credits can transfer with him or be here waiting if he decides he wants to continue his education at the University of Wyoming. BOCES is funded by both grants and Natrona County property taxes. BOCES receives approximately $1.2 million per year from property tax levies. This funding provides these courses to high school students in Natrona County for free. Hundreds of students benefit from the BOCES, and the program will continue inspiring the next generation in Wyoming and Natrona County for years to come. �March 1, 2021 Page 7 CHINOOK Phi Theta Kappa looking for members Kaylen Kott Chinook Contributor Members of Casper College’s Phi Theta Kappa strive to create leaders and help the community by raising money for local residents in need. Phi Theta Kappa, the largest honor society in American higher education, is an active organization that provides many opportunities for students at CC. From offering members scholarships to participating in community service, PTK focuses on the success of members and helps create great leaders for the community. Advisor and physics instructor, Jared Bowden, adds to his 17 years of experience at CC with his active leadership role in PTK’s services. The organization focuses on four core tenants that are most impactful: scholarship, service, membership and fellowship. “We try to help everyone succeed as much as we can,” Bowden said of the many opportunities PTK offers to student members. The organization helps students find success by giving each student a way to grow as an individual and as a team. By being part of an officer team and national organization, students build relationships with peers and other members of the community. According to Bowden, PTK’s ultimate goal is to make the best of one’s college experience, so the orga- nization focuses on offering continuing education opportunities. “There are transfer scholarships available to students who choose to transfer to other community colleges or a fouryear institution,” said Bowden. So, if students are rewarded with a scholarship or other means of financial aid through PTK, they will not lose an award by continuing their education at a larger university. Together, PTK members encourage others to join by hosting events at the college and in the community. Some of the group’s community service projects include providing recycling bins around campus to save the environment, helping Mimi’s House raise money to purchase its first home, collecting items to make food packets to feed Nicaragua, and even installing batteries in senior citizens homes to ensure their safety in case of emergency. PTK also travels to the organization’s national conference referred to as “PTK Catalyst” where students from all over the world meet and experience how the organization can benefit their lives. In non-COVID years, the PTK encourages officers to attend the event as a guest and show others what the roles and responsibilities of a leader in their chapter entails. Active member and officer, Xena Zamora, is a full-time student who also works fulltime while being involved in the club’s activities. When first asked to join, Zamora began to worry about how she would pay for school and take on a leadership role in the organization. With the help of PTK, she confidently took on the role of president and had her college tuition paid for by PTK. She also decorated the PTK board in the physical science building to illustrate how exciting and fun members find the organization to try and encourage passersby and observers to also participate. Zamora stated that PTK also offers a national certification board that helps expand each individual’s education. The process teaches life tasks such as how to fill out taxes and resumes that the general education systems do not typically teach students. “As young adults, we get thrown to the wolves all the time for things we weren’t expecting,” said Zamora. With PTK’s guidance and integration of life skills, future generations can avoid such trials. Preparing others for leadership roles in their life is another one of PTK’s goal. According to Zamora, “It (PTK) gives you purpose to want to get up and want to do stuff and want to help people because at the end of the day, we all strive to help others.” Being part of PTK gives members the opportunity to build relationships, provide help and service to the community and become a strong leader in society. CC Campus Democrats influence community Stephanie Barella Chinook Contributor A Casper College club called the Campus Democrats gets involved with the local community for the 2020-20201 academic year. The organization commits itself to informing the public about issues that affect the community, and encourages young adults to get involved in the community. Izac Garcia, a student at Casper College and member of the organization, explained that the community between students and other members of society is really special. “We’re really trying to get people politically involved and raise awareness around politics,” Garcia said. “It’s so important for people to know how to speak their opinions, and Campus Democrats encourages that.” The organization effectively reaches its goal by organizing presentations and speakers. Erich Frankland, a history professor at CC and faculty advisor for the Campus Democrats, explained that the club tries to get as many different perspectives as possible. The Campus Democrats believe that all ideas should be heard and that it is important to have a discussion based meeting. Frankland said there is less understanding with less participation and discussion. “One party states aren’t good. The party gets lazy and less responsive,” explained Frankland. “I don’t dictate what the discussion is about. I try to encourage them (the student members) as much as I can to have their own ideas.” The organization cultivates an environment that allows students to act on their beliefs. Frankland explained that while the group can’t legally endorse a specific candidate, there are many members of the group that engage in political campaigning. In fact, some students engaged in the 2020 Presidential Election cam- paign. Frankland furthered that some students were even invited to the Democratic State Party Convention. Additionally, the group is made up of many students that don’t identify as Democrats. Frankland explained, “Lots of people are concerned about the name of the club, but anyone is welcome. We have a few Republicans that have joined, and even a few Libertarians too. I think they all work really well together.” Beyond encouraging others to expand their knowledge on political issues, the organization is determined to increase political activity in the community. The students often arrange voter registration drives to encourage those in the community to use their right to vote. In this way members of the Campus Democrats can both engage and encourage involvement from people of all areas. Discussing political opinions is not the only activity that the organization engages in, however. The club as a whole dedicates itself to making the local community a better place. Food drives and litter pick up enable members to get lend a hand and make a difference. Frankland explained that the students recognize the importance of helping others, so they engage in homeless relief projects. Community activities allow the organization to unify and gain recognition. Garcia saod, “It’s not very difficult to find people to engage in community activities like litter pick-up. We have a nice time doing it together.” While the students in the organization have close relationships with each other, there is some concern that they could face backlash for being the minority in a Republican state. Frankland explained that for the students individually, they don’t see Wyoming as very welcoming to their ideas. Essentially, these students work to be heard in an environment that doesn’t want to listen to them. “We have never had college or community pushback,” Frankland said. “There is a sense that this is a college group, and their ideas might change later on.” Even though they have different ideas, they are still committed to engaging other people. Frankland continued that some students in the club hope that someday Wyoming might vote blue or at least be more representative. Garcia furthered that a lot of the students know that a blue Wyoming isn’t likely to happen, so they stick with trying to push through small agendas. Small policy change and talking with representatives is the best way for students like Garcia to achieve small change. “The state is getting more Republican,” Frankland said. “This means that the kids will just have to work a little bit harder to ensure that people here keep an open mind. March Madness Wings Thursday, March 25 A Swipe Social Event T-Bucks accepted! T-Bucks are like cash. Spend them at any campus dining location! T-Bucks won’t expire until the end of the school year! Purchase T-Bucks here: casperdining.sodexomyway.com Make sure to stock up on all your favorite midterm snacks at Subconnection! � 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 2021-03 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. 2021-03 Description An account of the resource This is a copy of the online Chinook Newspaper from March 2021. 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_2021-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF