https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/84acb632434873190629ee0b2ec1eb36.pdf ca55b55f6f2b6b89efef60ef920a4db1 PDF Text Text May 1, 2024 Casper College’s Student Voice Since 1945 Next year's student senate electees By Lane Johnson Chinook writter Photo Courtesy of Zach Nagy This year's senate included thirteen members: (Back row left to right) Natalie Schults, Jonathan Nachbar, Katelyn Boespflug, Keenan Morgan, Amy Mackay, Bernadette Pieper, Kassadee Lym (Front row left to right) Taylee Siemens, Jacie Coupens, Shani Osorio-Alcala, Gabrielle McVay, Caitlin Grenfell, Taylor Dye Money across CC sports By Faythe Fowler Chinook writter As a whole, athletics programs at Casper College receive a budget from various sources to divide and decide what happens with the money. There is an overall budget for each sport that is created by financial services, depending on various factors that affect the budget. “The college gives us two budgets,” said Ben McArthur, the men's head soccer coach at CC. “There's a scholarship budget, which goes towards scholar-shipping players… and then there’s an operations budget, which pays for gear, hotels, food, travel, referees, things like that.” From that budget, Linda Toohey and Paul Marble collaborate and approve budget items for each sport. They must keep things equitable between men’s and women's sports but understand that there will be budgeting differences between all sports. “One team may just have more of an expense than another,” said Toohey. “But we try to keep it as close as we can.” Brooke Downs, the director of financial services at CC, provided the 2023-2024 academic year budgets for each sport. These budgets include coach salaries. For example, the rodeo team received $318,000 for the 2023-2024 academic year. Jhett Johnson, the head rodeo coach at CC, said the budget mostly goes towards animal leases and feed, as well as travel and rooms. Volleyball, however, received $156,000 for the 2023-2024 academic year. Every spring Casper College hosts an election for new student senate members. Each school at the college gets two representatives with a total of five schools according to Student Life Coordinator Devin Fulton. The schools include: Business and Industry, Fine arts and Humanities, Health Science, Science, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. The senate positions are voted on by students, including the student body president. The president position is open to anyone currently on the senate that is returning next fall, and if nobody runs, the position is then open to the campus, according to Fulton. “We’ll have our officer election meeting on our final meeting of the semester on May 1,” Fulton said. The senate officers such as, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and the public relations coordinator are voted on internally to give each school a fair chance to be represented. The internal process is the reason that students don’t also vote for vice president in the main election, according to Fulton. Katelyn Boespflug ran unopposed this spring and was elected as president. Boespflug’s role includes listening to student complaints and suggestions, as well as providing a voice for the student body at upper level committee meetings. “My biggest goal as president is to be more in touch with clubs,” Boespflug said. Boespflug plans on going to more club meetings and feels that the clubs do a pretty good job already. She wants to help out with internal club activities, as well as offer a listening ear because it is something that she wants clubs to be aware of. Soon to be vice president Shani Osori-Alcala agreed and hopes that she can help the student body feel more included in the goings of campus. “I always just want to make the room more open to talk freely,” Osori-Alcala said. Osori-Alcala wants people to feel more lively and wants to make sure that the senate is a fun place where everyone can be comfortable with each other and voice their opinions freely. There is another election that happens in the fall semester. Fulton said the student senate holds elections for new freshman students to fill positions that may have been emptied over the summer. This is due to various factors, including the number of coaches and the number of teams. Volleyball is a smaller team – consisting of only 15 players – and only a women's team, with two coaches. Rodeo has a women's team with 11 athletes with one coach, and a men's team of 30 athletes with two coaches. The sheer size difference in the teams can explain the $162,000 difference between the sports. Other sports funding is adjusted for team size and their need for types of equipment. According to Downs, all budgets include coaches' salaries; men's basketball receives $223,000, women's basketball receives $228,000, men's soccer receives $207,000, and — See Sports Page 3 Faythe Fowler/Chinook Picture to the right are two members at the financial aid staff at Casper College. The financial aid office is located in the third floor of the Gateway Building. Onto a new chapter of life Bernadette Pieper Chinook Writer Bernadette Pieper/Chinook At the ASL potluck last month, Gail Schenfisch interprets what a student is saying about giving her a present and congratulating her on retirement. The closing of a chapter of life for Gail Schenfisch, an American Sign Language instructor and interpreter, is around the corner. She started her teaching career at Casper College 28 years ago where she built the existing ASL program. In 2017, Schenfisch made ASL an established degree at CC. She will retire at the end of the spring semester. While she said she is sad to go, she is ready for a new chapter in her life. “I kind of call it my graduation because I am graduating into a different genre of life,” Schenfisch said. Schenfisch started her career teaching ASL for the School of the Deaf in Casper. She taught there for eleven years, and then she took time to raise her kids. She then started to teach at the college as an adjunct teacher until she became a full-time instructor. “I am most proud of establishing a two-year degree in ASL studies that offers four levels of ASL. And we are the only institution in the state of Wyoming that offers four levels of ASL at the college level,” said Schenfisch. She is very thankful for the college and all of the support the institution provided her to help with the ASL program and what the program does for students and the deaf community in Casper. “We have a lot of special events that are big capstones for the students, like the Deaf Fest in the Fall. This helps expose students to ASL poetry and literature. Sign Fest evolved with one presenter and local community member eight years ago. And this year we have developed to the point of having a deaf educator. With the help of BOCES, we have brought in a deaf artist. The last four years we have had deaf artists who are nationally known,” said Schenfisch. As she steps away from the classroom, she will not be missing out on the action of signing because she will still interpret. She interprets for the State of Wyoming. Schenfisch said that while she does travel around the state for interpreting, but also stays busy in the Casper community serving the deaf. She also said she will stay available for for signing activities at the college or in the community. She also wants to take time to travel, be with family, learn to speak French and grow in her new passion for oil painting. “About six years ago, I took an art class and really found the passion for oil painting. I took that class because I wondered what I was going to do in my retirement,” Schenfisch said. Besides finding a passion for oil painting she has also found a passion to travel. She said she has traveled to five of the seven continents with Antarctica and Australia left, but wants to visit all seven within her life. Schenfisch said she’s already hit all 50 states. She said plans to spend more time traveling with her family and some close friends. She is very proud of all of the establishments and accomplishments that she has done for the ASL program, the students, and the college. Schenfisch said she is going to miss the classroom, but she will not be far from the college or doing what she loves the most -- signing traveling, and oil painting. She is ready to begin her new chapter of life. �Page 2 May 1, 2024 CHINOOK Chinook Stance Standing Up Against Violence Aliesia Berryman Alie's Quests for Happiness After the distressing and tragic events that took place at the Eastridge Mall in Casper on April 7 many Casperites are in shock. The community collectively grieves the loss of a fourteen-year-old boy. From what I’ve seen, the tragedy made all of us reflect on our city, our schools, and ourselves. As young people in America, it is essential to be aware of and fight against violence. In a press conference with the City of Casper, Natrona County, and the Natrona County School District, Vice Mayor Lisa Engebretson called for people to speak up. I doubt there are very many of us who haven’t seen something on social media, in the streets, or at school that called for possible action on our part. Whether or not we took action could have meant life or death for those involved. Often in these situations, you may find yourself saying: “It's not my business.” or “Someone else can deal with it.” Or perhaps you are scared of doing the wrong thing and being ridiculed. I personally like to believe that the world is full of people who are braver and more resilient than me. It may be easier to think this way but even if there are some people who are willing to say something, there are never enough. I have heard stories of people who were in the right place at the right time and managed to save a life. Each and every one of us are capable of doing that: of standing up for people whose voices aren’t heard. Our silence empowers wrongdoers and contributes to a culture of indifference. One night, I was inside my apartment when I started hearing shouting on my street. A group of highschool students were in the street—a very busy street I might add— arguing with each other. Cars were coming from both directions. Drivers stopped their cars and honked and yelled at the kids. The grown adults driving in the cars did nothing. They were more annoyed about not being able to keep moving than anything else. Unsure of what to do, I did something probably many of us would have done—I called my mom and asked her what I should do. We decided that I would call the non-emergency number. I did so, and a police officer showed up in minutes. The kids were broken up and the street was cleared. Divine's Intervention After witnessing demonstrations and conflict on college campuses over the past couple of weeks, I decided it might be timely to revisit a topic I first addressed back in 2022. The American educational reformer and President of Antioch College, Horace Mann, once said, “Do not think of knocking out another person's brains because he differs in opinion from you. It would be as rational to knock yourself on the head because you differ “ from yourself ten years ago.” Conflict has always been a part of the human race, and will never be eliminated. Whether we are referencing all-out armed conflict, demonstrations stemming from armed conflict such as the current Israeli actions against Hamas, or even a simple disagreement between two individuals about what political candidate to support; conflict is inevitable. Thus the pragmatic question is not will you be involved in conflict, but how will you respond to conflict when it arises. A proactive approach to dealing with conflict is awareness of the possibility, and consequently having avoidance or coping strategies at the ready. Whether the issue at hand is where to go to dinner, how to raise children, what to do about crime rates, or how to deal with unwanted neighbors, the possibility of conflict, at some level, is always present. Ignoring the reality of potential conflict, while perhaps While my situation did not escalate into violence, I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t spoken up. Did I save someone’s life that day? Did I prevent a terrible accident? I will probably never know. But if I hadn’t done something- and the situation had escalated, I would have felt guilty. As we mourn the loss of a young life and grapple with the unsettling realities of our society, let us not succumb to the temptation of passivity. Instead, let us rise to the occasion, emboldened by the belief that each of us has the power to effect change. Together, let us break the chains of silence and pave the way for a future where justice and compassion prevail. Take care of yourself and each other this summer! an attractive strategy for the short-term, is very likely a poor strategy for the longer term. Please understand I am not suggesting you should go through life expecting conflict to arise around every turn. I am; however, suggesting maintaining a mindset that conflict could arise at any level of our lives, ensures you will not be taken completely off-guard, and thus will be prepared to meet the challenges as presented. A proactive approach to dealing with conflict is awareness of the possibility, and consequently having avoidance or coping strategies at the ready. — Dr. Darren Divine Ph.D., Casper College President caspercollegechinook.com Taking online or hybrid courses? Students: 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. Examples of items we can help with: 1. MyCCMoodle — including how to submit assignments, participate in forums, etc. 2. ZOOM – help you learn to access and use Zoom for your remote course meetings and collaborations 3. Google Suite — Google Docs, Drive, GMail, etc. 4. Accessing Office 365 .- such as MS Word and PowerPoint 5. Online tutoring — How and where to get extra help as you need it, using NetTutor. Plus a lot more! Contact us. Don’t wait! Get your Questions answered now. Teresa Pat Mike Tyler For help or more information stop by Liesinger Hall, room 132 or contact us at 307-268-3882, dlc@caspercollege.edu, and av@caspercollege.edu. Dave Camille �May 1, 2024 Page 3 CHINOOK Sports...................................................... women's soccer receives $223,500. The athletic director receives $342,00 and all athletic trainers receive $104,000. “Our ratio of men to women on campus is approximately 60% women to 40% men,” said Toohey. According to Marble and Toohey, budgets depend on how long certain coaches have been at CC and equity between men's and women's teams. They evaluate and agree upon a budget that is fair for all sports. There is also additional fundraising to help support the athletic program. The athletic department as a whole fundraises, as well as individual sports. “[The] golf outing. That’s our big one,” said Marble. “Each sport does fundraising to help their cause and help the department in various forms.” Johnson said that the rodeo team hosts a rodeo school over the summer continued from page 1 that brings in revenue for their team. The kids get help, as well as the athletes that learn from teaching, according to Johnson. “We run a soccer camp, and we sell concessions during state basketball,” said McArthur. “Those are our two big fundraisers.” Money earned from fundraising goes to additional perks, such as additional equipment, gear, or team clothes, said Marble. The money dedicated towards sports at CC is carefully revised and ensures that each sport has the funds needed to succeed on and off the field. The life lessons learned in theater production By Geoff Cooper Chinook Writer Richard Burk, a longstanding figure in Casper College's theater department, directs his final production with "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief." The production ran from April 18-20 and April 25-27 at Casper College. His departure marks not just an end to his career but also the continuation of the profound life lessons he instilled in his students. "Theater requires ownership at every level," Burk said. "Everything you do, you must be completely responsible for. That is the life lesson of theater." Burk isn’t just interested in imparting a lesson to his students. He also hopes that the audience will glean some key insights from the story they’re presenting. “I think it’s a story of Percy Jackson figuring out who he is,” Burk said. “There’s a lot about kids being left on their own or abandoned, but they’re not victims. They’re empowered to figure it out and grow into their best selves.” The star of the show, Wyatt Buhler, is interested in Percy for similar reasons. “What drew me to Percy’s character is that he’s questioning who he is,” Buhler said. “Since starting college, I’ve also struggled with whether I’d like to continue theater or stick with my physical therapy program.” The selection of "Percy Jackson" stemmed from its widespread adaptation by reputable theaters nationwide, a choice Burk said he embraced after hearing the music and reading the script. However, adapting a play with fantastical elements presents unique challenges. “You can’t exactly blow a hole in the Gateway Arch on stage,” Burk said. The story also flows relatively quickly from scene to scene and from location to location. The plot requires a degree of flexibility from the set designer, Shontelle Grey. “Since things aren’t always what they seem in the world of Percy Jackson, we were able to use dynamic scene elements that represented different things,” said Grey. The trolley-like design of these elements allows for them to be moved around frequently, whether the scene requires a bus to explode or an attic to house a spooky character. The portrayal of monsters in a fantasy adaptation was another creative challenge embraced by the costume department, led by Daryl Wagner. “This was a lot of fun because of the monsters,” Wagner said. “We really got to go over the top with a few things.” Burk’s influence on each moving part of this production is evident. As his tenure at Casper College concludes with "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief," the production serves as a testament to his dedication to theater education Geoff Cooper/Chinook and the enduring impact of storytelling in the Wyatt Buhler is pictured above. Buhler portrayed Percy Jackson in "Percy Jackson and the theatrical realm. Lightning Thief," a production that ran at Casper College last month. It’s not retirement but a new adventure Submitted Photo Dr. Darren Divine is pictured speaking at the 2022 Casper College commencement ceremony. Divine is retiring from his role as president of the college in June. By Bernadette Pieper Chinook Writer After serving as President of Casper College for nine years, Dr. Darren Divine is stepping into a new chapter of life. He will slowly leave his position after graduation in May and is set to turn over the position to the new president by June. “I don’t like the word retirement. The challenge of retire- ment is what does it mean,” said Divine. He said he’s thought about retiring for several years now and everything just lined up that this year was the time to retire. In his retirement, Divine said he plans to travel, volunteer, complete his six months worth of work around his house, spend more time with his wife, working on his hobbies, and he wants to come back for college events. He plans to stay in Casper for retirement. Looking back on the past nine years as president of the college, Divine said he really enjoyed his role. He spoke of what he sees as his biggest accomplishment. “In this case, I would define accomplishment as anything that helped students succeed and achieve their goals,” Divine said. In addition to the overall emphasis on student success, Divine highlighted another accomplishment that sticks out to him. Divine talked about how he is most proud of getting a graduation speaker that is a student and not someone famous like it was before he came to Casper. “I just don’t agree with that, and I think graduation should be all about the students. I changed the model where we have the contest. The contest is where the student can write the essay and audition to become a speaker at graduation. I abso- lutely think that it is the way it should be. Graduation should be all about the students,” Divine said. Along with accomplishments, there are also always challenges that one must overcome. Divine said there was a time when the whole state saw a big downturn creating a financial burden that affected the college. He said he had to “tighten its belt” and figure out a way to overcome. Another challenge Divine spoke about overcoming came when the college purchased the ranch campus and rodeo practice arena. He said this was a challenge for him because he stepped in when it was just purchased, so he… and got the situation all figured out of what was needed, what all needed to be fixed, what elese was needed to have the campus function correctly and smoothly and any other financial things to go with the campus. “It's all about the students and people getting that next goal in life. Why wouldn’t you want to go out and celebrate student success from music, (to) graphic arts, athletics, forensics, or livestock judging,” said Divine. “I plan to attend events that are done by students of the college during retirement.” Divine said one of the things he will miss in retirement is representing the college and the students of the college. Representing the students is a very meaningful thing to Divine. Anything that dealt with students he was there for. Also just representing the college and being the face of the college meant a lot to him. He was always at student events representing the students and the college. Making sure that students succeed and achieve their goals meant that he is doing his job. One thing Divine said he won’t miss is the constant cyber-attacks on the college. “Having to worry about the attacks, not physical attacks constantly, but cyber-attacks -- cyber security. It is neverending. I would say it is getting more constant,” said Divine. Divine has done a lot of within his nine years of being president from accomplishments, helping students to succeed, students to achieve their goals, and overcome many challenges. He is looking forward to what retirement is and what it will have in store for him. �Page 4 May 1, 2024 CHINOOK Letting passion influence your future plans Photo Courtesy of Skye Watts Zoë Von Gunten sits with a Walt Whitman book given to her by her brother Maxwell. Aliesia Berryman Chinook Writer From the moment one can hold a conversation, a common question is: What do you want to be when you grow up? Upon entering junior year of high school the pressure surmounts and wrong decisions can cost time and significant amounts of money. There are many approaches to figuring this out for oneself: one might go for a career that is financially advantageous while another might want a career that allows them to stay at home with kids. Yet another option is to go for a career that requires traveling the world. Whatever route one takes, the one thing that promotes the most lifetime happiness is finding a career that involves passion, yet figuring out what it is one loves doing can be half of the journey. The pressures of family and society can prevent one from doing the things they love and ultimately push them down a career path that leads to misery. Zoë Von Gunten is someone who pushed past those pressures and is now studying English at Casper College with plans to make a career doing what she loves. Von Gunten is most often in Strausner Hall where she attends several classes. She is often recognized by her colorful and eccentric clothing. If not at school, Von Gunten can likely be found working at the Bourgeois Pig, a popular downtown cafe. Von Gunten planned on studying music when in high school. “I used to think I wanted to be a music major. I played saxophone, and my entire family on my mom’s side, they’re all musicians. And of course my brother played saxophone, so in my brain I was like – I’m going to do what you do,” Von Gunten said. “That wasn’t really where my heart truly lied.” She said the transition was difficult. “I literally had to break up with music and be like, I’m gonna go flirt with English now.” “What you thought was beautiful may actually be harmful.” Studying English presents its challenges. The University of Wyoming at Casper used to offer an English bachelor's degree and no longer does due to lack of demand. Even getting an English degree at CC requires some hoop jumping due to only a few classes being offered per semester. Barriers exist outside of college as well. The financial outlook for most English majors is dreary. Rena Goldman at Business Insider rated the degree path as one of the twelve worst for career potential. It took a very supportive teacher to show Von Gunten the joys of reading and writing. Von Gunten said her support came from her high school senior year AP language arts teacher Jamie Tipps. She said Tipps introduced her to the world of literature, particularly short stories and poetry. “She really fostered my love of English and she encouraged me to be very creative where I couldn’t find this creativity in music,” Von Gunten said, “As creative as music is, I found I was more expansive in literature.” Of Tipps she said, “She was really the person who grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the water and said, you will be fine.” Von Gunten described her high school experience as being very stifled. She said, “There were not a lot of teachers there who truly wanted to invest their time into what I was interested in.” Tipps fostered in Von Gunten more than just a love for literature and writing, she also introduced her to the world of editing. Von Gunten is a tutor in the Writing Center at CC, and she is also a literary editor for Expressions magazine. She decided that her goal in life is to become an editor. Tipps put together a “case book” of her students’ writings, and the creation of this collection is ultimately what steered Von Gunten into the desire for editing. This, she believes, is her one true path. She said, “I think in there too, that also made me kind of realize that I think I want to be an editor because we would do peer editing and my peers would come up to me and be like: Hey, um, you’re really good at this. Can you help me edit this?... This is something I truly enjoy and I felt like I truly found what I wanted to do and what I really was meant to do.” Von Gunten is already planning for the future. “I want to edit for a publishing company and edit books, which first and foremost, I may end up working with authors I’ve read and that I love and being able to read their manuscripts and be helping with it? Like, what a freaking cool thing to do. To help someone put out a book that may change the world. That’s so cool.” “And on top of that too. I would say very sly of me, but my loophole idea too is as a creative writer. If I work for a publishing company, it may give me more of an in to be like, ‘Hey guys, I have a manuscript. Do you want to read it maybe?’” A creative writing passion is one that lots of people carry but only an elite few make a living from. Von Gunten said, “You either make it or you don’t. You have to get lucky. For years, some authors will be putting out books and they’ll be great but they’ll never be known. Some of the best books we’ve ever had, the classics, some of those authors were just totally shunned from society. Later, once they’re dead, you know and have no money to their name and know one knows them, they’re like ‘Wow, this book is life-changing.’” Von Gunten believes that everyone should read, and that you don’t have to be an English major to fall in love with books. “Something that really peeves me, is people being like, ‘Well I’m an engineering major. I don’t need to write,’” Von Gunten said. She added, “You do. I wish people understood that writing is such an integral part of our lives. It Love Across Borders is a literal written account of history while also being the thing that shows people what you’re about.” Von Gunten understands the difficulty in understanding and appreciating literature. She subscribes to the idea of some people leaning more towards math and logic while others, like her, lean more towards creativity. Yet she wishes to emphasize the purpose behind literature and working with someone on a piece of their writing. “We need to understand that there are gray areas and there is beauty in not knowing. And if you can learn to understand that it’s okay to not know everything, I think that just opens up so much more possibility.” she said. Von Gunten found that those who love creativity will gravitate towards each other. “We’re all just a bunch of weirdos, and we all just want to write some silly little stories.” she said. In studying writing and literature, Von Gunten found the confidence to be herself. When comparing herself to others she no longer looked at herself negatively. Instead, she looked at herself as someone who could reach greatness. She said, “It’s okay that I’m not being the best.” She said she is formulating a story in her mind that she hopes to write and get published someday. It is a story about getting over grief. “I finally feel like I found a concept that’s really fun that I’m super excited to actually pursue,” Von Gunten said. She said she hopes to find herself somewhere in the Pacific Northwest editing her “little heart out with my little kitties around me… Hopefully at least. If that doesn’t work out I’m probably gonna just go running screaming into the woods and vanish.” A Colombian teacher's journey to the American west Saioa San Francisco Arilla Chinook Writer In a heartwarming story of cross-cultural connection, a Colombian woman found love and a new home in the heart of America's Wild West. Nohora Groce a Spanish teacher at CC was born in Colombia, Bogotá. She was married for two years in Colombia until she became a widow. She didn't find another person to be able to share her life with. Groce said, “Things were changing in Colombia at that time. Women were gaining strength and independence, and men were terrified.” She added, “It was very difficult for me to be able to date someone else. I couldn´t see myself dating again.” She worked in international commerce for 11 years with people from all over the world, especially people from Sweden. She said she thought she was going to end up marrying someone from Europe. Some of her friends talked to her about a dating app to meet people from other countries. “The app was very well structured -- it did a study and evaluated your personality,” she said. “The people from the app then are the ones who make the match for you.” A month passed before she could have any contact with the one who would be her future husband, Mark. As soon as they were in contact, he wanted to ask her how well she spoke English. The first time they had a proper conversation, they talked for two hours. She went on a business trip to Europe and during that time she decided she wanted to go visit him in the United States. Groce said, “I decided I wanted to see him because I was seeing couples and babies everywhere and I truly wanted to form a family.” Six months went by and he insisted on meeting her. Groce planned to go to Miami States in December. She spent several days with her nephew before finally visiting him. During that time, she found something in him she could have never found in her home country “It was beautiful. I felt like I was in love with him without knowing him,” Groce explains. She spent 10 days in Wyoming before going back to Colombia. Groce said, “I went back to Colombia because that was how it was planned, but my head was here, in Casper.” During that time apart, she tried to convince him to go to Colombia, as he didn´t have work in Casper. He didn´t know Spanish and was very scared of moving to another country. She told him to learn Spanish and find a job in Clombia as she was willing to move to America for him too. Groce added, “Here in Colombia we are very… how do I explain it? We dive into the water, (and) we never stop.” She thought everyone was going to have the same mentality, but he didn´t. So, she started thinking about moving to the United States. “I had no desire to run away from Colombia -- I had my job, my apartment, and everything was good. But something was missing. I was missing someone to share that life with,” Groce explained. They talked about her spending a couple of months in Casper, and so she did during the summer to see if she would be willing to move to Casper with him. Groce said, “I had a very stressful life back in Colombia. Wyoming gave me peace -- I liked that peace.” Groce must manage her stress. At age 27, she was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a syndrome that causes pain in different parts of the body. Stress is one of the things that causes the most pain with that kind of syndrome. With jobs as stressful as Groce’s, she thought that by moving to Wyoming, her health would improve. She then resigned from her job and sold her apartment along with everything she had beside her bed. Groce explained, “The hardest part was saying goodbye to my mom. I had a very strong connection with her being the youngest and only girl in the siblings.” She finally moved to the United States in December of 2006. They started their life together and a year later, in 2008, they got married. Soon after, Sofia, their oldest daughter was born. Sofia, Nohora´s daughter is now 15 years old. She knows Spanish and English and has traveled to visit her family back in Colombia. Sofia said, “I am very grateful for my roots, I think knowing two languages from a young age has helped me in a lot of ways.” Being a multicultural child and knowing two languages can be very beneficial to the development of children. Sofia explained, “I want to go back to Colombia. I’d like to be able to understand both languages, Spanish and English because it allows me to communicate with more people” Groce's story isn't just about crossing borders for love. It's a testament to human strength and the magic of taking risks. Leaving everything familiar behind to embrace the unknown takes bravery, but Groce did just that. And in Wyoming, she didn't just find love; she found a piece of herself she never knew was missing. Submitted Photo Nohora Groce, a Spanish instructor at Casper College, shared her story with the Chinook. Groce moved to Wyoming from Columbia to start a live with her husband, Mark. Submitted Photo Groce and her family are pictured here. Her daughter, Sophia, spoke about her experience as a multicultural child. �May 1, 2024 Page 5 CHINOOK CC students perform "The Lightning Thief" Geoff Cooper/Chinook Pictured above is Abigail Ehrlich rehearsing sword fighting choreography with student Savannah Kiggans. Casper College's production of “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical.” ran April 18-20 and April 25-27 on the McMurry Mainstage. Geoff Cooper/Chinook In the photo above is student Abigail Ehrlich as Annabeth Chase, the daughter of Athena. Shown above is Nathan Skoglund as Ares, the Greek god of war. Geoff Cooper/Chinook Geoff Cooper/Chinook Pictured above Cameron Allender fends off two Camp Half Blood attackers. Geoff Cooper/Chinook To the left Richard Burk directs rehearsals with Wyatt Buhler and Nathan Skoglund. Burk also directed the entire production and will be retiring after the spring semester. �Page 6 May 1, 2024 CHINOOK Spring soccer update Lane Johnson Chinook Writer The Casper College Men and Women’ Soccer Teams have completed the spring season and look forward to competing for the national title again in the fall. For the freshman, the spring season is an opportunity to improve and gain more experience playing at the college level. For the sophomores the season provides a final few games to show why they should be able to continue at a higher level. Both the CC Men’s and Women’s Soccer Teams were scheduled to play five games this spring but two were canceled. Lewis Gordan and Cole Venable are both sophomores for the men's soccer team. They agreed that the fall season is the one that matters, and they are now just looking to prepare the freshman for the next fall as they transition aways from Casper College. “We try not to have a different outlook on the spring season,” Venable said. Venable talked about how they need to keep a good attitude for the freshman so that they can continue to get better and continue the success they found last fall. The men were the first CC team to appear in the national tournament, according to Venable and Gordan. “It’s good practice for the freshman and obviously for those (sophomores) who are still trying to find schools -- it's good,” Gordon said. Emmy Finlinson and Kaylinn Gallup are both freshmen for the Lady TBird’s. They have similar thoughts about the spring season. They agreed that they see it more of an offseason practice time to get better and prepare for the fall season. The women did not make the national tournament in the fall but are optimistic about next year. “We’re constantly practicing with nothing to work towards right now,” Finlinson said. She said she wishes the spring season included more competition, as she feels that the team is focused and working hard every day. She believes that at higher divisions the spring season is much more serious. Yet she feels that CC does as much as it can to maintain a highly competitive environment during the spring. “It’s not really a full season. It feels like it’s just preparatory for the next season -- just kind of having fun together while it lasts,” Gallup said. The spring season is more of an offseason Photo Courtesy of Edwin Gonzalez with a few games, and both the men and women’s teams are excited for the upcoming Goalkeeper Hugo Amo, a sophomore from Spain, defends the goal in a September game against Western Nebraska Community College. fall season. Libby Winchell: CC’s first women’s rodeo coach Faythe Fowler Chinook Writer The women’s rodeo team added a new member to their roster this year; a women’s coach. Hired just this year, Libby Winchell is the first Women’s Rodeo Coach at Casper College. Winchell is originally from Scottsbluff, Neb., where she grew up surrounded by the rodeo lifestyle. “My mom rodeoed,” Winchell said. “I have an older sister, and she was rodeoing before I was.” Winchell continued her rodeo journey in college by goat tying, breakaway roping, and running barrels for Eastern Wyoming College before transferring to Tarleton State University. Winchell found success in the arena from the of her collegiate career. “I made the college finals my first year,” said Winchell. “I was a 6.5 in the first round… and like a 7.5 my second round.” After her graduation from Tarleton State in May of 2023, she wanted to continue her rodeo career and didn’t plan on coaching at CC. “My kind of game plan was just to go rodeo,” Winchell said. “Then, a phone call changed everything, you could say.” Spanning over just a few weeks, Winchell received calls from various CC staff members, offering her a position as the new women’s rodeo coach. “Sandy Bob (Forbes) called me and inquired if I would be interested,” Winchell said. “And Jhett (Johnson) called too. Then I got a call from Paul (Marble), the athletic director… and I was here two days later, interviewed, and got the job.” Since her hire at CC, coaching the women proved successful. Winchell said she enjoys her time here, enjoys her team, and thinks the school and facilities are great. “The opportunities are endless if they want to come to school here,” said Winchell. “They get to rope and practice every day. A lot of other schools don’t get to do that.” Waci Thomson, a freshman from Alberta, Canada, runs barrels, breakaway ropes, and ties goats for the women’s team. “She pushes us to do our best,” said Thomson. “She’s good with a rope, so she can see something and help.” Winchell offers her help every day and is there for her team. Thomson said she helps with horses, setting up and running practice, roping swing techniques, and anything else she can. She wants to see her team improve and succeed more than anything. As well as coaching the women's team, Winchell also offers her help to the men’s team. “She usually helps the calf ropers a lot, knowing what calf horses should and shouldn’t do, she's there to help,” said Hayes Hammond, a team roper and calf roper on the men’s team. Winchell, as well as the other rodeo coaches, are there for the benefit of the athletes. “All of the coaches here, they don’t teach, so our coaching is our full-time gig,” said Winchell. “So we're here as much as we can be, and if kids do need anything, we're only a phone call away.” Winchell strives to bring personal improvement to her athletes and truly wants to see them succeed in all areas of their personal, school, and rodeo careers. “She overall has helped me and the girls a ton, inside and out of the arena,” said Thomson. Photo Courtesy of 4 Bar C Photography Libby Winchell, CC's first Women's Rodeo Coach, is pictured here breakaway roping. Winchell's athletes spoke about how she's good with a rope and pushes them to be their best. Artist, cat whisperer, and partner Lairen Brush Chinook Writer Walking around Casper College, students, staff, and faculty may be able to identify origami birds surrounding the halls, hidden on bookshelves, or hanging out under a computer monitor. They could depict a crime scene surrounded by onlookers or isolated all alone. These cranes originate from Nadine Francisco, an art major at Casper College. Francisco grew up in Casper after their grandma gained custody of them from their biological mother. Francisco considers this grandma to be their mom and refers to her as such. While growing up, their mom supported them and their creativity, especially when Francisco wanted to help make cranes for an event without any previous experience. Origami is not a natural talent for Francisco. “I learned how to make cranes when The Nicolaysen did the 1001 cranes,” Francisco said. “There were only four participants. I was one of the four.” The only reason they participated in the event was because they had nothing else going on at the time. “I’m a little kid that wants to help,” Francisco said, “I’m bored.” However, this one-time event participation continued to grow with time. “In high school, I would make cranes and hide them,” Francisco said. “I didn’t do this proportions of it. I did like one or two, maybe, and hid them around and people liked them.” “That’s how they express themselves,” Francisco’s partner, Haden Schell, said. “It’s definitely one of their ways to cope with their depressive episodes.” Mental health can lead to non-productivity and isolation. Francisco uses crane making and hiding to keep busy and to keep from falling deeper into depression. However, this is not the only reason they continue to make cranes. Francisco stated that they struggle with many things, including having autistic traits and ADHD. As a result, classroom settings are difficult for them and they utilize many aids to assist themselves, such as making and hiding the cranes. “I am unable to do full-time as a student because I get too overwhelmed. Then I do poorly in classes,” Francisco said. Cranes are used as a fidget accommodation in classes for Francisco. This accommodation is for an ADHD diagnosis. Sometimes keeping your hands busy helps to focus on listening. They then place them around campus. Francisco also gains support from real life animals. Francisco and Schell own two cats: Husk and Grums. Husk is a cat the couple got mid-COVID to help Nadine. “We were just going through the list of names, and we hit one, and he just perked right up,” Haden said. They originally wanted to name the cat Alastair; however, the cat had a different idea. “We call her the cat whisper because everywhere we go, we’ve got a little cat following us!” Schell said. “She can be very romantic,” Schell said, “Definitely the sweetest person I’ve ever met.” She uses her art skill in many ways, not just for the cranes. Schell and Francisco have been going to the Comic-Con here in Casper for a while now. Francisco has made many of the costumes they wear. The costumes don’t always stay together, but progress is still being made. “[Schell’s] stayed together longer than mine,” Francisco said “My mask kept breaking, but the fabric was fine. It was the first costume I’ve ever made.” Francisco plans to wrap up her art degree within the next two years. She plans to sell her art as a business venture, but progress is progress. “I don’t know how to do it, so I’m learning slowly,” Francisco said. She does have hopes for the future and this journey with her art. “Once I’m done with college, I’ll hopefully try making myself better as an artist,” Francisco said. Lairen Brush/Chinook Pictured above is Nadine Francisco (left) and their partner Haden Schell. Francisco makes origami birds and places them around campus for all to enjoy. Submitted Photo Shown to the left is a flock of Francisco's birds. caspercollegechinook.com �May 1, 2024 Page 7 CHINOOK Martha Vargas A story of relocation, acclimation, separation, reunion Anthony Sturt/Chinook Pictured above is Martha Vargas, an emplyee at the Tobin Dining facility at Casper College since 2022. Anthony Sturt Chinook Writer Martha Vargas, a grill cook at the Tobin Dining Hall at Casper College, fulfilled the roles of wife, mother, pastor, and employee since arriving to Casper in 2001. Vargas overcame the dif- ficulties of immigration from Mexico, engaged as a leader of her church, and worked to raise her daughters to adulthood. Vargas also overcame the departure of her husband when immigration officials ordered him return to Mexico for one year, and then prevented him from returning for 13 years. According to Vargas, she was born in Villa Aldama Tamaulipas, Mexico. She moved to Casper with her husband and two daughters, while her adult son remained in Mexico. Vargas said that the family came to Casper because her brother-in-law already lived here. Vargas described her first winter in Casper as ‘very bad.’ “(There was) a lot of snow, and we didn’t pray for this because we didn’t know (there would be) a lot of snow,” said Vargas. Vargas said that the family had never experienced a cold winter before arriving in Casper. They didn’t own suitable clothes for the weather, and the freezing temperatures caused the pipes in their home to burst, leaving them temporarily without water. Vargas said that her brotherin-law helped the family overcome the difficulties of the family’s first winter in Casper. Vargas said that her brotherin-law already lived in Casper for ‘a long time’ when they arrived. The family also struggled with the language barrier when they arrived in Casper. Vargas estimated that there were only three families in town who spoke Spanish at the time, and in most places she went, she could not talk to anyone. Vargas’ daughter, Sara Mena-Vargas, said that her mother stayed home to take care of the children when the family lived in Mexico, and she entered the labor force upon arrival in Casper. According to Vargas, she first worked at the Hometown Buffet for three years, then One Hour Martinizing for 16 years before starting at Casper College nearly three years ago. Vargas said that she and her husband both served as pastors at the Iglesia De Dios Pentecostal church in Casper. Vargas’ husband led the church until 2010, and then she took over the role when her husband was no longer able. Vargas then fulfilled the role until 2022. According to Vargas, immigration officials determined that her husband needed to return to Mexico for one year in 2010, so he had to vacate his role as pastor of the church. She said that every time the return date drew near, the time officials required him to stay in Mexico increased. Initially, the timeframe changed from one year to three years and then increased to 10 years. Vargas said that when the 10-year mark approached, the closure of Immigration offices due to the COVID-19 pandemic further delayed her husband’s return. Vargas’ husband returned in July of 2023. Mena-Vargas described her father’s departure as a deportation, but Vargas clarified that her husband cooperated with immigration officials and returned to Mexico when he was ordered to do so. Mena-Vargas said that she was 14 when her father returned to Mexico. Her older sister had already left the family home by that point, so she and her mother shared the caspercollegechinook.com house from that point on. Mena-Vargas said that the 43 years of her parents’ relationship includes the 13 years that they were separated. “I think it was difficult because she had to become a single mom to me and take care of me, and figure out all the bills, and figure out all the car rides. She had to be the one to teach me to drive when my dad taught everyone else to drive,” said Mena-Vargas. Mena-Vargas said that she and her mother fought about various issues in the weeks following her father’s departure. She attributed these clashes to the stress brought on by her father’s absence. “But I think it made our family stronger because we all had to just rely on each other, but it also was super hard on my mom because suddenly everything was on her,” said Mena-Vargas. Vargas said that she served as a chaplain from 2019 to 2022. As a chaplain, Vargas attended events such as queinceaneras, funerals, and graduations as a representative of the church. Vargas also helped new families find housing, food, and anything else that they needed. “Yeah, when they were sick, we can help apply for the doctor, for the medicine, for the different parts of help for something. We help in this and we talk with them to help them stay calm,” said Vargas. �Page 8 2nd Annual De-Stress Fest Lane Johnson/Chinook Casper College hosted its second annual De-Stress Fest earlier this spring. De-Stress Fest featured booths and activities for students to enjoy, as well as a keynote presentation on stress from University of Denver Ethics Professor Corey Ciocchetti. May 1, 2024 CHINOOK Join our staff this fall! Practice interviewing & writing Take photos & design Learn sales & advertising Explore social media & web development The Chinook is a one credit class titled Independent Publications. Contact our faculty advisor Bri Weigel for more information brianne.weigel@caspercollege.edu � 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 2024-05 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. 2024-05 Description An account of the resource This is a copy of the online Chinook Newspaper from May 2024. 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_2024-05 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF