https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/f9501e5730b6b495ab3959e07b3b25e6.pdf 97b8e383129638a7ba4d365f9191c246 PDF Text Text March 1, 2026 Casper College’s Student Voice Since 1945 Building resistance to burnout Makiah Osborne Chinook Writer As students begin their college careers, a new workload is placed on their shoulders, all while balancing school, life, and work. While this combination can often feel overwhelming, college can prepare students for their futures, building their tolerance for the demands of life. However, through this acquisition of tolerance, burnout can commonly occur. According to a 2025 article from Organization of Science Insights titled, Student Burnout Statistics: Causes, Prevalence, and Impact, “For college and undergraduate students, approximately 40 percent to 55 percent report experiencing symptoms of burnout, with over 56 percent of university students reporting high emotional exhaustion globally.” As interviewees weighed their experiences, this exhaustive state occurs for many reasons. A lack of preparation after high school, participating in classes for unclear reasons, and a poor school-work-life balance ranked highly. Sophia Diaz, an engineering student at CC said, “I was top ten percent of my class out of 470 people, and so I think I went from being so accomplished academically, to struggling, (and) it was a weird switch in my brain where I had to remember that I am still the same student -- it's just that the work got harder.” After high school, some students find that they need a new approach to school, feeling unprepared for college. Many students expect the college workload to reflect their high school experience, but through this learning curve, many find dissonance that is discouraging. Diaz explained that the gap between high school and college is larger than she expected and has struggled accordingly. She proposed that through this transition, high school students need held accountable beyond mere attendance, standardizing quality work made through deeper thinking. As students enter college, some pursue their degree with a clear plan in mind, while others target gen-ed courses, leaving room for exploration before committing to a career path. However, with room to discover their passion, pushing through mundane classes can feel daunting. Sami Toombs, an undeclared student at CC said in a message, “As a student taking gen ed classes, I find myself feeling unmotivated and uninterested in some of my courses at times. Not working towards a major can feel daunting, (when) you’re not really working towards a big goal so why do you even try with your work?” Contrastingly, entering college as an undeclared student presents classes that one might not expect to enjoy, blooming an unexpected career path. Aliesia Edmunds, a media communications alumnus and current graphic design student said, “If you don’t have goals, your main focus here in college should be to stay curious and go and try out those classes that you don’t think you would. If you have a slight interest, just try it out.” Through curiosity and an intentional decision to keep learning, paths open and resistance to burnout can form. Along with a heavier school workload, students commonly juggle work, relationships, and creative endeavors. Diaz said, “I just felt like there was a lot of days where I didn't even know what day it was, what time of day it was; it was just work, school, work, school, work, school, and rinse and repeat.” Navigating so many tasks can feel challenging, though through time management and analyzing priorities, one can find balance. Though each step feels detrimental, it is the redundant effort to keep working that makes everything come together. It is common to struggle, but the college experience can build fundamental skills for life after school. Joey Tholl, a communications major at CC said, “Looking at adults, you realize that they started in the same position as you, really overwhelmed and scared.” Feeling overwhelmed and burnt out is not an experience spent alone but is the precipice to learning lifelong skills. Tholl continued, “But you realize that they’ve just learned and crafted their life and adopted and overcome whatever they’re dealing with, to make it to a point where they’re ... hopefully satisfied with their choices (and) in the life decisions that they’ve made.” Makiah Osborne / Chinook Joey Tholl, a current communications student at Casper College, is pictured walking between classes at Liesinger Hall. Talkin' T-Birds stand out Joey Tholl Chinook Writer Submitted Photo Josie House, Aniya Scott, Ivey Goff, Emma Andrews, Elizabeth Lehman, Samantha Lehman, Stephanie Mata, Austin Rozema posed for a photo at a recent competition. The 2025-26 Casper College Forensics Team is practicing, competing, and gearing up for nationals. The team practices on campus for an average of five to six hours a week. The forensics team, also known as the speech and debate team, formed on Casper College's Campus in 1978. Early founders and leaders, Gale Alexander and Gretchen Wheeler, “Took the program to new heights,” according to the current Co-Director of the Forensics Team and CC Communications Instructor, Doug Hall. The college hired Hall as director of the Forensics team in 2013, and now Co-Director Ethan Fife joined in 2021. They both became co-directors of the team in 2024. The team placed in the top five in the large school divisions at the Forensic Nationals, Phi Ro Pi, for the past 10+ years. The team takes an average of 12-17 students every year, and Hall established that joining is a year-long commitment. This year's team consists of eight students, and the captain of the team, Ivey Goff, said the team dynamic is pretty intimate, since the team is so small. She described the team this year as “tight-knit”. Members of the forensics team compete in a variety of events, most of which involve oral communication, as well as theatrical acting in other events. There are three realms underneath the forensics umbrella. Forensics encompasses debate, speeches, and acting events, with each category featuring a range of competitions and events. The team meets two times a week, from 3-5 p.m. The meetings are considered “class time,” and the students complete training or work together on events. Goff said they also choose events, so they must meet up with a coach for a minimum of thirty minutes per event. Along with this, students must practice and learn their pieces on their own time. Hall said that, in total, students usually dedicate about 12-15 hours of their time weekly. As for the competitions, Hall said the day of a competitor is very exhausting. The team often arrives the day before the competition, followed by a full day of supporting and competing. Goff said that the rounds usually start around 8-9 a.m. and the team competes until a minimum of 3 pm. While students aren’t busy actively competing, they hang out around the venue or support their fellow teammates. Goff said the team this year is very supportive and watches each other, so that every teammate sees someone supporting them in the audience. Awards and dinner often follow competition. Hall reiterated that the preparation and schedule take a toll on students, as they are competing and then jumping right back into regular schoolwork and other responsibilities. Goff is not only the captain of the team, but she also manages being a full-time student, From Delivering Babies to Diplomas Kaleb Lundine Chinook Writer For over 20 years, Lisa Coulters' hands were some of the first to welcome new life into the world. Now those same hands are responsible for shaping and leading the next generation of nurses at Casper College. Coulter is a Nursing educator on CC. She teaches Complex Care Nursing, commonly known as “fourth semester nursing.” Fourth semester nursing includes a diverse set of complex medical expertise such as precise surgery, advanced leadership skills, and specialized clinical rotations. Coulter throughout her life has always been interested in nursing and is teaching those same skills today. When Coulter was young, she was friends with a girl whose mother happened to be a nurse. Coulter and her friend would often go through and read her textbooks and play pretend doctor. As a direct result, Coulter felt inspired by the textbooks she read and decided to go into the medical field. Throughout her academic career, she studied hard. She earned her associate's degree in nursing at Casper College, followed by her bachelor's degree at the University of Wyoming. Later she went on to earn her master's degree at Walden University and achieve her Doctorates degree in nursing (DNP) at Capella University. Coulter started off her medical career by being a labor and delivery nurse, helping deliver babies at Wyoming Medical Center in Casper. “I loved the idea of delivering babies, and so as a nurse, I helped deliver babies for 23 years,” Coulter said. Her drive to help out her community has been an essential tool in the long career she tenured. Coulter worked at Wyoming Medical Center in Casper from 1996 to 2018. During her time as a nurse, Coulter went abroad with her husband as a traveling nurse. She worked in the extreme heat and humidity of the Texas plains and then worked in the exceedingly cold and bitter conditions of the Arctic Alaskan tundra. Coulter now teaches joint lectures with her partner Heidi Loucks with 32 students. Coulter and Loucks teach what is called fourth semester nursing or NURS 2400. This is a special type and process of nursing that deals with typical cases many would see in the Emergency Room. This includes injuries and conditions, like shock, sepsis, burns, and acute respiratory illnesses. In her past, Coulter also taught many other classes at CC. She said her favorite class to teach was NURS 1200, or second semester nursing. “They were my favorite because that was their kind of aha moment when they really felt like they got to be nurses. They're starting to do like IVs and they get to go and have hands on with patients at the hospital. And you really got to see some light bulb moments, which is kind of exciting. I like to keep my classroom fun, lively,” Coulter said. Coulter said she often tries to bring fun elements to her class to keep the energy up. For example, Coulter uses a barbie doll with varying degrees of burns. She uses the doll to instruct her class on how to diagnose and treat types of burns. “I make them say, okay, tell me what happened to the patients. Um, how did they get their burns? What kind of burns are they? How many burns, what percentage of their body is burned? What kind of treatment would you expect on the way to the hospital? Once they get to the hospital, what kind of treatments are you expecting.” Coulter explained. For Coulter, her life's — See Forensics Page 3 Photo Courtesy of Oil City News Lisa Coulter posed for a photo. Coulter worked as an OB nurse delivering babies in Casper for over 20 years. She now teaches for the nursing program at Casper College. journey has come full circle. She starting by bringing children into the world, and now she helps train future nurses and medics to make their way into their future. �Page 2 March 1, 2026 CHINOOK Chinook Stance From the editor's desk Socials are wrecking your motivation By: Lawren Miller The Daily Lawr I don’t know about you, but some mornings I start my day off with a little Instagram to wake up, and tell myself I’ll just be on it for about 10 minutes. The time inevitably turns into 20 and then 30 minutes. Then I notice for the rest of my day, all I want to do is be on my phone instead of doing the necessary things that come with being a human in college. My mind is constantly craving distraction and release from responsibility, stress, and frankly real life. Little did I know that I was setting myself up to be distracted on purpose without even realizing it. How can we stop this from happening, or at least be better at spending less time on socials like Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and so forth? What I’ve found is this little app called Opal. It is designed to block your apps more effectively than what is already built into your phone. You can set up study sessions or just time to be blocked from certain apps. You can set time limits on apps that distract you the most. You can also block offensive content that you don’t want to see on your phone at all. Another thing that helps is taking your phone and putting it in a completely different room all together, removing the distractions from your mind in the process. At first this is hard to do, but as time goes on, you start remembering what’s important to get done and realize you have less distractions, less stress, and ultimately more time to do homework and other important things. You realize friends and family are more important than how many likes you have on your most recent post and put face to face communication first. Isn’t that what’s truly important? Real connection? Join our staff this fall! Practice interviewing & writing Take photos & design Learn sales & advertising Explore social media & promotion The Chinook is a one-credit class titled Independent Publications. Contact our Faculty Advisor Bri Weigel for more information brianne.weigel@caspercollege.edu Hello, Chinook readers! I’m so happy you’re here. My name is Bri Weigel, and I'm the faculty advisor for the Chinook. While you typically see a note from Casper College President Brandon Kosine in this space, I decided to write to you this month and explain what goes on behind the scenes at the Chinook. I’ll throw in some history too. I am an instructor after all – I just can’t help myself. Let’s start where it all began. The Chinook started on Casper College’s campus in 1945. The first issue is framed in Liesinger Hall’s Media Lab (LH 196) if you’re ever curious. The Chinook continues to serve as the voice of Casper College students to this day. I took the reins as faculty advisor for the Chinook in the fall of 2019. We started sharing the paper as a digital publication, publishing six times per year. You’ll see announcements of a new issue in October, November, December, March, April, and May of each year. We design a complete layout for every issue and share stories on our full-service website as well, caspercollegechinook.com. Outside of this space, all of the content you read on the website or within the layout is written by Casper College students. Staff members schedule and conduct interviews independently, and then they write and edit stories for publication. Staff must also submit a photo with their work and help with the final touches on the publication. Some students choose to work on designing the layout of the publication while others create advertisements. Additional tasks students might take on are promoting on social media, writing a column, submitting photo stories, or publishing content to the website. The Chinook is an ‘all hands on deck’ studentdriven operation, and staff members build a strong portfolio in their time working on the publication. The Chinook staff and I are proud to share our March 2026 issue, and we look forward to showcasing you and your accomplishments in the coming months. If you have story ideas, please reach out to me at brianne.weigel@caspercollege.edu. Happy reading! The student-athlete grind Navigating classrooms, cleats, and chronic pain Lawren Miller Chinook Writer Casper College Women’s Soccer Team is full of determination, or in other words ‘Grit.’ To be a college athlete, mindset and determination is everything, and for the Lady Thunderbirds it's no different. Hard work earns rewards when there’s homework, practice, class, and extracurricular activities involved. The women’s soccer team engrains this idea into each of their players. Freshman women’s soccer player Alora Taylor said, “Soccer is about confidence, grit, and teamwork — and those are things I’ll carry with me no matter what I do.” Sports are more than just something one does; it’s lessons, perseverance, and goal setting. It becomes part of a studentathlete’s identity for life. Athletes are built up from people who have some experiences in the field. Assistant Coach Jocelynn Norcross spoke about the team. She said, “We’re a family more than a team. It’s always our family against their team.” Family. A group that provides reliability. Not to mention an almost perfect season this last fall, the team won or tied almost all their games until an unexpected and devastating forfeit counted as a loss against them. “We hadn’t lost any games all season, even though we tied some — but then we had to forfeit one because an ineligible player played. That was really unfortunate, and it changed everything for us” Taylor stated. Even in the face of disappointment the team stayed strong in its sixth season. The program started in 2020. “We’ve been the best team in the region since we started the program,” Norcross stated, talking about the success of teams that have come and gone at CC. Many student athletes juggle over other struggles of life in the background that adds to the pressure of the game they play. Taylor explained it’s not just the game on the players mind but balance. “It was hard to balance homework and school. You have soccer that you have to do… you got to grind.” Norcross added her thoughts. She said, “Some take a semester or two to kind of figure out that balance because it’s not quite like high school.” The players also face the prospect of both mental and physical pain. In players those physical and mental pains can be linked to the same issues. These can result in changes that the players don’t necessarily want. Taylor is no stranger to the physical and mental pain that comes with the demanding game of soccer.. She deals with a condition called patello- Photo Courtesy of wyo.sports.flicks Alora Taylor, a student-athlete on the Casper College Women's Soccer Team, is pictured playing against Truckee Meadows Community College in late August. The women's team is 11-4-2 overall in the 2025-2026 season. femoral syndrome that makes playing extremely painful. Patellofemoral syndrome is a common overuse injury of the knee. “It was super uncomfortable. I wasn’t able to train for a while. It was super hard mentally… My legs just couldn’t keep up. My body couldn’t keep up.” Taylor said. Norcross sympathizes with the women on the team because as she said, ‘they’ve got pretty strict schedules’ and ‘they’re not a typical student.’ Members of a group or team get stronger because of life experiences they’ve already had. This prepares them for what could come, making a lasting impact on their lives. Taylor said, “I’ve learned that grit, confidence, and teamwork aren’t just for soccer — they carry over into everything you do in life.” True ‘Grit’ changes the force one leads into life, even after an athlete leaves the field. www.caspercollegechinook.com �March 1, 2026 CHINOOK Forensics................................................ along with working. She said she manages by using the time in her day effectively around obligations. She tries to get things done during the day and uses time between classes and work to get things done. The forensic team not only prepares students for public speaking and nurtures collaborative skills, but it also prepares students for their future careers. Both Hall and Goff mentioned “Dress for Success,” speaking with students about proper attire in a professional setting. Goff also noted that she learned from the older students on the team about the norms and mirrored their behavior. She added that her coaches are good resources to share experiences and connections. Nationals, also called Phi Ro Pi, will take place in Washington, D.C. this April. According to Goff, nationals are like every other tournament, but with higher stakes. She also noted that it is held in hotels and meeting rooms, but for some events she has competed in an actual hotel room. She said the experience is very “Cutthroat, you make it or not”, but that she is excited to share the experience with her current teammates. As a freshman last year, Goff won Silver in the “Speech to Entertain” event. Goff said that if it weren’t for the forensics team, she isn’t sure if she would be at CC. She participated in some speech and debate in high school, and ended up in a conversation with Hall and Fife. They welcomed her to CC and the forensics team. Goff isn’t sure what her future holds, but she said she is better off because of her experience with the forensics team. Submitted Photo Aniya Scott, Austin Rozema, Stephanie Mata, Elizabeth Lehman, Emma Andrews, Samantha Lehman, and Ivey Goff posed for a team photo. Page 3 continued from page 1 �Page 4 March 1, 2026 CHINOOK From first semester doubt to career readiness Nursing program shapes future professionals Kaecen Paden Chinook Writer Three semesters ago, Casper College Nursing Student Pyper Wall endured doubts about whether she was built for the program. Today, as a fourth semester student, Wall said that being in the homestretch keeps her going and motivated. Like many students, Wall said her first semester proved a major adjustment from her typical high school classes. “First semester was a lot to get used to,” Wall said. “Like studying, I never studied before that. Now I study 24/7.” Wall said her labs within the first semester and clinical rotations in the second semester helped her build confidence, and marked a turning point. “They made me gain my confidence,” Wall said. “I was so scared of talking to any patient, but then I gained my confidence and was able to use my critical thinking.” Tina King, the director of the nursing program explains how the simulation labs the nursing program holds are essential towards the growth of the students, aiding in their abilities to make decisions under pressure. “The simulation specifically gives them a safe space to try Submitted Photo Nursing students pictured from left to right include Daniel Schoenwolf, Sierra Quinn, Pyper Wall, Shauna Palmer, Jaqueline Chimbo. The second row includes Jessee Driskill, Katelynn Englehart, Amber Holliday, Corinne Donnelly, Brooklyn Gebhardt, Brooklynn Colling, Olivia Goss, Diana Amaro Bahena, Ryker Tysver. Pictured in the third row is Dusty Studdard, Rylee Guest, Emma Graham, Jonica Toups, Carmen Hillstead, Brendan Genthner, Paighten Dedic, Kailie Pederson. and do it on their own,” King said. “We learn best from our mistakes. If I go in and make a decision and my patient has a negative outcome, it would be nice to go back in and try it with that different situation and see what the outcome is.” Wall’s cohort is now in the program’s final semester and the work load has increased. They have started using all of their knowledge gained from the previous three semesters in preparation for the National Council Licensure Examination, or NCLEX. King said, “It highlights all their learnings over the previous three semesters and really just showcases their ability to think critically at the bedside.” Clinical rotations test the students abilities. They started their preceptorships where they work one-on-one with a regis- tered nurse in a clinical setting and practice their skills. “I have clinicals at least once a week. It depends on my preceptors schedule,” Wall said. “We have to have eight shifts of this rotation.” With the additional work load, students strive to find the balance between studying, homework, clinical paperwork, and their personal life. “The paperwork for that clinical takes a couple of days -- it takes most of my time up,” Wall said. “I’m also studying for future things that are coming up and then also working on online assignments we have due as well.” To help combat stress and additional obstacles, the program offers multiple solutions that a student can follow if needed. Heidi Loucks, a fourth semester educator said, “There is an academic success coordinator. She holds tutoring sessions, and they (students) can schedule one-on-one with her,” she continues “ The instructors are available for their students anytime -- we will help them.” The pressure put on the students from the rigours program positively helps the students with their growth. Casper College’s nursing program boasts a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX test students take upon completion of the program. Wi t h graduation approaching, students have started envisioning their path beyond the program and their future employment opportunities. King shared a local opportunity for nursing students at Banner Heath. She said, “Banner actually has a nurse extern program where they’ll hire them before they graduate. Third and Fourth semester usually.” Wall is hoping to follow that path post graduation. “I’m hoping to work at Banner. Wherever they want me,” Wall said. “I’m looking to get experience for the next two years to get my skills down.” As she reflects on the struggles faced throughout the program, Wall said she would choose it again without a doubt. “Oh yeah, I would definitely choose this program,” Wall said. “The instructors care.” In a few short months, Wall will replace her student badge for a professional one. For her and her classmates, the journey from their uncertainty to confidence shows more than just their growth, it marks the beginning of their career dedicated to their care towards others. CC Art Club helps students explore the world of art James Miller/Chinook Shown above is the Printmaking Studio in the Visual Arts Building where the Casper College Art Club meets on campus. James Miller Chinook Writer The Casper College Art Club has run for many years and continues to this day, giving students the opportunity to practice art outside of classes. The club meets every first and third Monday of each month and on certain Fridays for activities at 5:30 p.m. in the printmaking studio of the Visual Arts building. Casper College fine arts major and club president, Elise Ramsey, talked about the club and what it has to offer. She mentioned how the art club gives all students the ability to take part in making all kinds of art regardless of their major. “The art club is a good learning environment and a great way to expand your understanding of art,” she said. Ramsey joined the art club last year, and her fellow members elected her as president. Ramsey is currently majoring in Fine Arts at Casper College. The club president spoke highly of the visual arts professors and courses at the college. Additionally, Ramsey noted that the art club isn’t just reserved for people proficient at art. Anyone can join the art club regardless of skill or talent, and it isn’t closed off or reserved for people with experience or knowledge of art. The Casper College Art Club occasionally has group art projects on some Fridays everyone can work on. The club provides the necessary supplies for such projects as well. For example, the club hosted a pumpkin painting day last fall. The cost of supplies can prove problematic for the club, however. One of the challenges the art club faces is budget problems. Ramsey said there are times the club doesn’t have enough funding to afford some supplies for certain types of art, which can make it harder for members to practice the form or style of art they wish. The art club still manages to run in spite of this which truly shows the dedication the students and teachers in this club have. Club secretary, Rhiannon Leinius, mentioned how the club does provide supplies for the activities; however, they aren’t typically the best. “We tend to have cheaper supplies. All of the colored pencils and markers that we have are like Crayola from Walmart.” Leinius said. Another obstacle the club has overcome was the change of leadership. The former members graduated and the current members were confused on what to do. Leinius spoke about how no one helped out the newer members. Leinius said, “When it restarted in the fall, it was a completely new group of people, so we had a little bit of confusion and mismanagement just because we didn’t know what we were supposed to do.” The art club also travels to other cities across the country. Last year, the art club took a trip with some of the members and managers to the Denver Museum of Art. Ramsey said the club is currently planning a trip to New York City this year to spend a few days visiting different art museums across the city. The club plans to travel to New York from April 15-18 and visit several museums in the city. Another opportunity the club grants some members is the ability to sell their art. The art sales take place throughout the year, providing chances for artists to get their names out in the community. The next art sale will likely take place from April 2–3, and a portion of the proceeds will go to funding the club’s New York trip. “The goal of the art sale is trying to make enough money that everyone will be able to go without having to spend that much.” Leinius said. In addition, Art 321 is currently working on creating a pop-up in which students and club members could display their art. It would create another place for members of the art club the ability to show off their work. Art 321 will have a reception on March 5th at 5:30 p.m. for the pop-up. Ramsey stressed that the art club is a great opportunity to explore the world of art. Not everyone who joins the club will be great at all kinds of art, but that’s okay. In Ramsey’s own words, “The art club is a safe space to explore creativity. You don’t have to be good at art to join.” The Casper College Art Club has run for many years and continues to give students the ability to practice and learn art. There are many opportunities to truly explore different facets of art and travel the country. You should consider joining the art club if you are interested in art at all, as it may benefit you in more ways than one. You can also go to the art sale in April to help fund the New York trip and benefit the art program at the college as a whole if you don’t want to join the club but still want to help. � 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 2026-03 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. 2026-03 Description An account of the resource This is a copy of the online Chinook Newspaper from March 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.i.2023.01_2026-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF