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2Wi n g s pa ncampus news<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspanPark loses its amenities as program is cutBy TraceyRosenlundDeputy Online EditorAstudentrunServiceLearning projectat Laramie CountyCommunity Collegehas been drasticallyreduced because ofthe budget cuts thatcut the constructiontechnology program.When LCCC’s presidentcut the programin early April, it affectedmore than just the studentsand instructorsdirectly involved in theconstruction tech.The students fromthe cut program wereto build and completeall the structures inthe park:• all the concretework;• a picnic shelter;• a play area (not theequipment);South park:The park will not be built with all the amenities shownabove because the construction tech program was cut.• the “Golden EaglePark” sign;• the benches byplay area;• the stand for theeagle statue.The 32,440-squarefootGolden Eagle“pocket park” for thenew housing developmentoff SouthIndustrial Road willbe completed, butwithout the previouskey components ofthe park.Without the laborthe construction techstudents would haveprovided, the projectwould be overbudgetif completed with allthe originally plannedfacets, according to theproject manager andbusiness administrationand accountingmajor, Zachary Brown.CourtesyEven without theassistance from theconstruction techstudents Brown saidthe other managementstaff he workswith will be able to laysod, pour the concretework and lay the irrigationsystem andplant Rocky Mountainjunipers and cottonwoodsusing minimalvolunteer labor.The project wasdesigned by Brown touse in his Principlesof Management class.Service Learning isdefined as studentslearning how to applythe knowledge obtainedin their courseof study through communityservice.Brown, a sophomoreat LCCC, said,initially, it was easy tobegin pulling this parktogether because ofthe interest in helpingstudents and the community.“A lot of peoplewere really excitedabout this,” he said.Brown enlisted thehelp of three advisorsfor the horticulture,construction andfinancial aspects. Acontractor, WilliamHolmes, Sr., a horticulturespecialist from theCheyenne BotanicalGardens, Steve Scottand a financial specialistfrom WyomingBank and Trust, JeffWallace, will still assistBrown with the drasticallyreduced project.The first deadlinefor completingthe project was theend of the Spring ’09semester.Initially, the badweather had put theproject behind, butafter the constructiontech programwas cut from thecollege’s budget, itwas unclear whetherthe park would befinished.“If the constructionkids can’t help,the project getsscrapped,” Brownsaid shortly after theconstruction tech programhad been cut.The picnic shelterwould have been onthe far east side of thepark. The playgroundwould have beenangled northeast tosouthwest, filled withrecycled tire material,surrounded by awalkway and adornedwith two cottonwoodtrees on the east sideof the playground.The park will belined on the northside of the lot withRocky Mountainjunipers, and thecottonwoods will stillbe close to where theplayground equipmentwill be installedat a later unknowndate.So, for now, thevacant lot betweenHR Ranch Road,Banner Drive and LizRoad in front of thenew housing development—JLRanch—offSouth Industrial Roadwill be only partiallydeveloped.Teachers, students ask board to reconsider construction techBy Tracey RosenlundDeputy Online EditorThe president of Laramie CountyCommunity College defended hisdecision to cut the constructionechnology program at an April 15 boardeeting.He said he does not see the needn the community for this certificaterogram because employers seem to hireaborers for the same construction posiionregardless of their level of education.When requesting additional fundingrom the Legislature, President Darrelammon emphasized he believed everyrogram LCCC offers benefits to the comunity.But this idea did not prevent himrom cutting funding to the constructionechnology program.Hammon said he asked the advisoryoard for the construction tech programn the fall 2008 if they would hire onlyraduates from LCCC’s construction techrogram. He said they were ambiguous inheir response, which contributed to theecision to cut the program.“When restructuring the budget, theollege looked for the “least impact ontudents and faculty,” Hammon said.Not only did the cut affect the handfulf students enrolled and the instrucorsfor the construction tech programut also the high school students whoreceive concurrent enrollment for collegecredit.An Army special operations war veteranwho has twice served in Afghanistanand a construction technology major,Kyle Volk, relocated here from NorthCarolina so he could learn how to buildhouses. “Shutting down the program waspremature,” he told the trustees.A retired LCCC instructor and fulltime student in the construction techprogram, Craig Anderson, said: “I amdisappointed with the administrative decisionto cut the construction technologyprogram. I think it’s a mistake.”Project manager for the proposedGolden Eagle “pocket park,” businessadministration and accounting majorand LCCC sophomore Zachary Brownsaid Volk, the construction foreman of theproject, is working on trying to get the collegeto allow the students already enrolledin the construction technology program tofinish their certificates on LCCC’s campus.If he is unsuccessful, the constructiontech students will be required to travel174 miles roundtrip every day of theirclasses to finish their degree at EasternWyoming College in Torrington.Volk said, after talking with his fellowstudents, none can afford to make thattrip to finish his certificate.In light of the possibility of being unableto receive a certificate from LCCC inconstructiontechnology, onestudent in theprogram, JaredMowrey, hascontacted anattorney, whoadvised him towrite a letter tothe college requestingrefunds Jared Mowreyfor the courseshe has completed. After starting his degreealmost a year ago, he is left with little toshow for his invested time and money.Three high school construction teachersfrom East and Central high schools,in addition to other supporters, repeatedlyasked the LCCC Board of Trusteesto reconsider their decision to cut theconstruction technology program or cutonly the construction tech program inLaramie.Brian Stevenson, a teacher atCentral High School, said: “Central hasa construction program. The new highschool [South High] is being built with aconstruction lab. East High school has aconstruction lab because minors are notallowed on dangerous job sites.”Another Central high school teacher,Curtis Colbert said students receive concurrentenrollment [college credit] forthe courses they take at the high schoollevel. Continuing education at LCCC isan attractive option for students afterhigh school, he said.“There is a tremendous demand forskilled craftsman, and there will be demandfor them in the future,” Curtis said.“It’s a very valuable program.”Stevenson asked the board if they hadconsidered the fact that “in order for usto continue those programs [on the highschool level] we have to have a relationshipwith somebody, and it appears itwon’t be LCCC.”Construction and welding instructorat East High School, Joseph Allen,said there were other ways to adjust theprogram to reduce the costs. He said hewould carry a loan for a new project,would come up with an agreement surroundingthe property, put money intoan escrow account and donate money tohelp keep the program.“As you see the economy start toreturn and more building start to happen,there will be more need for studentscertified in this program,” Allen said.“This college was founded on the ideaof community and building careers,”he added, “It is a place to have a moreinformal education and [have students]go onto their fields.”Later in the meeting, trustee TomBauman expressed a desire to find a wayto keep the program.
<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspan<strong>May</strong>6Board of Trustees Study Session,7 p.m., Board Room, Administration Building.8 Last day of classes.11–15 Finals week.20Board of Trustees Business Meeting,7 p.m., Board Room, Administration Building.18 Commencement, 7 p.m., Cheyenne Civic Center.25 Memorial Day, campus closed.June5 Registration ends for summer classes.8 Summer semester classes begin.8–9 Late registration for summer classes.12S.E.E.K. Registration deadline for June,$60–student–class.To post information in Eagle Eye through <strong>Wingspan</strong> Online or the print versionof <strong>Wingspan</strong>, contact Cody Bailey at 778-1304 or e-mail, wingspan@lccc.wy.edu.ClubwiseWindsmiths ClubWh e n :Wh o :Fees:By Cody BaileyCampus EditorContact Mike Schmidt for times.Students in the wind energy program.$10 a semester.Co n ta c t : Mike Schmidt, 421-1639.Officers:Purposes:FYI:Ty Goodman, president; Doug King, vice president; Walker Gross, treasurer.A club of individuals enrolled in the wind energy program at Laramie CountyCommunity College. This club helps give those individuals more opportunitiesto learn and pursue a career in wind energy. They participate in several communityservice projects throughout the course of the semester, such as cleaningup trash in the community. They also attend several conferences throughout theyear.The club is open only to students enrolled in LCCC’s wind energy program.From <strong>May</strong> 4–7 they planned to attend the 2009 Windpower Conference andExhibition in Chicago.Contact <strong>Wingspan</strong> at 778-1304 or wingspan@lccc.wy.edu to feature your club.campus news Wi n g s pa n 3Three cheers for <strong>Wingspan</strong>American Scholastic Press AssociationFor the 19th consecutive year, Laramie County Community College’s student newspaper,<strong>Wingspan</strong>, has taken top honors in the American Scholastic Press Association national competition.Again the newspaper won the highest honor—first place with special merit in the categoryof junior/community colleges with enrollment of more than 2,500—according to <strong>Wingspan</strong>advisers Rosalind Schliske and J.L. O’Brien. The “special merit” designation is given to publicationsthat, according to ASPA judges, are “an outstanding example of a scholastic publication informat, content and presentation.”In addition, the publication was named one of two “best community college newspapers” inthe country in colleges with more than 2,500 enrollment.The judges wrote, “You have an excellent school newspaper, which shows the talents of youreditors, reporters, writers, photographers, layout designers and advisers.”Editors during the 2008 competition year during the spring semester were Chris Arneson ofCheyenne and Lauren Daly of Wheatland. Editors during the fall semester were Arneson andTiffany Razo of Alliance, Neb.Society of Professional JournalistsLaramie County Community College’s student newspaper, <strong>Wingspan</strong>, was the only publicationfrom a two-year institution in the region to win awards in the Society of Professional Journalists’Mark of Excellence competition.A <strong>Wingspan</strong> faculty adviser, Rosalind Schliske, said the staff took second place in the organizationstudent competition in the category called “Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper.”The awards were presented April 4 in Salt Lake City at the SPJ regional conference. Region IXincludes Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico. LCCC competed with four-year institutions.In addition, Andrew Dyl, Houston Woodhouse and Kellie Anderson took first place in thephoto illustration category for the cover of the October 2008 <strong>issue</strong> called “’08 Choice.” This firstplaceentry under the direction of <strong>Wingspan</strong> faculty adviser J.L. O’Brienwill now move onto national competition to be announced at the organization’s100 th anniversary convention in Indianapolis Aug. 27–30.Chris Arneson also won third place for editorial writing for a series ofthree editorials published during the spring 2008 semester.The competition year was calendar year 2008. Arneson and LaurenDaly were co-editors during the spring 2008 semester, and Arneson andTiffany Razo were co-editors during the fall 2008 semester.The Society of Professional Journalists is the nation’s most broadbasedjournalism organization, dedicated to encouraging the freepractice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior.Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow ofinformation vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and educatethe next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendmentguarantees of freedom of speech and press.Student Society of News DesignFor the first time, Laramie County Community College’s studentnewspaper has won awards in the Student Society of News Design competition.<strong>Wingspan</strong> was one of only two community colleges in the nation towin in the 2009 College News Design Contest hosted by the University ofMissouri. According to advisers Rosalind Schliske and J.L. O’Brien, theLCCC awards were won in the non-daily newspaper category, regardlessof size and format of publication or size of college or university.The Society for News Design is an international professional organizationwith more than 2,600 members in the United States, Canada andmore than 50 other countries.Houston Woodhouse captured first place in inside news page design,any size, for his layout in the February 2009 <strong>Wingspan</strong> called “Economicblast from the past.” No other awards were given in this category.Woodhouse also took first place for his tabloid cover design called“The New Depression” in the February 2009 <strong>issue</strong>.Finally, Andrew Dyl captured second place for his tabloid cover designof <strong>Wingspan</strong>’s October 2008 Voters’ Guide.
4Wi n g s pa ncampus news<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspanNew Daily Grind eyedPhi Theta Kappa earns accoladeLaramie County Community College Phi Theta Kappa members andfficers recently received multiple awards at the regional convention inrapevine.Phi Theta Kappa placed sixth in the Service Hallmark Awards category;fth in Distinguished Chapter; third in Scholarship Hallmark and secondn the Leadership Hallmark category. LCCC’s chapter also won the highestossible rating of five stars.Members Tracy McEwen and Andrea Weron were also elected to thefficers Team at the regional level.Inductions for LCCC’s Phi Theta Kappa officers will take place at 3 p.m.n Wednesday, <strong>May</strong> 6, in the Student Lounge.President creates new hotlineIn response to concern over recent changes and <strong>issue</strong>s at the LCCC, aew hotline has been created to voice concerns.If any student or employee wants to voice their concern over events athe college, he can send an e-mail to asklccc@lccc.wy.edu.According to LCCC President Dr. Darrel Hammon, this new communiationmethod is a way for the college “to progress, to rise above the frothf life and to behave in such a way that is beyond reproach.”Adding to that, all e-mails will be read by one person, Director ofublic Relations Lisa Murphy, and then Hammon will review, answers,eply and send answer to the campus each week.Students excel on national examLaramie County Community College students studying Greek havecored at the international level on the National Greek Exam, which waswaken this year by more than 2,000 students.This is a significant achievement because these scores are recognizedy major universities worldwide, according to English instructor Patandy.Marah Carroll won a blue ribbon, scoring a 95 percent on the exam.dam Hays and David Villar scored second places, winning green ribons.Adding to that, Villar also did well on the National Latin Exam. Villarlong with four others Latin language students placed in the top percenileof the exam. Molly Carroll, Lori Donner and Trina Riegel scored goldibbons and Samantha Urban scored a silver ribbon.College partners with KaplanLaramie County Community College and Kaplan University, an onlineollege, have partnered. All students, staff and alumni will get a 10 perentdiscount off tuition at Kaplan, regionally accredited through theNorth Central Association of Schools and Colleges.Kaplan offers bachelor’s, master’s and certificates. Also, associate degreeswill be accepted as block transfers, so students may begin immediately toearn credit toward bachelor’s degrees.Some students may qualify for additional discounts. Criminal justicemajors who have worked in the criminal justice field for more than a yearcan qualify for a $3,600 scholarship.Active members of the military as well as their spouses will pay $166a unit; veterans will pay $230 a unit and receive a 15 percent discount onmaster’s degrees. Unit costs include books.By Cody BaileyCampus EditorLaramie County Community College’sAssociated Student Government heard a proposalApril 28 to replace the Daily Grind with a coffeeshop/convenience store operated by Sodexo,which runs the cafeteria.Jerry Harris, director of contracting/procurement,explained the recently approved facilitiesfee to remodel the cafeteria provided an opportunityto address the problems related to the currentDaily Grind, operated by Student Activities.He said the Daily Grind, in its current location,has no water or drain, and it would cost $100,000to add a sewage system.The Sodexo proposal would situate the newcoffee shop tentatively on the “upper deck” southof the Playhouse. The expanded kiosk would alsooffer sandwiches, soups, bakery goods, a “moresophisticated variety of drinks” and other itemsfound in a convenience store. The proposal callsfor students to be employed as an entrepreneurialbusiness experience and a 5 percent commissionwould be returned to the students.Harris assured ASG, “Your business is notgoing away.”Harris explained that Sodexo’s intentions wereto bring more variety to the table than what iscurrently there.ASG adviser Amanda Hubbard provided ASGwith a handout that outlined the history of theDaily Grind, which opened in 1993 as a “mocktail”bar. One point Hubbard emphasized was theDaily Grind is a portable establishment and couldbe moved anywhere on campus. ASG membersasked Harris if this would also be the case withSodexo’s proposed coffee shop. He made it clearthe newly proposed coffee shop would be permanentand would require drains and water.In other business, Athletic Director Jason Ficcareturned to ASG on April 28 to provide a presentationshowing how the athletic budget was usedand giving examples of expectations for athleticsin the future. One example he offered was raisingthe GPA requirements of athletes to 2.25 fornext year and possibly to 2.50 for the 2011–2012academic year.Concerning the academic performance ofcurrent athletic students, Ficca said, “The averagestudent-athlete is a better student GPA-wise thanthe average student.”ASG also welcomed its new senators who wereelected on April 27. They were Erin C. Barrios,Jose Gamboa, Hannah Milmont, Phuc Dang“Lam” Nguyen, Justin Ockinga, Toi Pearson,Robin Ragsdale, Kaipo Sabas and Mark Shaad.During an open meeting on April 14, ASG recommendedthe LCCC Board of Trustees vote April15 to turn down a proposal to increase studentfees for the fall semester.The meeting, which took place in the cafeteria,was full of concerned students. Somewere there to listen, while others attended to gettheir points across to LCCC President Dr. DarrelHammon and ASG.At the March 31 meeting, Hammon had proposeda $12.50 a credit hour fee increase.This increase includes a $4.50 addition to thetechnology fee and a new $8 fee for renovationsto the cafeteria and residence halls. The increasein the technology means students will pay $14.50a credit hour, up from the current $10 a credithour fee. (See Pages 6–7.)However, this concerned a large number peopleon campus, many of whom strongly disagreedwith the proposal put forth by Hammon.Following ASG’s usual roll call and committeereports, the session was opened for public input.Students and other concerned people lined upbehind the microphone to state their thoughtson the situation to Hammon. Many of those whospoke out against the increase had similar opinions.Some felt the increase was unjustifiable inthese economic times, while others thought somework might be needed on the cafeteria, just not tothe extent Hammon proposed.LCCC student Brian Wood made a point toHammon that, with the proposed increase, “thecost between attending LCCC and UW is becomingvanishingly small.”Another student, Mark Shaad, had much tosay to Hammon. Shaad referred to the Sodexocompany, which operates the cafeteria and wouldalso take over the student-run Daily Grind coffeestand if the proposal passed.Shaad said, “It seems to me that they (Sodexo)don’t really have my best interests in mind.”Hammon replied that “60 percent of all fundingcomes from the state of Wyoming; 20 percentcomes from the folks like me who have a housewho pay taxes; 20 percent comes from students.So, in terms of most the money, 80 percent comesfrom taxpayers.”Shaad rebutted, “Would you say that studentsare not taxpayers?”ASG member Juny Lee said she thought achange did need to be made concerning thecurrent dining facility, but it’s “too huge for rightnow.”During the meeting, Hammon remindedstudents that $700,000 in scholarship moneyunclaimed by students was “left on the table” thisyear. However, Lee later mentioned she tried toget some of this money in the past but was unsuccessfulbecause of the scholarships’ requirements.Lee, an international student, said manyfellow international students have also struggledto receive scholarships despite high grade pointaverages.ASG member Randa <strong>May</strong> suggested that ASGmove to turn down Hammon’s proposal to renovate.“This is not the right time, with the budgetcuts,” she said for the college.”However, ASG member Callie Capraro saidshe couldn’t fully agree with the decision to turndown the fee proposal because of the <strong>issue</strong>s concerningthe cafeteria. As a member of the foodservice advisory board, she said she thought thekitchen did need improvements.After all input was given, ASG moved to avote on a suggestion for the proposal. With anearly unanimous vote, with Capraro against thedecision, ASG decided to turn down Hammon’sproposal on the student fee increase.The trustees voted in favor of the proposalduring their April 15 meeting, despite much protestfrom students.
<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspanRisEcampus newsWi n g s pa n5Enrollment on theRISEBy Tiffany RazoCo-EditorWhile themonths ofthis springemester were packedith fluctuatingemperatures andas prices, Laramieounty Communityollege’s enrollmenteemed to be on ateady rise.Ann Murray, mangerof institutionalesearch at LCCC, saidlthough she couldot state for a fact thatnrollment at LCCCas at an all-time high,reliminary resultshowed this spring009 semester’s headounttopped all previusyears. “On FridayApril 3] we had over,200 students enrolledor the spring semeser,”Murray said. “Thatumber could go up orown as the semesternishes, but if it holds,hat would be recordnrollment.”According to annrollment reportrepared by Murray,he spring 2007 washe highest official enollmentwith a headountof 5,051. Theeport also displayedull-time equivaent(FTE), which isalculated by takngthe total studentredit hours dividedy 12. The 2007 springemester had an FTEount of 3,492.The report alsohowed the fall 2008emester headcountnd FTE of enrolledtudents at LCCC,hich was onlylightly fewer that thepring semester withheadcount of 5,033nd FTE of 3,549.3.Although Murrayeeps track of thenumber of studentsenrolled at LCCC in avariety categories, shesaid no real significantrise in a particularcategory was noted.However, she didbelieve there werereasons behind theincreased enrollmentthis semester.“Over the past severalyears, we have energeticallyrecruited,”Murray said. “Also, wehave historically seenthat in bad economictimes enrollmentgoes up—and that isa nationwide occurrence.”She said becausepeople have lost theirjobs or are afraid oflosing their jobs, theyturn to college to “upgrade”or gain new jobskills. “When we gotall the bad economicnews just this pastfall, we started reallyseeing an increasein enrollment,” sheadded.Other possiblecontributing factorsto the increase ofstudents at LCCC arethe Albany CountyCampus and onlinecourses. Murray saidthat during the pastfive years those twoareas have grown themost rapidly.Although enrollmentat LCCC hasexperienced a fairlysteady increase sincethe 2000–01 schoolyear, enrollment hasvaried throughout theyears. In an enrollmenthistory chartcompiled by Murraythat showed theFTE and headcountenrollment dating tothe 1969–70 academicyear, some yearsshowed obvious increasesand decreasesin enrollment.There are reasons behind theincreased enrollment thissemester at Laramie CountyCommunity College . Peoplewho have lost their jobs or areafraid of losing their jobs turnto college to “upgrade” or gainnew job skills.The spring 2007 semester was thehighest official enrollment with aheadcount of 5,051.The fall 2008 semester headcountwas slightly less than the spring ’07semester of 5,033.On April 3, 2009, more than 5,200students were enrolled for thespring semester, an overall recordfor LCCC.Source: LCCC Institutional Research OfficeIn the 1984–85school year, the chartshowed an annualizedheadcount of4,077.5 (calculated byadding the headcountsof the summer,spring and fallsemesters of one yearand dividing themby two)—and was anincrease from the restof the years that hadenrollments no higherthan 3,800 annualized.However, theincrease seemed topause there becauseuntil the 1987–88academic year the annualizedheadcountremained fewer than4,000.3,800’84–’85The enrollmenthistory report alsoshowed enrollmentat LCCC in the ’90sremained at fairlyconsistent headcountwith only a couple ofacademic years morethan 5,000. It wasn’tuntil the 2003–04 yearthat the annualizedheadcount enrollmentjumped to more than5,000 and seemed toremain steady, withthis ’08–09 academicyear showing preliminaryresults at thehighest headcountso far.But who are thepeople enrolled atLCCC? Enrollment reportsput together byMurray showed howLCCC kept track of anumber of separatecategories of students.From Murray’senrollment reportsfrom the 2007 and2008 fall semesters inthe men vs. womencategory, women tookthe lead with morewomen enrolled thanmen. In the 2007 fallreport, the headcountof women was 2,903and FTE was 2,039, incomparison to menwho had a headcountof 1,983 and FTE of1,372.2. The 2008fall semester reportshowed more women4,000’87–’885,000’03–’045,051Spring ’07were still enrolledthan men. The ’08 fallreport displayed thewomen headcountat 3,013 and FTEat 2,131.3, whereasthe men categoryheadcount was only at2,020 and the FTE was1,418.Another category ofthe enrollment reportscompiled by Murraywas age. The 17 to 24age group had by farthe most students enrolledin the fall 2007and 2008 semesterswith a headcountof more than 2,500students. The rest ofthe age groups werecomparable to one5,033Fall ’085,200Spring ’09Kolby Verbeckanother with headcountsof no morethan 600 students.The LCCC students inthe 25 to 29 age groupcame second with 634people enrolled inthe ’08 fall semester.However, the rest ofthe age groups all hadbetween 200–360 studentsenrolled in the’08 and ’09 semesters.So while in-laws,work hours and telemarketersnever seemto change, betweenthe fluctuating enrollmentand the varietyof people, LCCC maybe a nice refreshmentfrom everyday repetitions.
6Wi n g s pa ncampus news<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspanBoard of TrusteesTrustees vote 4–3 to increase feesCampus expresses student fee concerns to boardOn April 15,he Board ofrustees’ meetingan nearlyour and a halfours. Duringhe meeting,tudents,taff and theommunityxpressed theironcerns for atudent fee hike.After nearlyfour and ahalf hours ofheated tesimonyfrom a nearecord turnout of stuents,employees andhe general public onpril 15, the Laramieounty Communityollege Board ofrustees voted 4–3 toaise student fees forhe fall semester.The meeting,hich started at 7.m. and had beenelocated earlier inhe day to a largeroom to accommoatethe nearly 100eople, was filledith commentsrom more than 20tudents, employesand residents ofheyenne.The approvedike consists of aew facilities fee of8 a credit hour to beharge up to 12 creditours. The fee wouldot be charged onredits taken above2 a semester.In mid-<strong>May</strong>, therustees will vote onn additional $4.50o be added to theurrent $10 technolgyfee, raising it to$14.50 a credit hour.The technologyfee has never beencharged on credits astudent takes over 12.The trustees alsovoted unanimouslyto recommendto the WyomingCommunity CollegeCommission that allexisting fees exceptthe new $8 a credithour facilities fee becharged to all enrolledcredit hours.Later, on April22, the WCCC votednot to consider theproposal. [See relatedstory on Page 7.]The LCCCAssociated StudentGovernment hadvoted against bothfee increases at ameeting on April 14.Currently, studentfees are $324 for fulltimestudents, whoare enrolled in 12credit hours or more.April 15’s voteraised student feesapproximately 30percent. If the hightechfee is approvedin mid-<strong>May</strong>, studentfees will increasean additional 17percent, bringing thetotal increase to 47percent, accordingto a spokesman inLCCC’s public relationsoffice.Ryan Archibald,Associated StudentGovernmentpresident, said,“In conversationswith Dr. [Jim] Roseof the WyomingCommunity CollegeCommission, he saidthe fee increaseshere—specifically thehigh-tech fee—increasessounded veryspecifically much liketuition increases indisguise and wouldnot be allowed by theCommunity CollegeCommission.”LCCC’s administrationplans touse the technologyfees to maintain the“Despite the need, rightnow a fee increase is toomuch for the studentsat LCCC to take on for a$7 million facility.”campus’s technological“backbone” andto use the facilitiesfees to renovate thecampus’s currentdining facilities anda portion of the residencehall.Those voting forthe facilities fee wereTom Bauman, TonyMendoza, GeorgeMcIlvaine and JohnKaiser, chairman.Those against wereBrenda Lyttle, BillDubois and GregThomas.Much of the testimonyApril 15 focusedon the new $8 a credithour facilities fee.The majority ofthe students whospoke said they weredispleased because:• The increasedcost would makeit more difficultto maintain collegeaffordabilityduring a time ofeconomic crisis;• The gap betweenthe priceof attendingthe Universityof Wyoming orChadron State andLCCC would benarrowed;• The increase taxesa small group tobenefit a largerone;• More conversationand study shouldRyan ArchibaldASG Presidenttake place in orderto identify otherrevenue streamsand possiblydivide the <strong>issue</strong>of remodeling thecafeteria from remodelingthe WestResidence Hall.Trustees whofavored the increasecited the followingreasons:• The combinationof low interestrates and lowconstruction costsmake it a goodtime to tackle the$7.1 million plan;• The studentassessedfeeprovides a steady,viable revenuestream to securebonds (loans);• The renovationsaddress safetyand health concernsand handlemaintenance nowrather than deferringthem whenit would be morecostly.Speaking againstthe fee hike, ASGPresident Archibaldsaid, “Despite theneed, right now a feeDominic BenintendeOpen mic night:Sher Warren, director of SageTrio, testified at the LCCC Boardof Trustees’ meeting on April 15.“Increasing tuition to every credithour means $300 per semester to mystudents, increased books, increasesin specific fees for specific courses—then to ask just 160 students at SageTrio to add an additional $150,”Warren said. “The fee hike does notfoster a climate supportive of theacademic success of low-incomestudents.”increase is too muchfor the students atLCCC to take on for a$7 million facility.”He continued,”On top of all this,students do not wantany fee increasewhatsoever becauseit’s difficult enoughto pay for school asit is.”Trustee Thomas,who said he thoughtthe time was right tobuild, disagreed with“asking the studentsto bear the cost” andinstead suggested“charging on anactivity or per usebasis” to use the diningfacilities.Trustee Lyttle, whosaid she was troubledby the lack of studentbody support butalso saw the need forremodeling, encouragedmore conversationsabout what isneeded in order togenerate consensus.“The comment I kepthearing was—‘It’s toomuch right now’—really hit home forme,” she said.She urged thetrustees to split thefacility fee proposalfrom dining facilityand residence hall.Dr. DarrelHammon, presidentof LCCC, told thetrustees the timeto act was now. “Itwould be appropriateand prudent andjudicious for us to doit now and not wait,”he said. “I just thinkany time we wait, it’sgoing to cost studentsmore money in thelong run.”In response tosuggestions that thetwo projects be split,Hammon explainedthat the bond holderswant a “specific,validated revenuestream,” which theadministration foundin the student-assessedfee.Trustee Baumanexpressed concernabout the health andwelfare especially incafeteria food preparation.“If my granddaughtercomes here,I don’t want her tocome home sickerthan a dog,” he said.Earlier, the trusteeshad seen video ofproblems in the diningfacility and olderresidence hall. Thevideo can be seenat LCCC’s Web siteunder About LCCC.Tiffany Razo andDominic Benintendecontributed to thisreport.
<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspancampus newsWi n g s pa n7New facilities fee to add $8 a credit hourTechnology fee may be raised by $4.50 a credit hourBy DominicBenintendeCo-A&E EditorStudents may findtheir college feesharder to affordwhen they return nextsemester.Laramie CountyCommunity College’sadministrationannounced in lateMarch a proposedhike in student fees.If enacted, LCCCstudents would payfees on every creditin which they areenrolled, which theyhave never beenasked to do on thiscampus.A hike for a newfacilities fee of $8 acredit hour was approved.An additional$4.50 is proposed tothe current $10 technologyfee, raising it to$14.50 credit hour.Currently, studentfees are $324 for fulltimestudents, whoBy Kristine JacksonManaging Editorare enrolled in 12credit hours or more.If all new studentfee proposals areapproved, the samefull-time student canexpect to pay an extra$150 or more dependingon the number ofcredits in which theyenroll. This wouldraise an in-state students’tuition and feesfrom $1,140 to $1,290.The technologyfee has never beencharged on creditsa student takes over12, but this proposalwould do just that.LCCC’s administrationplans to use thetechnology fees tomaintain the campus’stechnological“backbone” and touse the facilities feesto renovate the campus’scurrent diningfacilities and a portionof the residence hall.LCCC’s PresidentDr. Darrel Hammonsaid an expense isTuition raise discussion postponed“I’m not sure making upour money on the backsof our students is the wayto go. We’re in a recession,and so are they.”The idea of raisingtuition at LaramieCounty CommunityCollege by students payingfor every credit hour inwhich they enroll, ratherthan capping off tuitionfor full-time students at12 credit hours, will not beconsidered until October.If, when the WyomingCommunity CollegeCommission discusses apossible tuition hike inOctober, it decides to proceedwith the hike, studentswouldn’t see it until the2010-11 academic year.At a WCCC meeting April22, LCCC’s president, Dr.Darrel Hammon, said hethought raising the tuitionwould help the college overcomeits budget crisis. Hesaid LCCC doesn’t have themoney to make the budgetcuts the state of Wyomingis requiring of Wyoming’scommunity colleges, and heintends to send a questionnaireto students asking howthey would feel about payingmore for tuition if the intentwere to improve the college.Hammon said the facultyat LCCC is not willingto teach 15 credit hoursgenerated on everycredit offered on campus,yet students don’tpay fees on everycredit they take.“It’s like getting20 cans of soup,”Hammon said, ”forthe price of 12.”Currently, thetechnology fee coversthe software thatruns the Angel onlinecourse shells forevery class offered oncampus. However, thefee currently does notsupport the routinemaintenance tooperate the campus’stechnological “backbone.”Most of thismaintenance is doneby LCCC’s IntegratedTechnologies Services(ITS) department.Hammon said the$4.50 increase to thetechnology fee wouldraise enough moneyto cover 30 percentof the ITS departmentsstaff, of whichit currently pays forAnn Chambers-NobleChair of CommissionersWyoming Community College Commissionbut get paid for only 12. Headded very few of the 25colleges in nearby statescap their tuition at 12 credithours.Chair ofCommissioners AnnChambers-Noble saidtuition is discussed atone meeting a year andwill not be consideredat any other time. Shesaid tuition has alreadybeen set for the comingone position in thatdepartment.“If all tech costwere included inthe fee, it would notbe appropriate,”Hammon said. “Onlythose [employees]in the backbonewould be includedin the increase. Thetech fee is a littlemore tangible to thestudents because theyuse technology ineverything.”The LCCC Boardof Trustees is slatedto vote on this <strong>issue</strong>in <strong>May</strong>.The fee thatstudents might find abit harder to swallowcould be the additionof a facilities fee of $8,which the trustees approvedApril 15.Jerry Harris, LCCCdirector of contracting/procurement,hascrunched the numberson what it wouldcost to renovate thecampus’s dining facilityand a portion ofone of the residencehalls. That number ismore than $7.1 million:approximately $6million for the dininghall and just morethan $1 million for theresidence hall.In the past, LCCChas used general obligationbonds to payfor building projectssuch as the recentlyerected HealthScience Building.These bonds tax localproperty owners.Hammon proposedto use revenuebonds to finance thecafeteria and residencehall remodelingthrough a revenuestream of student fees.Both these bonds aresimply put very largeloans.Hammon said:“We have to show thebond holders that [thecollege] can generatethe $7 million. It’s likewhen you go to buy aacademic year and cannotbe changed at this point.She asked the <strong>issue</strong> bediscussed in October.Chambers-Noble said inorder to make that decisionthe WCCC needs informationfrom all seven communitycolleges in Wyoming,not just LCCC. She saidraising tuition may lowercollege access for some students,and community collegesmust remain competitivewith other institutions.She said: “I’m not suremaking up our money onthe backs of our studentsis the way to go. We’re in arecession, and so are they.”Chambers-Noble alsoexpressed concern that “ifwe are raising tuition and[LCCC is] raising fees as well,we may be having a seriousimpact on our students.”car. The dealer wantsto see that you canactually pay for thatcar.”The revenue bondsare set on a 12-yeardebt service schedule,meaning the collegewill pay the bondholders an annualpayment of approximately$790,000.The $8 increasewould generateroughly $750,000 ayear, leaving some ofthe cost to the foodservice operator atthe college. Currently,Sodexo is LCCC’s contractedfood serviceoperator in a cafeteriathat is more than 30years old.Hammon saidthere has been a 100percent increasein the number ofstudents who use thedining facility.Currently, everystudent who lives inthe residence hallmust purchase a mealplan to the FillingStation—more than200 students, or 2percent of the entirestudent populationat LCCC holds theseplans and accountsfor more than 50 percentof the estimatednumber of patrons thecafeteria serves. Theother 50 percent ofthe cafeteria’s revenueis made up of cateringand “walk-up” customerssuch as staffand students withoutmeal plans.Harris said: “Wedon’t have the facilitiesto accommodateall these folks. We arein excess of 8,000 students.That buildingwas designed for half.”Jeanne Anderson,who is a general managerfor the FillingStation, said, “Wedon’t like preparingfood too much aheadof time because thenit won’t be as fresh,”but added that theamount of space inthe kitchen limits heroptions.LCCC AssociatedStudent GovernmentPresident RyanArchibald said: “Ithink the need for newfacilities exists, butnot to the means thatthe plan entails. Theproposed dining hallis accommodating forhundreds of peoplewhen our residencepopulation is downfrom last year.”The addition to thefood service facilitywill add a substantial20,000 square feet.This will allow formore food preparationand storage spaceand could possiblyallow the dining facilityto become a buffet.On April 23, aseries of focus groupswas held on campusby the architects toobtain input on thecafeteria’s remodeling.The other renovationthe administrationwants to addresswith the facilities feeis the current WestResidence Hall, whichis currently occupiedby 228 students.About $1 millionin revenue bonds willbe used to financethe $34-a-square-footrenovations to whatHarris said are “themost critical needsand deficiencies ofthis building.”Harris said theserenovations mustbe made in order to“maintain adequatestudent residentialcapacity until a newresidence hall is completed.”“We are looking atevery angle to reduce[the $8 facilities fee],”Harris said.
8Wi n g s pa ncampus news<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspanAmericans falling furtherinto the hole of credit debtSince 2000, Americans have steadily gonedeeper into credit card debt.At the beginning of 2007, Americanswere collectively about $800 billion more inthe red than they were at the beginning of2000. All of this occurred before thefinancial collapse of late 2008.2000 20012002 20032004 200520062007-$1,600 -$1,600-$1,700 -$1,700-$1,800 -$1,800-$1,900 -$1,900-$2,000 -$2,000-$2,100 -$2,100-$2,200 -$2,200-$2,300 -$2,300-$2,400 -$2,400-$2,500 -$2,500-$2,600 -$2,600In billionsSource: 2009 Statistical Abstract of U.S.Seneca RigginsOn-campus workshop simulates povertyBy JurriSaddler Jr.Co-News EditorImagine beinga single parentworking twojobs to support yourfamily. Or imagineyou’re the child in thatfamily left home withlittle or no supervisionand having to fend foryourself.For many, the previousscenario is a reality.It is a consequenceof living in poverty. Asa result of the currentrecession, it is feasibleto say a growingnumber of families areslipping into poverty;however, many peoplefail to understand thedepth and severity thataccompanies it. Forthat reason, a povertysimulation was created.On April 2 and 3,the poverty simulationexercise cameto Laramie CountyCommunity Collegein hopes of teachingstudents and staffalike about poverty.According to PaulaDickson, the directorof CommunityAction Partnership,the goal of the povertysimulation resides inthree key principles.The first, Dicksonsaid, was to createawareness about thestruggles families inpoverty must endure.The second, accordingto Dickson, was tocreate advocacy. It isbelieved participantsof the simulationwould be inspired toadvocate locally, nationallyand with theirfamily and friends aswell. Adding to that,Dickson said participantsare more likelyto volunteer their timeto collaborate withagencies about helpingthose in need.So what does thepoverty simulationentail? Accordingto LCCC BusinessInstructor CathyRogers, also a participantin a previoussimulation, the povertysimulation does as thename implies it simulatespoverty. About 70to 100 people are givenan in-shoes take onwhat people in povertygo through.Rogers said eachparticipant is given apacket of informationthat describes a roleto be played. Addingto that, they are alsogiven various toolswith which to helpthem experience theirroles more fully, itemssuch as money, foodand scenarios mustto be completed. “It’svery comprehensive,”Rogers said.For instance,Rogers during thesimulation Rogers wasassigned a role of grocerwho had to helplesslydeny a familyin need. Although thesituation was heartbreaking,accordingto Rogers, she wasamazed to see howother participantsnetworked within thesimulation to helpthose in need. Havingparticipated a yearearlier, Rogers said, “Itwas memorable.”Adding to that,Rogers walked awayfrom the experiencewith a newfoundunderstanding aboutthose in poverty.Rogers said as an instructorshe now has anew level empathy forcertain students suchas single parents. Italso gave her an appreciationfor her life aswell as the lives of herchildren. Rogers said,for her, it is being fortunateenough to havea job with benefits.Expanding on that,Rogers said her childrenwere fortunate aswell because they havealways had the comfortand security ofbeing raised in a twoparenthome. Goingthrough the simulationis one, Rogers said, shewants her children toexperience. “They haveno idea,” Rogers saidjokingly.Another personwho greatly appreciatedthe simulationwas GEAR-UPAssistant OutreachCoordinator NicolePritchard. Accordingto Pritchard, the experiencewas valuablebecause it allowedher to connect andrelate more fully tothe population sheserved. Pritchard,who in the simulationwas a 13-year-oldtwin whose caretakerwas her 21-year-oldbrother, participatedin the simulation onApril 2. According toPritchard, the simulationdrew in a varietyof people from differentbackgrounds. Thiswas good, Pritchardsaid, because it alloweda diverse groupof people to recognizethe needs of thosein the community.Pritchard said, “It waseye-opening.”According toPritchard, the informationprovided canbe used by GEAR-UPto help empower thestudents with whomthey work. Pritchardsaid they are moreadept at relating withkids as well as parentsbecause of it.According toDickson, the reactionsof Pritchard andRogers was the reasonthe simulation wascreated.
<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspanAllocated fundsto scholarshipsdown 26 percentAccording to the interim director ofLaramie County Community College’sFoundation, 23 new scholarshipswill be added in the upcoming fallsemester, and, despite the currenteconomy, some benefactors haveeven increased their contributions.campus newsBy Jeff EatmonCo-News EditorThe interim director ofthe Laramie CountyCommunity College’sFoundation wants studentsto know that their scholarshipswill be basicallyunaffected next semester.“The number of scholarshipscontinues to grow.Benefactors are still giving,and community confidencein the importance of youreducation is high,” SabrinaLane said. According toLane, new scholarshipswill number 23 for the fall2009–10 academic year.The overall cost of livingis going up; the job marketis less than stellar, and it’seasy to see some LCCC studentsmay feel the pinchat school, too. Tuitionand class fees have beenincreased to make up someof the loss felt by the statefunding cut, in additionto campus improvementprojects like the dininghall remodeling. At thesame time, Lane said it istrue the amount of moneyfor scholarships is, in fact,down.In February, the LCCCFoundation office senta letter to scholarshipdonors that detailed theproblem. According to theletter, because of the recenteconomic downturn,the rate at which thosescholarships appreciatebecause of interest is, ofcourse, diminished. Theoverall amount of moneythe Foundation has to allocateto students in theform of scholarships isdown 26 percent.However, in response tothe letter, Lane said manyof the benefactors haveincreased their contributions,made one-time giftsto make up the differencein the appreciation ratesWi n g s pa n9or made the scholarship“whole” again.Lane underscored theidea that the benefactorsin the community appreciatedthe investment they’remaking in the future inthe form of scholarshipsto LCCC students andthat has not changed. Herpersonal commitment andthat of the LCCC Foundationto providing for thestudents has not changed.To ensure the future wellbeingof their scholarships,Lane said students cansimply thank their scholarshipbenefactors.PRIVATE SECTORRETAIL EMPLOYMENTFALLSThe leading employers in Cheyenne whose work forcenumbers remain steady are linked to government andhealth care. However, the private retail-basedemployment count is down from previous years.MA J O R LO C A L EM P LOY E R SCOM P A N Y P R O D U C T 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009F.E. Warren A.F.B. Military 4,263 4,293 4,156 4,410 4,325State of Wyoming Government services 3,386 3,645 3,756 3,840 3,553Laramie Co. School Dist.#1 Education K-12 1,933 1,940 2,075 1,999 1,995Federal Government Government services 1,804 1,812 1,736 1,747 1,739Cheyenne Regional Medical Center Health care 1,095 1,430 1,480 1,324 1,415Wyoming National Guard Military 669 669 693 709 756City of Cheyenne Government Services 554 565 590 596 606Union Pacific Railroad Transportation, rail 790 806 832 686 602Sierra Trading Post Outlet catalogue/retail 425 670 661 691 572Lowe’s Companies Distribution center 700 950 900 705 518Source: March 2009 Economic Indicators for Greater CheyennePaul Oliez
10Wi n g s pa ncampus newsPersonality profile<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspanAlbany County Campus faculty member retiresBy Tiffany RazoCo-EditorAfter years packedith volunteer work,orldwide travelingnd dedication to stuents,retirement mayound well-deserved;owever, to one AlanyCounty Campusmployee, retirementeans more time toive to her community.After 22 years oforking full time athe Albany Countyampus (ACC) ofaramie County ComunityCollege, Dr. Joyurdam, coordinatorf student services athe ACC, said she iseady to embark onomething new. “It’lle a new chapter of myife that will give meore flexibility to grown a different direcion,”Surdam said. Butt has been the otherhapters of Surdam’sife that have led her tohere she is today.Born in 1943uring World War II,n San Pedro, Calif.,urdam had no ideahe majority of herife would be spent inyoming.After her childood,spent in SouthrnCalifornia, Surdamaid she attended theniversity of Califoria,Los Angeles, maoringin internationalelations and minorngin Spanish.After that, Surdam’sife was interwovenith her career,erforming volunteerork, starting a familynd furthering herducation.When she movedo Wyoming—afterer husband got a jobs a geology professort the University ofyoming—she startdteaching Spanish ataramie Junior Highchool.CourtesyA new beginning:Dr. Joy Surdam, coordinator of student services at the AlbanyCounty Campus, said she is ready to embark on something newafter 22 years of working full time at the ACC.She earned hermaster’s degree inboth Spanish and inpolitical science fromUW (which she saidshe chose her master’sin political science becauseshe was very opposedto the VietnamWar and “protested thewar like many otherpeople did”).But Surdam said itwas not until she wasa teaching assistant atUW that she realizedshe loved workingwith college students.“I really enjoyedworking with that agegroup,” she added.She continued hereducation and earnedher doctorate of philosophyin counselingfrom UW, and shebecame a licensedsociologist.Surdam thenexplained her next jobwith laughter. “I got ajob which I really enjoyedat the universityas the acting assistantto the vice presidentfor academic affairs,”she said. “What atitle.” She said the jobentailed a lot, but “itwas very fun.”She then spent fiveyears working as a psychologistat her privatepractices in Laramieand Cheyenne andfound a place at LCCCteaching psychology asan adjunct instructorin Laramie.However, Surdamsoon found her fulltimecareer at the AlbanyCounty Campusof LCCC.“A full-time positionopened up in Cheyenneas coordinatorof the Adult CareerEducation System,and I applied for it andgot it,” she said. A fewweeks later, the sameposition opened inLaramie, so Surdamasked if she could workthere instead. “Laramiewas home,” she said.“So that’s how I cameto be here.”Up until three yearsago, Surdam’s title remainedas coordinatorinstructor of the teachingand learning centerat the ACC—a sisterprogram to ACES atthe Cheyenne campus,she said. She explainedwith that programshe worked at helpingpeople obtain their(GED) and worked withstudents who werefrom other countriestrying to learn English,which is called “Englishfor Speakers of OtherLanguages.”But her time workingat LCCC was by nomeans limited to oneposition. During theyears she served onand off as an adjunct inSpanish, education andpsychology. She alsoserved as coordinatorof student services atthe ACC.Currently, shehas spent a lot of hertime doing academicadvising and workingwith the internationalstudents on campus.“Since I worked atUW, internationalstudents have alwaysbeen an area of interestfor me,” she said.She also hasworked with the LCCCFoundation on developmentactivities.Lynn Stalnaker,dean of the ACC,worked with Surdamtwo-and-a-half yearsand said she alwayshad a lot of good ideasfor the college. “Joy isa very caring person,”he added. “She alwaysgoes to great lengthsto make sure the studentsare successful.”Surdam said, “Thewonderful thing aboutworking here is it hasprovided the opportunityfor professionalgrowth.”But one of Surdam’sfavorite parts ofher career was simplyhelping students onan individual basisreach their dreams.“It’s helping someoneget his GED. It’s helpingstudents figureout financial aid andgetting them enrolledin their first collegecredit class. It’s helpingan internationalstudent plan his orher program,” shesaid. “Those are theparts I have enjoyedthe most.”The president ofWestern NebraskaCommunity College,Dr. Eileen Ely, whowas previously thedean of the ACC, saidSurdam was one ofthe most dedicatedemployees she’d everhad. “Her heart is asbig as they come,”Ely said. “Her mainconcern was alwaysstudent success.”Although retirementis nearing for Surdam,Stalnaker said onewould never know it. “Ireally respect her andhave a lot of admirationfor her. I wish everyonewas as passionateabout their jobs andstudents,” he said.“She’s just as passionatetoday as she was whenshe was first hired.”As she looked back,Surdam said some ofher fondest memorieshave involvedtwo huge parts of herlife—volunteer workand travel. “Lately,it has been excitingworking on ServiceLearning—it has beena joy,” she expressed.“I have also been aKellogg Fellow, whichgave me the opportunityto travel and dowork in Latin Americaand develop my Spanishskills,” she added.On the trip she metwith educators andleaders of other countriesand learned aboutinternational communitydevelopment.However, volunteerwork hasnot been limited tomemories of work.Surdam said shehas been an activevolunteer all of herlife. She has been amember of organizationssuch as theschool board, libraryfoundation and theWyoming Children’sSociety (which doesadoptions and counselingfor families).Ely said Surdam’sinvolvement was notlimited to the campusbut extended into thecommunity.“I could go onand on about what aremarkable woman[Surdam] is, andI’m very proud andhonored to call hermy friend,” Ely said. “Iwish her all the best.”Looking back laughing,Surdam said, “Notwo days have everbeen the same.” Butshe said had one lessonshe hoped peoplelearned from her andwould continue tounderstand. “As contributingmembers ofthe global community,we all have dreamsand skills we can giveback to our communities,”she said. “ServiceLearning is an excellentopportunity to do that.”With her plans ofspending time with herfamily, continuing herfriendships with herLCCC colleagues, travelingaround to evenmore places, readingsome books, volunteeringas much as possibleand possibly teachinga few classes, she saidshe always keeps oneof her favorite quotesin mind, including thisone from anthropologistMargaret Mead:“Never doubtthat a small, group ofthoughtful, committedcitizens canchange the world.Indeed, it is the onlything that ever has.”
<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspanfeaturesWi n g s pa n11Family, fishing next step for retiring instructorBy HoustonWoodhouseGraphics/Layout EditorEd MosherAfter years filledwith being in themilitary, furthering hiseducation, growingwith the technologyand teaching avariety of age groups,one Laramie CountyCommunity Collegeinstructor is ready tofill his tackle box andenjoy his retirementtrying to catch the fishthat got away.Ed Mosher, businessinstructor, spenthalf his life teachingat Laramie CountyCommunity College,and after this springsemester he will retire.His years of dedicationare what Moshersaid made riding theups and downs a greatexperience. Laughter,excitement and passionare a few wordsPersonality profileto describe Mosher’sfeelings at LCCC.Now Mosher isready to spend moretime with his family,particularly his grandchildren,and share hispassion for lake and flyfishing with them. Heenjoys spending hoursin nature fishing aloneor with family, both ofwhich he loves. Fromthe Snake River to theNorth Platte, Mosherwill now get his chanceto fish any day hewishes.To understandMosher’s teachingprinciples, it’s importantto know his past.In 1947, Ed Mosherwas born in Lake City,Iowa. At a young age,Mosher moved to aranch 50 miles south ofNorth Platte, Neb. Helater graduated fromMcCook High School.Shortly afterward, heattended the Universityof Wyoming in Laramiefor a few years but thenenlisted in the Army.He worked forfour years as an Armysecurity agent. Fromwhat Mosher said thejob was secretive, andwhat he could saywas his unit consistedtwo-man groups whowould uncover intelligencein Vietnam.His military sidewas much differentfrom his Wyoming life,but when he returnedfrom his four years inthe Army in 1972, hecontinued his schoolingat UW. That sameyear, Mosher earnedhis bachelor’s degreein marketing. But onceagain, he put furthereducation on hold andfound a couple of jobs.Mosher worked inTorrington for a yearbut said he enjoyed hisfour years at CheyenneCentral High Schoolwhere he taught marketingand advised theDECA Club.Following CentralHigh School, Moshercame to LCCC in 1977not only to becomean instructor but alsoto pioneer DEC (DeltaEpsilon Chi, the collegiateversion of DECA),which would expand tofour chapters statewideby 1980.In the meantimehe also completedhis master’s degreefrom UW in 1978. Thisaccomplishment completedhis educationalachievements and setthe building blocks heneeded to become amaster teacher.Dr. MohamadSalih, retired dean ofthe business, ag andtechnology division,worked with Mosherfor more than 22 years.“I’m particularly proudof Mosher for beingone of the first instructorsin the country tobring internationalbusiness classes to acollege,” he said.Salih also noted thatworking with Mosherwas a pleasure, andsaid Mosher’s “mainmission was to teachstudents and get themready for real worldbusiness.”After a long relationshipwith Mosher,Salih said that “oneof the biggest pleasureswas workingwith Ed’s better half”Edie, Mosher’s wife,also worked at LCCCas the administrativeassistant for the divisionfor 16 years. Salihemphasized the joy ofspending time with theMoshers outside of theeducational setting.In the early 1980s,Mosher became theexecutive secretaryfor the statewideDECA program, whichincluded high schoolsand colleges.For 32 years,Mosher, now 61, dedicatedhis time and lovefor business to LCCC.Mosher recalled, “Theneatest thing whencoming to the collegein ‘77 and still todaywas the mentoring offaculty.” When Mosherwas hired, seven toeight others were alsoemployed the sameyear, a huge numberof faculty hires notonly then but also now.Old faculty reachedout to help these newinstructors includingMosher to share theirknowledge.For many of theearly years, Mosherand other instructorstaught at least one totwo nights a week atCheyenne East HighSchool. The four-hourclasses two nightsa week appealed tostudents whose averageage was 33. Lackof buildings at LCCCmade teaching in highschool classroomsnecessary.Once LCCC expandedand becamemore of a traditionalcollege, Mosher saw achange in the students.As the average age ofstudents dropped tothe low 20s, studentmotivation changedas well. Mosher said,“Younger studentsweren’t as focused asthe people who cameback to school todemand for educationand to learn.” Mosherbelieves having a blendof ages is helpful becauseit allows studentsto play off one anotherand to build a learningenvironment.Dr. Rich Laidlaw,chemistry and mathematicsinstructor, wasalso hired in 1977 andagreed with Mosherthat students haveevolved since their firstdays on the job. Laidlawsaid, “Students noware less goal-oriented,and the older studentsrealize what they doand don’t want to doin life.”Laidlaw’s andMosher’s combined64 years on the joboffer insight into thebehaviors of students,instructors and administrators.Mosher becameexcited talking aboutthe mediums in whichtoday’s education isdistributed. He enjoysteaching in class traditionallybut said keepingup with technologyhas been one of hisfavorite aspects aboutteaching at LCCC.After teaching forfour decades, Mosherrecalled being impressedwith teachingthrough a telephonesystem. He said, “Wethought we wereuptown when teachingwith that.” Compressedvideo was the next bigstep for outreach education.“Now we havethe Internet,” Moshersaid.For Mosher, it hasbeen most satisfyingbeing with an institutionthat has grown upwith the community.Once limited, Cheyennenow is diverseand nearly twice thesize. “It has been greatto watch the collegegrow and be a part ofthe ups and downs,much like the challengeswe face now,”he said.With the <strong>issue</strong>sfacing LCCC today,Mosher urged facultyto step up. “It is importantfor the faculty roleto be to share differentperspectives withthe community,” headvised. “Diverseopinions and views willspark creativity.”So like many othermen who retire froma busy life’s work,Mosher can now spendhis time trying to catchthe big one on theSnake River.
12 Wi n g s pa n<strong>Wingspan</strong>opinion<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspanCo-EditorsChris ArnesonTiffany RazoEditorialKolby VerbeckOnline EditorTracey RosenlundDeputy Online EditorKristine JacksonManaging EditorCody BaileyCampus EditorJurri Saddler Jr.Co-News EditorJeff EatmonCo-News EditorCaitlyn BeleyFeatures EditorDominic BenintendeCo-A&E EditorWendi PorterCo-A&E EditorJeff FrerichDeputy A&E EditorStephon ParkerCo-Sports EditorNichole GradyCo-Sports EditorTravis ShermanPhotography EditorHouston WoodhouseGraphics/Layout EditorAdvisersRosalind SchliskeJ. O’BrienNationalPacemakerFinalistPhone: (307) 778-1304Fax: (307) 778-1177wingspan@lccc.wy.edu©2009<strong>Wingspan</strong> (ISSN 1093-2844) isa monthly newspaper for LaramieCounty Community Collegeand the community, writtenand edited by journalismstudents with contributionsfrom other students, collegefaculty and staff membersand community residents.The opinions expressed arethose of the authors and donot necessarily reflect theopinions of the staff, studentsor faculty of the college.<strong>Wingspan</strong> is a member of theAssociated Collegiate Press.It is printed by CheyenneNewspapers, Inc.Contributions Policy<strong>Wingspan</strong> welcomes lettersprovided they are not libelous,profane or otherwiseunprintable. Letters shouldbe typed, double-spaced,signed by the author andinclude a phone number forverification. A copy on disk ispreferred.<strong>Wingspan</strong> reservesthe right to edit all letterssubmitted because of availablespace or the reasonsstated above. Contributionsmade before Sept. 7 may besubmitted to:<strong>Wingspan</strong>Laramie County CommunityCollege1400 East College DriveCheyenne, Wyo. 82007My c o l l eg eta k e s m o r eLate last year,the WyomingCommunityCollege Commissionhad the power to raisetuition at all statecolleges—and it did—tobe effective in fall 2009.On April 15, theLaramie CountyCommunity Collegetrustees had the powerto add a new fee—andthey did it, too. In orderto finance a $7.1 millioncafeteria and residencehall remodeling, youwill see an increase of $8a credit hour in the fall.On <strong>May</strong> 20, the LCCCtrustees have the powerto increase the technologyfee—and they willprobably do that—byincreasing it from $10 to$14.50 a credit hour.But the worst may beyet to come.When is enough,enough? How much istoo much?On April 22, LCCC’spresident, with the authorizationof the LCCCtrustees, proposed atthe WCCC meetingto make students paytuition for every credithour they take, insteadof capping it at 12 credithours as is currentlydone.The chair of commissioners,AnnChambers-Noble, saidat the meeting the <strong>issue</strong>will not be discusseduntil the October WCCCmeeting. The WCCCmust continue caps ontuition for the 2009–10academic year, sostudents wouldn’t see araise until the 2010-11academic year.LCCC’s president,Dr. Darrel Hammon,said capping tuition at12 credit hours is unfairto both the teachersand the students and isdisadvantageous to thecollege’s financial situation.He also said mostcommunity colleges inthe nearby area don’tcap tuition.Chambers-Noblesaid she wanted to deferthe discussion because(1) the commissionneeded more information;(2) she was unsurewhether the studentsshould be held responsiblefor fixing thefinancial crisis; and (3)it is not the correct timeof year to alter tuition.Hammon said facultymembers at LCCCare paid to teach 30credit hours a year.Hammon toldChambers-Noble atthe April 22 meeting hehad asked his faculty ifthey would be willingto teach 15 credit hoursa semester, but be paidfor only 12. He said,“I did have one facultymember raise theirhand.”Hammon also said60 percent of studentsare enrolled part timeand, therefore, wouldnot be affected by thepossible raise in tuition,and the other 40 percentwould essentiallybe better off withoutcapped tuition rates.The president said:“Are we penalizingstudents who are taking24 credits [a semester]?<strong>May</strong>be. But I wouldsay, ‘How much are yougetting out of these 24credits?’”He said it is rare fora student to take somany credit hours anddo well. He added LCCChas quality faculty andthe college’s job is tomake sure students bethe best students theycan be.While some studentsmay be unableto handle more than 12credit hours a semester,the administrationshould remember LCCCis a two-year institution,and it takes more than12 credit hours a semesterto graduate withintwo years. In actuality,a student would needto take at least 16 credithours a semester tograduate in two years.While Hammon saidthis tuition hike couldpenalize students taking24 credit hours a semester,it penalizes anystudent intending toearn a two-year degreein two years.Hammon also saidthe tuition increasewould help the collegefinancially by raisingrevenue. He said ifstudents are taking 18credit hours a semester,but paying for only 12,“I still have expenses for18 credit hours.”Because 60 percentof the college’s billis paid by the state,taxpayers may not betoo happy that studentsare taking more credithours than they arepaying for, Hammonsaid.Although sometaxpayers may find thatunsettling, other taxpayers,especially LCCCalumni, understandthe college promoteshigher education and ahigher standard of livingin Laramie County.Making students payhigher tuition lowersthe accessibility of collegefor some.According toHammon, very fewcolleges in the RockyMountain statescap their tuition. Hesaid some have theirstudents pay for everycredit hour whileothers charge tuition“in windows,” i.e.different rates for 1–6credits; 7–12 and 13–16.Commission ChairChambers-Noble saidLCCC needs to remaincompetitive, and raisingtuition to match nearbycolleges may not be theway to do that.Chambers-Noblewas adamant that thedecision not be madenow for several reasons:(1) the commissionneeds information fromall seven communitycolleges, not just LCCC;(2) the required datawould be unavailableuntil at least July; and(3) tuition can be discussedonly once a yearin October.She also encouragedHammon to followthrough on his promiseto send questionnairesto students to collecttheir opinions on theproposed tuition hike.“If we are raisingtuition, and [LCCC is]raising fees as well, wemay be having an impacton our students,”she said. “We’re in arecession. So are they.”Chambers-Noblesaid she was unsurethat “making up ourmoney on the backs ofour students” was theright approach.Hammon said if tuitionwere raised and enrollmentin some classesdeclined, the same ruleswould continue to applyfor possible class cancellations.He said the classeswould still be carefullyresearched to seewhy enrollment wasdown and what couldbe done. Such cancellationscould have animpact upon opportunitiesfor communitymembers and localbusinesses and theiremployees.LCCC prides itselfon being a multifacetedinstitution. Studentsare encouraged to exploreand expand theirhorizons. Sometimesa student enrolls inan extra class becauseof a specific personalinterest or passion, i.e.physical education, art,choir, wind ensemble,computer applications,to name a few. Othertimes, a student enrollsto experience new challengesor a new area ofinterest.This removal ofthe tuition cap woulddiscourage that kind ofexperimentation.LCCC advertisesitself as “My college ismore.” We fear it haschanged to “My collegetakes more.”
<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspanopinionWi n g s pa n13Physical educationmakes final stretchmentally exhaustingco-editorChris ArnesonThis is the lastcolumn I willever write for<strong>Wingspan</strong>…weird.But even as Iracked my brain for atopic that would helpme end with a bang,I felt myself left witha single option—awarning, if I may:Please, for your ownpersonal sanity, thinktwice about taking the“Independent ExerciseProgram” (IEP) class.Yeah, I waited untilmy final semester toeditor’scommentarytake a P.E. class. AndI always thought I’dtry out something likeyoga or spinning…an activity at least toget me in better shapeand provide quality“me” time away fromthe office.However, at the lastminute I decided todive into IEP, mainlybecause I wanted tomake more use of theFitnessOne membershipI’d been neglectingsince high school.This was a class Ithought would be ableto raise my spirits,keep me in shapeand work aroundmy schedule—well,one-and-a-half out ofthree isn’t bad.But don’t jump toconclusions; my hatredfor this class hasnot stemmed from myteacher. She’s actuallypretty cool. I justsimply cannot standthe mundane writtenlab work that’s beenassigned for the classfrom our “Fit andWell” book.I had no idea of themental toll this bookwould take on me.More than anything,it feels as if this booklikes to tease meabout my so-calledimperfections.Each week, I overviewthe lab work andfind myself not evenwanting to attempthalf of it or, honestly,wanting to literallythrow up after seeingmy “results.”According to alab I did a few weeksago, I’m 30 poundsoverweight, and I’m10 pounds from beingconsidered obese.Yeah, that’s right.Have you seen me?I’m five-foot-eight. IfI lost 30 pounds, I’mpretty sure I’d lookas if I just emergedfrom a concentrationcamp.This is exactly whatthe guy who triedthrowing up after afew meals in highschool needs to hear.I’m glad I moved onfrom that.I don’t think theauthors of this bookrealize not everyone isan athlete—I do whatI can, but office jobsdo have their limits.Because of thisclass, I’ve been hittingthe gym twice aweek for an hour. It’sa requirement. Mostof the time I can getthere only after 9 p.m.,and I spend about anhour doing cardio andlifting weights. It getsme by, and I usuallyfeel pretty pumpedafter I’m finished.This part I actuallyenjoy. I meet up withfriends, and we prettymuch get to hangout…only while runningand being reallysweaty. This scheduleI’ve put myself into isthe only positive aspectI’ve gained fromthis class, aside fromreformed self-esteem<strong>issue</strong>s.Honestly, workingout at the gym wouldbe enough for me tofeel completely fulfilledwith this class—but then I rememberthe lab work from hell.I believe it’s beensent to torture me andremind me how I’llnever be as good asthe average athlete.Recently, a labworksheet askedme to document myrecent eating patterns,including calories,recommended dailypercent values—youknow, the basics you’dsee on the side of anybox of cereal.The trouble Isaw with this is noteverything I eatconveniently has allof this listed on it. Forexample, my job at<strong>Wingspan</strong> is a big factorin when and howI can eat. A lot of thetime, my first meal isa cup of coffee aroundnoon and whatever Ihave stashed in bulkby my desk for sustainment.Soon afterI’m able to make a runto the Filling Station(never making it therebefore the ridiculous1:30 p.m. closingtime of the hot foodstation) and grabbingsomething cold and/or calorie-filled so Ifeel as if I have somethingin me until I caneat real food for dinner.It’s aggravating.Now, I’m not makingexcuses for myself.I could definitelymake better decisions.I’ve done so in thepast. You should haveseen how my desk wasstocked a few monthsago—Healthy Choiceand Triscuits. I rocked.Recently, though,I just didn’t feel likewriting it all downso that a ludicrouslab worksheet couldremind me weeklyI could definitelydrop more than a fewpounds. I’ve heardthat enough. Can Iplease just work outat the gym and raisemy self-esteem a bitwithout these labscrushing everythingI’ve tried to build formyself?Sometimes I’ll justskip the lab work.Honestly, a slightlylower grade in thatclass just isn’t worthall the personal grief itgives me. And, shockingly,I feel OK aboutthat.I would just liketo graduate…and Ihate how it’s cometo my having to facethese demons just fora diploma. What doescalorie-counting andridiculing from a bookhave to do my massmedia degree, again?But, for now, I trynot to think aboutwhat these labs tellme. Obviously, thislifestyle improvementneeds to be a gradualprocess for me, orI’ll cave. I’m not surethe lab work caters tothat.So, if you’re also anaverage unathletic,overloaded collegestudent like me, takeheed of IEP…andmaybe take a yogaclass instead. It’ll saveyou more than a fewmigraines—and quitepossibly your selfesteem.Collegiate life directly affects personalityco-editorTiffany RazoWhile somepeople’scollegexperience was aboutquivalent to a giantouse party with a fewlasses tossed to theide, mine has beenretty much equivaentto a quiet night oftudying.Just recently, onne of my manyeditor’scommentaryrides back to LaramieCounty CommunityCollege from myNebraska hometown,I realized my freshmanyear of collegehas molded me intoanother person. AsI reflected on the‘08–09 academic year,it hit me I am the girlpeople made fun ofin high school. I amthe nerd who sits inher room and doeshomework insteadof going out with herfriends. I am the girlwho considers a tripto her brother’s anddoing laundry as funweekend. However,no matter how boringmy year seemed, Iwouldn’t take backmy coffee-filled latenights of studying, mysemi-dramatic longdistancerelationshipor my hours devotedto making <strong>Wingspan</strong>its best.Coming intocollege, I just knewwith my newfoundfreedom I wouldspend as little timeas possible doing myhomework and asmuch time as I couldhanging out with myfriends. I also was sureI was NOT going tobe one of those kidswho came home everyweekend—I was waytoo cool for that. Butthis year turned outexactly the opposite ofwhat I wanted, whichI am now sure was forthe best.My year startedoff about as goodas it could get—Ireceived the newsin late August that aprivate suite roomhad opened up in theResidence Hall. Ofcourse, I was delighted;I basically grew upas an only child, sosharing a room wouldhave probably beenpure drama. At thetime I thought havingmy own room wouldgive me the perfectopportunity to dowhat I wanted and Icould have anyoneover I wanted—I didnot stop to think itwould lead to myisolationism. Mycollege freshmannights in this roomhave been nothingmore than staying uplate and working onhomework, which isprobably more than Icould have ever askedfor. Instead of havinga roommate askingme to turn off the lightso she could go tosleep, I am free to bea rebel and study allnight long. I may notbe Harvard material,but I believe havingmy room has helpedme maintain mygrades at levels so thatmy parents can stillhang my report cardon the refrigerator.Another event Iseemed just to fall intowas becoming a coeditorof <strong>Wingspan</strong>.Although I cannotdeny it has more thanonce taken my stresslevel to a rip-outmy-hairpoint, it hasbecome my passion. Iwas editor of my highschool newspaper fortwo years, but it wasnot until coming toLCCC, I realized howmuch of a part of mylife it was. With spendingmore hours in the<strong>Wingspan</strong> newsroomthan any other placesince I have movedto Cheyenne, it hastruly become myhome-away-fromhome(with way morechores). But, yetagain, I have this tothank for helping mestay on my “A-game.”My parents, mybrother and his wifeand my boyfriendhave probably playedthe biggest hand inmaking my first yearin college play out theway it did. While theyare all completely different,they all seemedto play equal roles inkeeping me focused.See College,Page 15
14Wi n g s pa nopinion<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspanBroke lifestyle brings rich life lessonsco-a&e editorDown and out times lead to desperate measuresDominicBenintendeDear Editor:Recently, I wrote ane-mail to the LaramieCounty CommunityCollege communityasking for their feedbackon a positionstatement “opposingbullying, harassment,and hate crimes.” Theresponses I receivedwere quite diverse,yet, overall, supportivein nature.Toilet paperis a horriblesubstitute forcoffee filters and viceversa—but sometimesyou have to do what ittakes to get by.In recent months, Ihave used many productsin unusual waysand have made evenmore bizarre shorttermlife choices as Islipped into poverty.Actually, the bestpart of being brokeis observing how youadapt. I’m not doingextremely weird stuffyet, but I’m gettingclose.Recently, in mypursuits of food,money and happiness,I have:• Used dish soap towash my body;• Looked in the mycouch over andover because Ithought, “Hey,maybe, this timethere will bechange in there”;• Built a stage for anElton John concertthat I was not aleditor’scommentarylowed to watch;• Faked a problemwith a food orderto, in fact, get morefood;• Traded a beer for adry pair of socks;• Explained to mywife, very logically,why she doesn’tneed to become aprostitute;• Watched “Survivor”and saw the peopleon the show eatbetter than I hadthat day;• Reconsidered mywife becoming ahooker;• Lost $5 and almostcried;• Found $5 andalmost cried;• Applied for foodstamps;• Listened to a bluesband and said tomyself, “Theseguys know whatI’m going through”;• Been rejected forfood stamps;• Eaten more spaghettithan I wouldwish on my worstenemy.• Realized friendsare all you have;• Added family tothe list of all I have;• Made the decisionthat money doesn’tmatter to me anymore.I don’t know if itwere because of howhungry or stressed Iwas, but one day I justbecame really OK withbeing poor. It onlytook 24 years, y’all,but I did it.Like that Jaredguy from Subwaysaid, “I’m no longertoo big for my‘poor-ass’ britches,“Life had given me lemons,and I melted cheese onthem.”and I’ve never feltbetter.”About two weeksago, I looked inmy cupboard andrealized my wife andI would be on an allricediet for the nextfew days.Two days into our“rice-a-thon,” I wasreminded by NationalPublic Radio how villagesin Africa couldsurvive on what I hadin my cupboard formonths at a time.Sadly, this mademe smile. It knockedLetter to the editorme off my self-pitystallion and forced meto look at my situationobjectively.I can’t stand howcliché the logic was,but I was guilty ofbeing shown thelight by people lessfortunate than myself.Worse yet, I hadmelted cheese intorice the night before,which is as bad as itsounds.Dominic BenintendeCo-A&E EditorLife had given melemons, and I meltedcheese on them.I realized somestudents are supposedto be poor, and I’mgood at it, so why notembrace it?College seems likethe easiest thing in theworld now becauseI know I’m choosingto attend. This wasan unprecedenteddevelopment withinmy life.Before I still haddelusions I was in itfor a career or enoughmoney never to eatSpam again.If I really didn’twant to be as poor asI am anymore, I couldjust quit college andreturn to my dismalconstruction job.However, I’d take theknowledge I’m gettingnow over temporaryphysical comforts anyday, especially whenI wasn’t happy theneither.I’m happier whenI’m learning.For my tradingthe Shakespeare I’vedigested for steakdinners is like payingmoney to seeNickelback: it’s notworth it. Actually, mylife without highereducation was quitesimilar to Nickelback’smusic: boring, repetitiveand full of whining.A man whom Irespect told me theother day, “You haveto keep one foot in theacademic community,and the other in thefilthy world that surroundsit.”Because I haveplaced myself in theacademic community,I have found myselfmore interested in thedifferences betweenthe “filthy world”and that which existsin the college atmosphere.For me, my life as acollege journalist andmy life as a poor manwere combating eachother. I wasn’t seeingthe point in school.Life belongs to theperson living it, andI was not taking fullresponsibility of myown.By accepting whatwe like about ourselvesor situationsand changing what wedon’t, we can drive ourown lives. The roadisn’t always pleasantor guaranteed to bethere tomorrow, butthat doesn’t makewhat we do along theway futile.College isn’t foreverybody—nor isusing coffee filters astoilet paper, but happinessis somethingthat can be appreciatedand pursued byeveryone.Nickelback said,“We all just wannabe big rock stars/andlive in hilltop houses,drivin’ 15 cars.”I couldn’t disagreemore.Feedback request yields diverse results, supportI do appreciate thatwe live in a communitythat supports thekind of conversationmy e-mail generated;after all, this is the“free world,” and ifyou cannot exerciseyour right to expressan opinion, then theterm “free world”becomes rather aninteresting paradox,indeed.Thereafter, if thepublic begins to feelthey are losing their“voice,” then their societycould well spiralinto the “Orwellian”societies of novels Iread in high school.“Big Brother” iswatching you.As I said previously,the e-mail I wrotecreated a somewhatdiverse reaction fromour community. Letme address those whoseemed concernedwith my use of sucha “broad form ofcommunication” toexpress my ideas onthe topic of discrimination.I realize thereare subjects that areconsidered taboo,and perhaps we livein a culture that is notcompletely comfortablewith this <strong>issue</strong>.However, beyondcertain walls, there isanother culture thatpervades in this country,one that is builtupon the sweat andtears of all the immigrantsand aboriginalgroups of yester year.I belong to oneof these groups;therefore, I did feela strong inclinationto communicate mythoughts on this rathercontroversial topicof discrimination andhate. To those whowere concerned withmy e-mail, pleaselisten carefully withan open mind and anopen heart.I was raised in avery multiculturalclimate. Vancouver,Canada, is not onlya place of naturalbeauty but is alsoa place made evenmore beautiful by thevarious cultures wholive there. This couldeasily describe a typicalday in my hometownof Vancouver.See Letter, Page 15
<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspanopinion Wi n g s pa n 15‘This is your school, your voice, you must raise it’From Letter, Page 14On an early andhilly January mornng,I could enjoy aery long walk aroundhe seawall, whichncases one of theost beautiful parksn the province namedtanley Park. As I walkast roller-bladers, jogers,and bikers, I canake in one of my faoriteviews of the city,hich are the snowappedmountains onhe north shore.As I look toward thismage, I am remindedf the Winter Olympicsoon to be knockngon Canada’s Westoast door.From there, I canasily jaunt downtowno find a Starbucks onlmost every cornernd enjoy a mornngcup of joe withhatever tasty treathat catches my eye.erhaps that afteroon,I will meet ariend, and we canop a bus or catch thekytrain and head overo the historical districtCollege: Loved ones help with sanityFrom College, Page 13My parents gave me a placeto stay to get away and, like mostother parents, gave me somemuch needed confidence boostsat some low points. They alsowere there when I needed a littlespare cash (or sometimes a lot ofspare cash). As much as I deniedwhen I first moved to Cheyennethat I would come home and visitall the time, I always found littleexcuses to come home aboutevery other weekend. Needlessto say, a lot of items seemed to beleft behind and required at leasta few days and couple nights ofsleep in my comfy bed to find.My brother and his wifealways let me come over onweekends (that I didn’t venturehome) and do my laundry, stealsome snacks, vent about life’slittle dramas and play PlayStation3 until midnight. In other words,they provided my idea of a perfectweekend survival kit.of Gastown to enjoya two-for-one lunchat one of my favoriteIndian restaurants, orperhaps I would headto Richmond wheremy parents live andvisit what has becomeone of my favoritestores, Yaohan.There, we couldpick up a sushi roll orsticky rice, one of myhusband’s favorites,and then picnic atone of the local parksnearby. My husband’seyes lit up when wefirst walked throughthis store becausehe could find almostevery Asian condimentand vegetable on theplanet there.Mixed in with theproduce and freshlymade items are thewonderful smells ofa French patisseriereminiscent of my daysin Japan. I truly livedin the local bakeriesof Japan, and if I evergo to France, I wouldprobably buy one!After lunch, I mightlike to visit my almamater, Universityof British Columbia(UBC), to take aleisurely stroll throughthe Museum ofAnthropology, whichdisplays some of themost captivating artworkof the aboriginal(First Nations) peopleon Canada’s WestCoast.Finally, I wouldprobably end theday walking aroundhistorical Steveston inmy parents’ neighborhoodand watch thefishing boats nestlingquietly on the dockswhile devouring aplate of fish and chipswith a ginger beer atPajo’s, a local favorite.Mmmmmm…You may be wonderingwhat this travelcommentary is leadingtoward. This is theculture in which I wasraised, but it was notalways like this.When I think ofmy grandparentsor my parents andother relatives in theiryouth, I am remindedof a darker time inmy country’s history.Although my boyfriend is incompletely different categoryfrom parents and brother, hewas the last ingredient to what Iconsider my fairly successful yearat college. We had been datingabout a year when I came to college,and when I came to schoolin Cheyenne, we both decided itwas worth the drama, fighting andhigh phone bills to stay together.Luckily for both of us, we didn’tmind spending our nights in andtalking on the phone, even if itmeant his sitting silently listeningto me type my homework andencouraging me when I whinedI couldn’t do it anymore. I alsocannot deny he was a large reasonbehind my boring three-hourdrives and gas-guzzling car rideshome that kept me out of trouble.So while the nights in, tripsto Mom and Dad’s, weekends ofvideo games and high phone billskept me at the “nerd” status, Ihave them to thank for a fantasticfreshman year.When the Japanese-Canadians wereinterned and placedinto concentrationcamps, it was a turningpoint during a periodof unrest and fear.And, as a world, weall know that terriblethings happen duringwartime.However, my familyand relatives werecitizens of Canada, aswere the Japanese wholived in the UnitedStates. Despite this,they were forced torelocate and spendseveral years duringthe war in internmentcamps.In Canada, theywere forced to leavetheir homes, property,and almost everythingthey owned. Theycould take only whatthey could carry.Toward the endof the war, they weregiven an ultimatum.This ultimatum wasa government noticethat forced them tomake this decision:They could eitherreturn to Japan orrelocate east of theRocky Mountains.They could not returnto their homes on theWest Coast.For my parentsand other relativeswho were born andraised in Canada, itwould not have beeneasy to integrate intoa country they did notknow. For my familyand many others, theywanted to remain inCanada.When the warended, they relocatedto various cities andtowns east of theRockies. Eventually,after many years, theywere allowed to moveback to the West Coast.However, thegovernment neverreturned their homes,land, or possessions.The fishermen losttheir boats, and I couldremember an old blackand white newspaperphoto that has stayedin my memory of allthe fishing boats tiedtogether to be takenaway by the government.They lost everything.Why am I dredgingup something thathappened more than60 years ago? Normally,I would not discusssuch <strong>issue</strong>s. After all,the past is the past.However, thishistorical milestonedoes link strongly tothe e-mail I sent. Ifyou recall, there weresome individuals whoreacted with concernto the content and deliveryof my message.My message wasmeant only to implythat if anyone experiencesbullying orharassment, then he orshe should report it tosomeone and also seekcounseling for it.The society we livein today should nottolerate any forms ofdiscrimination.This is why I spokeof my grandparentsand my parents. Noone should have to feelthat kind of degradationand humiliationon any level, be itnational or educational.In other words,I do understand whatit is like to be discriminatedagainst. In mycase, I never really feltdifferent. There wasonly the rare incidentwhen a kid would callme “chink” (whichis technically wrongbecause this refers tothe Chinese race).However, my parentsheard differently.They heard the ongoingchants of “Japs gohome.” They lived in amuch different time,and I could neverimagine what theymust have felt.In Japanese culture,there is an expressioncalled “shigataganai,”which translatesliterally into “it can’t behelped.” This is whatmy grandparents andparents chanted asthey quietly acceptedtheir circumstancesand never spoke outabout the injusticesthey experienced. Itwas a different timeand a different culture.On the contrary,my generation calledthe “sansei” (third generation)in Japanesereacted differently tothose injustices. Theyfought for what wascalled “redress” inCanada.After many years ofprotest, the Japanesewho lived during thewar were given a formalapology from thegovernment and somefinancial compensationfor what they hadlost. I do not think itcould ever measure upto the emotional andfinancial toll they ultimatelysuffered, but forme, as a sansei, it didprovide the statementthat this “must neverhappen again.”In conclusion, wemust look at ourselvesand wonder whetherwe hold similarprejudices and fears.If people do not learnto tolerate differences,then their societiesmay well spiral into aGeorge Orwell novel,where they will live andbreathe in a controlled,dystopian culture of the21st century.The history of mygrandparents and parentshappened morethan 60 years ago, butI can see similar fearsare running still rampantin some places.If you ever feel anyinjustice, you muststep up and speak outfor what you believeis right. At an educationalinstitution, thisapplies to students,instructors, administrators,and staff.For example, whentuition fees were beingraised at my almamater in Vancouver,Canada, thousandsof students marchedonto the universitypresident and chancellor’soffice in protest.Some students evenchained themselves tothe president’s office.This is your schooland your voice. Youmust raise it if youwant to be heard. Inthe words of the famoussong during theAmerican civil rightsmovement, “We shallovercome someday.”The Vancouver,Canada, of today isnot the same as it waswhen my parents weregrowing up. In Canada,the word “mosaic” isoften heard to describethe character ofCanada’s culture. I likethis word. In countrieswhere there is extremediversity, cultural andlinguistic differencesshould be celebrated.This applies toevery level of society,including schools. Itruly hope my studentswill have a peaceful experiencehere whetherthat student is aSenegalese basketballplayer, an exchangestudent from China, oran Iraqi refugee.This is the “freeworld,” and a placethey should be able tocall “home.”If my mothercould hear me speaknow, she might say tome, “Dear daughter,silence is golden.” I dounderstand because Iknow the culture shewas raised in.However, I trustdeep inside her heart,she is thinking, “Yougo, girl!”Brenda MorizakiEnglish as a SecondLanguage (ESL)InstructorLCCCFor moreletters to the editor, see<strong>Wingspan</strong> Online atlccc.wy.edu/wingspan.
16Wi n g s pa nopinion<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspanDear Editor:Travis Ward, theLaramie CountyCommunity Collegevolleyball coach, isthe most negativepoint of the last fallsemester when wewere studying andliving in Cheyenne,Wyoming.We are internationalstudents fromBrazil, and we playedvolleyball for LCCC.Living in a differentcountry and having tolearn a new languageand a new way of lifewere already really difficult,and Travis madeit “a lot worse” for us.Travis made us crymore than a coupleof times because ofthe way he treated us.During the season, hewas really rude, mean,and he kept using thename of our countryand our language atpractices and games todiscourage us, and hedid it disrespectfully.Also, he used cursewords toward us andscreamed things like:“You are not in Brazilanymore, stop playingyour Brazilian volleyball!!!”or “Can youunderstand me or doI have to translate it toPortuguese for you?”He forbade us to talkin our language and/or stay at the sameroom in trips. In ourfirst tournament inIdaho, he also didn’tallow us to staytogether betweengames or to make thewarmup together.He didn’t give usopportunities to playand help the team asmuch as we could.Although, saying thatwe were between thebest girls on the team,he didn’t let us play.Also, he tried toput us against eachother, pressuringus to tell him whichone of us was betterplaying volleyball atcertain positions andrarely putting us toplay together at thesame time on thecourt.After the end ofthe season, I, Natalia,asked Travis to helpme to find a new collegebecause I am asophomore. However,he didn’t even giveus the videos of thegames that we neededto send to othercoaches. He told us togo ask the managerfor the home games,and those were theonly games that wehad access to.I, Natalia, hadto send e-mails tocoaches from schoolsthat we playedLetter to the editorInternational players critical of v-ball coachagainst, askingfor the DVD of thegame. I was reallydisappointed whenI watched the gamesbecause I didn’t havethe opportunity toplay to my full capability.Because of that,I didn’t have gamesthat were goodenough to show toa four year schoolcoaches. So, I hadto ask Dayane tohelp me to record anew video showingmy volleyball skills.We sent e-mails toschools all around thecountry.I, Natalia, sentmore than 130 e-mails, and I couldn’tunderstand why I wasnot having positiveanswers from thecoaches that I sentthe e-mails to, noteven ONE school.After a while, wefound out from oneof the coaches whocalled Travis to knowmore about us. Thecoach from the othercollege told me thatTravis didn’t say goodthings about me, andbefore this Travis hadtold me that he talkedto a lot of schools thatcalled him to knowmore about me.Then, I realizedwhy I was notreceiving positiveanswers from any ofthe coaches that I hadsent e-mails to.Also, the coachfrom the other collegetold me he had tocontact a coach froma team we playedagainst who, by theway, was the one whotold him how goodplayers we are.That made us reallyfrustrated and sadbecause a coach fromanother team was tryingto help us; however,our own coachdidn’t even try to helpus to get a scholarshipin a new college. Henot only didn’t helpus but he also made itmore difficult.Now, I have oneoffer from a collegein Texas, and Dayanehas signed with theUniversity of WestAlabama. I think thecoach from the collegein Texas didn’tcall Travis. That’s whythey are still offeringme the scholarshipthat I need to finishmy major and to getmy degree.I want to leavehere clear that I’mnot writing all thisin order to damageTravis’ image or anything.I just would liketo let what happenedand is still happeningbe known to thepeople who are ableto change that.We do not agreewith coaches thinkingthat they are doingus a favor as if we donot have any otheropportunities here orin our home country.Because of that, theythink they can dowhatever they want.So, we really thinkthe coaches should notbe permitted to bringinternational playerswithout being able toaccept their culture,their language, andtheir differences. Theyshould know howto communicate, torespect and to be responsiblewith playersfrom another country.Thanks for yourconsiderations,Natalia AssisDayane SouzaApril 8AssaultIn the Residenceall, two studentsere involved in ahysical altercation. Thearamie County Sheriff’separtment was called,nd the investigationas turned over to them.April 9Alcohol incidentTwo studentsere drinking in theesidence Hall; oneas underage. Thearamie County Sheriff’separtment was notifiednd <strong>issue</strong>d a citation forminor in possession.April 10Criminal mischiefA student walkingy purposely activatedan emergency call box;however, there was noemergency. The individualwas then explainedthe seriousness of theoffense.April 13Suicidal ideologyIn the InstructionalResource Center, a nonstudentindicated sheintended to harm herself.The Laramie CountySheriff’s Departmentwas called and assumedthe investigation.Criminal mischiefAn individual urinatedall over the WestResidence Hall elevator.April 14Medical assistA nonstudent contactedCampus Safetyand Security and saidhe needed help becausehe was unable walk. Hismother was contacted,and she took him home.Suicidal ideologyIn the CampusChristian Center, astudent stated shewanted to harm herself,and then she got into averbal altercation withanother student. TheLaramie County Sheriff’sDepartment was notified.This person hassince been barred fromcampus.Medical assistIn the cafeteria, awoman collapsed onthe floor. EmergencyMedical Services arrivedand determined she didnot have to be transportedto the hospital.Agency assistCampus Safety andSecurity was requestedby the Residence Hallcoordinator to assist insearching a student’sroom for medicinesthat could be used in asuicidal attempt.April 18Alcohol incidentCampus Safety andSecurity was contactedabout a student drinkingin the Residence Hall.The person becamebelligerent, and theLaramie County Sheriff’sDepartment was notified.The person wascited for a minor in possession.April 19Hit and runA student returningfrom a trip noticed theright side of her vehicle,parked in Lot D, hadbeen dented. Therewere no suspects. TheLaramie County Sheriff’sDepartment was notified.April 20Accident/propertydamageTwo vehicles collidednear the east entranceon the north loop road.There was very minimaldamage.April 22Accident/propertydamageIn the Residence Halleast parking lot, a residentreported someonestruck her vehicle. Shecontacted the individual,who refused toprovide insurance information;however, after adiscussion with CampusSafety and Security, sheagreed.April 22DisturbanceIn Lot B, an argumentoccurred between aformer couple. Five maleindividuals also wereinvolved, and they werecited for trespassing.April 23Suspected drugincidentCampus Safety andSecurity was contactedby member of theResidence Hall staffinvolving a suspiciousmarijuana-like odor—the officer couldn’t smellit.April 24Suspicious eventIn the HealthScience Building,Campus Safety andSecurity was notifiedthat someone got intothe files of the directorof nursing and removedinformation.April 24ThreatsCheyenne policenotified Campus Safetyand Security of a studentwho broke up with hisgirlfriend, texted herand left voicemails thathe wanted to shoot her,her friends and himself.The individual was noton campus at the time.Police contacted theindividual, and he saidhe didn’t want to shootanything.April 25AlcoholCampus Safety andSecurity was notified ofa person drinking in theResidence Hall. Uponquestioning, he producedwhat he was drinking, butbecause he was of age, thealcohol was just poureddown drain.Assist outsideagencyCampus Safety andSecurity was notifiedby a deputy that hebelieved a runaway wasbeing harbored in theResidence Hall. Theindividual was contactedand admitted the personwas in his room. Adeputy took the personinto protective custody.April 27Criminal mischiefIn the lowerEducational EnrichmentCenter, an individualurinated all over a restroom.
TheC atalystSpring 2009A student perspective of suicide in WyomingVernon HedrickWith a suicide occurring everyfour days in Wyoming (Stats,Page 2), more and more collegestudents are coping with the lossof someone they know or are connectedto in one way or another(Opinion story, Page 7). Thereasons for someone committingsuicide are hard to define (Causes,Page 6), and the effects are increasinglyprevalent in the growingnumber of loved ones left behind(Survivors, Page 4–5).The warning signs are not alwaysobvious (Signs, Page 3). However,help is available if you or someoneyou know is considering suicide(Solutions, Page 8).This edition of the Catalyst approachesthe <strong>issue</strong>s suicide bringsforth and more from the perspectiveof Wyoming’s young adults.and its effects on Wyoming youth
2 TheCatalystSpring 2009WyomingStatsLargest group of peoplein Wyoming to completesuicide attemptsNumber of peoplein Wyoming whodied by suicide in 2006Ratio between malesand females whocomplete suicideattemptsAmount of growthin youth suicidesince the 1950sWhite males78%PercentageWyoming residents72NumberMales : FemalesYouth suicide4:1Ratio3xTripleYouth suicide rate triplesBy HoustonWoodhouseLaramie County Community CollegeDid you know a suicideoccurs every four days inWyoming?In fact, the state doeshave a suicide <strong>issue</strong>, accordingto Keith Hotle. J.D.,MPA, suicide preventionteam leader at the WyomingDepartment of Health.Although the suicide rate hasleveled out for adults sincethe 1950s, for students incollege and youth, suicidehas tripled since 1950.Hotle said he believedthis increasing area was becauseof the changing stressesfor youth. Pressures to “excel,do well and go to college” arewhat Hotle believes to be bigstress-playing factors.“Young adults don’talways have the coping skillsto deal with stress,” saidHotle, who said he believedage does play a large role insuicide.Statistics show age, race,illness and depression allScholarshipYeoman’s memorial commemorates lifeBy KristineJacksonLaramie County Community CollegeThe Laramie CountyCommunity College women’ssoccer team is helping tosponsor a fundraiser in supportof the Fontaine YeomanMemorial Scholarship onSaturday, June 6.Yeoman, 21, who was onthe LCCC women’s soccerteam, died Nov. 14, 2008,in Montana, where she wasattending college.The Yeoman familyestablished the scholarship inmemory of their daughter inresponse to friends and familywho wanted to make donationsin her name.Family members saidYeoman was very passionateabout helping those lessfortunate so a memorialscholarship is an appropriateway to allow her to continueto do so.to be factors in Wyomingsuicides. Statistics are oftenthe best way to show impactsand causes for future prevention.Figuring out how toprevent and to lower suiciderates are the overall goal ofHotle and the WyomingDepartment of Health.Suicides amongAmerican youth are scaryfor some to think about, butthe truth is suicide’s impacton youth is astronomical.Suicide is the second leadingcause of death for people17 to 24. The only cause ofdeath greater for the sameage range is automobileaccidents.Hotle said for collegestudents, suicide plays a rolein everyday life.Leading links to suicideare mental illness and drugs.Some 60 to 90 percent ofsuicides are linked to theseand are often the most difficultto deal with in Wyoming.Prior suicide attemptsare also a big risk factorsfor young adults to actuallycomplete the process.The goal of the fundraiserfrom 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in thenorth section of the LCCCP.E. Building is to raise$15,000 for the scholarshipthrough the LCCC Foundation.All funds raised overthe amount of $2,500 willbe matched by the state ofWyoming.Lunch tickets will besold at the fundraiser for $5 aperson or two tickets for $8.Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas,of Conifer, Colo., a clinicalpsychologist, mental healthadvocate, and survivor of herbrother’s suicide, will be theguest speaker. Spencer-Thomasalso speaks for CAMPU-SPEAK and conducts QPRSuicide Prevention GatekeeperTraining and keynoteson mental health promotionand suicide prevention allover the world.An auction of items fromthe Cheyenne community, abake sale and other activitieswill be available.Depression, which alsofalls under this category, isbelieved to be a high-riskfactor for suicide by Hotle.Depression and other illnessesare not linked to anyone sex, but how each dealswith it can differ.People often wonderwho really completessuicide: more males orfemales? In Wyoming, 78percent of suicide victimsin the last seven years werewhite males. That meansfour males die from suicideto every one suicide death ofa female. Hotle said hopelessnessand loss are majorfactors for young adults, andmales often have a differentoutlook on dealing withtheir <strong>issue</strong>s. DWI, parentaldivorce or breakups canoften be events that malesstruggle to deal with whenyoung.Although men maycomplete suicide attemptsmore than females, womenattempt suicide more oftenthan men. Females attemptsuicide 3:1 times to males.CourtesyFontaine YeomanFemales often cope withdifferent stresses and depression.Factors such as race alsoplay an important role inreporting Wyoming suicidestatistics. With a heavilypopulated state of NativeAmericans, race becomes animportant factor. Accordingto Living Works, NativeAmerican suicides are higherthan non-Native Americanpeople in Wyoming.Wyoming relies heavilyon statistics to predict thefuture and prevent suicides,but because Wyoming has somany rural areas, statistics areoften skewed. It is believedby Living Works and KeithHotle that suicides may beunder reported in rural areasby as much as 300 percent.This does play a big role inreporting statistics every year,Hotle said, and can makeunderstanding the numbersdifficult. With roughly500,000 people living inWyoming one miscalculatedsuicide can vastly increase ordecrease percentages.CourtesySally Spencer-ThomasFontaine YeomanMemorial ScholarshipDonations can be made at:First Interstate Bank4612 Rue TerreCheyenne, WY 82009• The Fontaine Yeoman Scholarship FundReference account #7850001038,Laramie County Community College Foundation1400 E. College DriveCheyenne, WY 82007• Indicate on the gift that you would like to give tothe Fontaine Yeoman Memorial Scholarship.If you would like to help with the logisticsof the fundraiser, contact Shelly Lovato at632-5250, 214-2035 or lovato007@q.com.
Spring 2009TheCatalyst3Thewarningsigns:Vernon HedrickOfficialssay signalsof suicideshould betakenseriouslyBy KristineJacksonLaramie County Community CollegeIn tough times, somepeople won’t consciously tellsomeone else they are feelingsuicidal. So how do you knowif a person is feeling suicidaland what can you do to helphim?There are no easy answersto these questions, but professionalsare willing to helpanswer them.Dr. John Sanford, a psychologyinstructor at LaramieCounty Community Collegeand self-proclaimed suicidologist,has been studying suicidefor more than 40 years andoffers a brief lecture to anyoneand everyone willing to sit stilllong enough to hear it.He said suicide is notan aberrant behavior, but a“If you feel your friendor family membermay be feeling suicidal,steps can be taken.”dangerous coping mechanismpeople use when thepain is too great for them totolerate—generally, peopledon’t want to die; they justwant the pain to stop.Lots of signals exist that aperson may be feeling suicidal.Sanford said although none ofthese clues should be viewedas an absolute signal the personwill commit suicide, theyshould all be taken seriously.He said many suicidalpeople will give some kind ofverbal clues they are feelingthat way. Fifteen percent willwrite it down rather than sayingit aloud.Kristin Douglas, a counselorat LCCC, added somewill speak indirectly aboutpossibly killing themselves.While that may seem an obvioussign of suicidal thoughts,many people don’t take themas seriously as they should,Sanford said.Sanford said someother clues a person may beconsidering suicide are asfollows:• Substance abusebecomes more prominent.• Signs of depressionare showed orsuddenly the personceases to be depressed• Any radical change inbehavior is noted suchas suddenly losingor finding religionor a messy personsuddenly becoming aclean freak.• Loose ends are tiedup such as repayingloans, writing wills orsaying goodbye.Douglas added some tothose:• Prized possessions aregiven away becausethey are no longerneeded or a personclings to these possessionsto retain somesense of normalcy.• Complaints abouthealth <strong>issue</strong>s arefrequent.• Concentrating is difficult.• Excessive guilt, shameor humiliation isexpressed.• A person perceivesoneself as a failure.• A change in sleepingpatterns is noted.• A change in eatingpatterns is noted.• Actions are impulsiveor reckless.• Any major crisis oradjustment in lifesuch as moving, lossof job, etc. takesplace.• Suicide has beenattempted before.• Family members orfriends have committedsuicide.Sanford said any of thesecould qualify a person asa suicide risk, but none iscertain. He said just becauseone person says he feels depresseddoes not make him asuicide risk, but, on the otherhand, another person may beannouncing he feels suicidalsimply by stating, “Life reallysucks.”Often times, people whoknow the person must be theones to make a judgment callbased on how well they knowthe person and that person’sbehavior.If you feel your friend offamily member may be feelingsuicidal, steps can be taken.Both Sanford and Douglasagreed the main one is to tellsomeone else.Sanford said the friendshould try to talk to theperson and “don’t be afraidto use the ‘S-word.’” If youfear talking, don’t hesitate totell someone else—anotherfriend, family member, ateacher, counselor or even apolice officer. Sanford saidhe is more than happy to callpeople and tell them, “Hi,you don’t know me, but yourson or daughter…” just tomake sure the person willbe OK.He said that sometimesif you tell someone you thinkyour friend is suicidal, thatfriend may be angry with you,but he added it’s better to havean angry friend who is stillalive than a dead friend.Douglas added if youchoose to talk to the friend,share resources with him orher, such as ulifeline.com, orthe counseling center on theLCCC Web site. You shouldalso help the person call asuicide hotline.She said if it’s necessary,don’t hesitate to take the personto the hospital or call 911.Sanford emphasized neverattempting a “suicide watch”because you cannot stay withyour friend forever. Insteadyou must contact someonewho can.
4 TheCatalystSpring 20095By VernonHedrickLaramie County Community CollegeIt’s been almost fiveyears since Heather Hayes’husband, Mark, swallowed a90-day prescription’s worthof anti-depressants andended his own life—butHeather still wears her weddingring.“In my mind I’m still married,”she said. “I don’t date;I still talk about him likehe’s still around. I still carryhis memory with me.”Hayes is far from alone. TheAmerican Association ofSuicidology estimates thatevery suicide leaves behindan average of six survivors.With about 32,000 suicideseach year in the UnitedStates, approximately 1 millionAmericans have becomesuicide survivors in the lastfive years alone.You may know some ofthem. You may work withone, live next to one. Youmight speak to a suicidesurvivor every day and nevercatch a glimpse of the secretemotional cargo he carrieswith him.If you’re a suicide survivoryourself, however, youknow all about it.“I can remember, right afterit happened, thinking: ‘Ok,this is a dream. I’m goingto wake up,’” Hayes said.“I really did believe that forawhile, that I was going towake up, and it was going tobe ok. It took another threeyears before I felt like I wasalive again, not standingon the outside of my lifelooking in.”Sally Spencer-Thomashad been a psychologist foralmost 15 years before herbrother, Carson J. Spencer,committed suicide. Herbrother died a couple ofweeks before the devastatingAsian tsunami in 2004, andSpencer-Thomas couldn’thelp but compare the effectsof her brother’s death onher family to that naturaldisaster.“At first the feelingis very much like that ofdrowning,” she said. “Thenyou come up, and you lookaround and the landscape iscompletely different.”Like Heather Hayes,Spencer-Thomas rememberedthe pain anddisorientation that followed.She lost her sense of time,couldn’t eat or sleep. Sheremembered “lots and lots”of crying. “I remember theworld seemed like a very unsafeplace,” she said. “It wasa very frightening time.”People often don’tknow how to deal withdeath anyway, she said, butsuicide adds an extra layerof complexity. In additionto the expected feelingsof loss and grief, suicideoften introduces other, lesspredictable, conflicting emotionsincluding confusion,guilt and anger.“It doesn’t feel right tobe angry with them, butanger is a very commonresponse,” Spencer-Thomassaid. “Anger is what it is,and it’s there for a reason.People often want to suppressit, but it doesn’t goaway that easily.”Spencer-Thomas saidfeelings of guilt are alsocommon. Survivors oftenask themselves, “Why didthey go instead of me?” or“If I had done somethingdifferently, I could havesaved them.”This, she said, is especiallytrue of parents whohave lost children to suicide.“It’s our world view thatchildren shouldn’t die beforetheir parents,” she noted.It’s only been fivemonths since KelseyAltenbern hung herself inthe Laramie County CommunityCollege ResidenceHall. Her father, MartyAltenbern, is still askinghimself questions that startwith ‘What if…’“I wish we’d done a millionthings differently,” hesaid. “We can beat ourselvesup all day about that.”Altenbern said being aparent means thinking youcan solve your children’sproblems. “We’ll get thatsplinter out, and you’ll beok. The hardest part is realizingthat we didn’t do that.For some reason my wifeand I weren’t able to removethat splinter from Kelsey,and that hurts, and it’s hardto understand how to getthrough that.”For now, Altenbern iscoping with the death of hisdaughter by staying busy.He has been working ona Web site in her memory(www.kelseyannaltenbern.org), and he and Kelsey’smother are establishing ascholarship in her name.Attempts to become involvedand turn tragedy intosomething more meaningfulcan be a powerfully positiveway to cope, said Spencer-Thomas, whose family establishedthe Carson J. SpencerFoundation to raise moneyfor suicide prevention andsurvivor support.Talking helps, too,Spencer-Thomas said.“People feel like they’realone. It’s nothing peoplehave prepared themselvesfor emotionally.” Though notwo suicides are the same,she said it helps to connectto other families who havegone through a similar loss.“Sometimes, survivors ofsuicide feel like they are theonly ones who have dealtwith this kind of death, andthey don’t know who toreach out to,” she said.Suicide survivor supportgroups exist in most,cities and many on-linegroups are available to thosein rural areas. Many canbe found through www.suicidology.org.Heather Hayes foundan informal support groupin her co-workers—all ofthem, she found out, werealso suicide survivors.Sally Spencer-Thomasstressed the importance ofsurrounding one’s self withsupportive people.“Even when you workthrough all of that—through therapy or supportgroups or on your own—survivors are always leftwith a kind of existentialache,” Spencer-Thomassaid. “The ‘Why’ nevergoes away.”It does, however, becomeeasier to bear with time.Marty Altenbern knowsthis even if his eyes tearup when he talks about it.“We’re looking forward tothe day when we can bejoyful about Kelsey’s lifeand celebrate the 18-anda-halfyears we had and bethankful we had her for thatmuch time, instead of beingsad that she’s gone,” he said.“Right now it’s hard—it’sstill too fresh, and thewound is open.”For Heather Hayes thewound is closed, but thescar remains. “Today I canhonestly say that I’m ok,but ther was a long timewhen I thought I neverwould be,” she said. “Now Itend to take joy in the smallthings—I can find happinessin almost anything.But it’s a process. Peoplesay, ‘You need to quit grieving;you need to get over it.’But that doesn’t happen—we’ll never get over it. Itjust becomes less of a shock.You get more used to it, butit’s always there.”Dominic Benintende“At first the feeling is very much likethat of drowning. Then you come up, and you lookaround and the landscape is completely different.”Sally Spencer-Thomas: suicide survivor
6 TheCatalystSpring 2009Suicide is hard to put a face onExpertdispelsmythsof whocommitssuicideHouston WoodhouseBy TiffanyRazoLaramie County Community CollegeAsked to picture ayoung person at risk ofcommitting suicide, somemight visualize a teen withan “out-there” style andfingernails painted blackwho has filled his life withdepressing lyrics and darkwalls. However, very often,that is not the case.Keith Hotle, suicideprevention team leader of theWyoming Department ofHealth, said although somepeople assume teens andyoung adults are the oneswho most often end theirown lives, this age groupdoes not have the most casesof suicide—the elderly, whitemale category does. Headded the reason people mayassume younger people aremore likely to commit suicidecould be due to the factit is the second-leading causeof death for people 10–24.Although young peoplemay not be at the highestrisk of suicide, triggers canstill cause a suicide in this agegroup. He said that very oftenyoung people, who haveemotional <strong>issue</strong>s and moreof the factors that aggravatethem (such as breakups,bullying and acceptance ofsexual orientation) the moreat risk they are of committingsuicide.Hotle added that eventhough young age groups donot currently have the highestsuicide rates, suicides inyouths have tripled since the1950s, whereas adult suiciderates seemed to level out.While contributing factors ofsuicide for teens and youngadults are similar to anyother age group, a variety ofseparate reasons seems to bemore recognized as potentialcauses.Oftentimes, deeper<strong>issue</strong>s were ruled as the causeof many suicides. Hotlesaid around 60-90 percentof people who committedsuicide had been diagnosedwith a mental illness or hadsubstance abuse problems.Hotle added that, althoughthat statistic is attributed tosuicides in general, for youngpeople that may not be thecase. “Many young peoplemay just not have the copingskills—not necessarily amental illness,” he said.Another potential causeof suicide, Hotle said, is rarer—butit has happened—the “copycat” effect. He said,in that case, it usually camedown to pacts or a suicidecaused another suicide(having been the triggeringevent). If someone had a loton his plate aggravating himand didn‘t have the copingskills and a friend or lovedone committed suicide, itmight have been just enoughto push him also to do it.Not only might thesuicide of someone havebeen an influence to end hisown life but also his geneticmakeup may have had aninfluence. Hotle said researchsuggests a genetic link tosuicide—even to familymembers who have nevermet. He said this connectionprobably had to do with therelation of depression andgenetics.One possible factor insuicide, Hotle said, althoughhe had no research to proveit, was the small-town suicide<strong>issue</strong>. Wyoming--a state fullof small towns--has alwayshad a high rate of suicides.Hotle said he thought it wasmore difficult for a personto go into a psychologist’soffice to work out <strong>issue</strong>sthe person may have had.“Suicide is treated how AIDSwas 20 years ago,” he said.People from smaller townsare more likely to walk intoa doctor’s office and ask fora prescription rather thango to therapy to seek help(probably to protect theirreputation), Hotle added.With the fear to seekhelp and so many possibletriggers of suicide, Hotle saidit is hard to determine whois at risk; however, a formulacan be used to identify thepeople most at risk. “Hopelessnessand loss,” he said,“those are two of the generalthings you can put togetherto detect people at risk ofsuicide.”To help the peopleconcluded to be at risk ofcommitting suicide, Hotlesaid the best treatment is acombination of medicationand therapy. However, ifprofessionals are workingwith a teen or young adultwho they feel may have justa coping <strong>issue</strong>, they work onbuilding better coping skills,he said. But no matter thecause or treatment of peopleat risk of committing suicide,it should be taken seriously,and treatment should besought.So while suicides ofyoung age groups may be an<strong>issue</strong> some would like to justsweep under the rug, withincreasing rates and a largenumber of potential causes,awareness and help havebeen called to action.Youth suicidefact or fiction?True or False1) Suicide is the secondleading cause of deathfor school-aged youth?True or False2) One-fifth of allsuicides in Wyoming areamong youth?True or False3) Wyoming’s suiciderate among youth age15–24 is double thenational rate?Answer key:1) True2) True3) True
Spring 2009TheCatalystOpinion7Drug death classified accidentCoroner makes the tough decisionsBy DominicBenintendeLaramie County Community CollegeThough dyingis annevitable partf human exisence,it can beroubling to seeomeone chooseeath over life—r sobriety.In 2005 my friend Dylan,who was addicted to drugsfor a large portion of his life,told me he would die witha needle in his arm—he didjust that in February of thisyear.As it stands, deathscaused by overdose ofillicit substances such asstreet drugs are classifiedby Wyoming coroners asaccidental deaths unlessthere is evidence of intent.This means that unless theindividual took the drugwith the intention of killinghimself, the manner of hisdeath will be classified as accidentaland not suicide.Laramie CountyCoroner Martin Luna said,“Most drug users are pushingfor that first time theygot high and keep uppingthe amount they do toachieve that feeling.”My friend began injectingmethamphetamines intovarious parts of his bodyseveral years before he waseven old enough to drive.He lived long enough to inspiremany of his peers, butdied in his early 20s from aheroin overdose inside of atruck just outside of Denver.Luna’s duty as coroner isto determine the cause andmanner of death in casesthat require investigation,which is approximately 25to 30 percent of the deathsthat occur in Laramie County.Of the deaths that Lunainvestigates approximately64 percent are male.Luna’s data for 2007showed that males “are morelikely to commit suicide, bea homicide victim, die as aresult of drug overdose ordue to vehicular wrecks thanfemales.”The phrase “If I wasgoing to kill myself, I wouldjust blast a gram into myarm and be done with it”loops over and over withinmy mind now that Dylanis dead. I thought he wasspeaking hypothetically atthe time, but now I questionjust how accidental hisdeath was.My friend told me morethan once how addictedhe was, but he expressedacceptance not fear of thelife he led.“I’m going to die high,”Dylan said as I probed himabout his addiction as Ioften did in 2005.Even though he calledit like a batter who pointsto the area of the stadiumhe will hit the ball, I still“I make sure there is nodoubt whatsoever before Iclassify someone’s death.”Martin Luna-Laramie County Coronerthought another friend wasjoking when he called inMarch and said, “Dylan isdead.”In 2007, the LaramieCounty office of the coronerprocessed 14 suicides, anumber Luna said remainssteady year to year. In thesame year 26 accidents thatresulted in deaths were processedby the same office, anundetermined percentage ofthese were drug related.Luna and other coronerswithin Wyoming are theones who must make thecall whether a death is asuicide or an accidental one.“It’s tough—it really is,”Luna said as he explainedthe process of determiningthe manner of one’s death.“I use the 51 percentrule,” Luna said. “If 51percent of the evidencetells me it was a suicide [orany of the other classifications],then I will make thatclassification. If I have togo one way or the other, Iwill classify [the death] asundetermined.”Luna said the mannerof death can be classified asonly one of the following:• Natural.• Accidental.• Suicide.• Homicide.• Undetermined.“I make sure there is nodoubt whatsoever before Iclassify someone’s death,”Luna said.Less than 1 percent ofthe 225 cases he processed in2007 were given an undeterminedclassification.Luna said in these caseshe is usually able to determinethe cause of death, but notthe manner.This means he may knowa person’s death was caused byan illicit substance, but withoutevidence such as a note,previous attempts of suicide,or items of interest withinthe individual’s personal lifethat point toward suicide hecannot classify the manner ofdeath as a suicide.According to Luna,“Cause of death refers to theactual event that precipitatedthe death…, while the mannerof death refers to whatprecipitated the event.”“It boils down to intent.Suicide is a distinct intentionalact,” Luna said. “Almostalways there is an indicatorVernon Hedrickthere that says the case wasaccidental or a suicide. It isalso very rare for people to useillicit drugs for suicide.”In the case of my friendI can honestly say he was oneof the happiest people I haveever known. He left no note,or indicator he meant to killhimself that day. As far as anyof his friends or family knowshe was doing what he alwaysdid: getting high.The coroner whoprocessed Dylan’s deathclassified the manner asaccidental because of the lackof evidence pointing towardsuicide. Without the desire todie Dylan became a statisticfor accidental deaths in theDenver area even though heknew the risks of injectingstreet drugs into his body.So I ask the following:Did my friend kill himselfwith drugs, or did drugs killmy friend?I guess I’ll never know,so I’ll just focus on what I doknow: He was a good manwho will be greatly missed.Rest in peace, my friend.
8 TheCatalystSpring 2009Steps may prevent suicideBy CaitlynBeleyLaramie County Community CollegeIt’s kind of like whensomeone has somethingin his teeth—everyone knows it’s there,but no one says anything toprevent embarrassment or anawkward moment.The same can be saidwhen talking about suicide.It is like an elephant in theroom—no one wants to talkTheC atalystA student pabout suicide, but everyoneknows it’s there.Perhaps walking oneggshells can account forWyoming ranking amongthe highest in the UnitedStates for suicide everyyear—which is why theWyoming Department ofHealth created a SuicidePrevention Task Force. Thetask force recognized theproblem and created proactivesolutions.Regardless of taskforces, suicide hotlines andEditor: Dominic BenintendeContributions:Laramie County Community CollegeCaitlyn BeleyVernon HedrickKristine JacksonTiffany RazoHouston WoodhouseFor questions or comments:Phone: (307) 778-1304Fax: (307) 778-1117E-mail: wingspan@lccc.wy.edu© 2009The Catalyst is a special sectionpullout for collegiate newspapers inWyoming. This is the fourth Catalyst,which is written and edited collaborativelyby Wyoming journalism students.This year’s edition was spearheaded bystudents from Laramie County CommunityCollege.The layout was done by members ofLCCC’s student newspaper <strong>Wingspan</strong>.The opinions expressed are those ofthe authors and do not necessarilyreflect the opinions of the staff,students or faculty of Wyoming communitycolleges.counseling—suicidal peoplemust first realize a problemexists and must be able torecognize the differencebetween depression and a“funk.”According to RogerRapp, the coordinator ofthe Laramie County SuicidePrevention Coalition, thereis a certain stigma that goesalong with the subject, andthe coalition is there to breakthe silence.Rapp became involvedwith the task force after experiencingthe painful suicide ofa former classmate, who happenedto be the son of a manwho had taken his own life.A retired Lutheran minister,Rapp is now working to bustmyths of suicide and raiseawareness to educate peopleand, most importantly, helpthem understand death is notthe only way out.Just like any otherrecovery program, admittingthe problem is the first stepto recovery. Depression isno different than a diabeticwho must take their insulin;it’s an illness that requirestreatment. The task force suggesteddoing the followingif someone is experiencingsuicidal thoughts:• Take suicide threatsseriously and takeimmediate action;• Be aware of warningNational Hopeline Network1-800-784-2433RivertonCentral Wyoming College(307) 855-2175LaramieUniversity of Wyoming(307) 766-2186 counseling(307) 766-2149 Psychology Dept. ClinicPowellNorthwest College(307) 754-6159 counseling(307) 755-6067 counselingSheridanSheridan College(307) 674-6446Ext 2008 orExt 2301signs and factors (Seerelated story. pg. 3);• Be calm, not judgmental;talk directlyabout suicide;• Speak with care andcompassion;• Encourage theperson to share hisfeelings;• Never leave a suicidalperson alone; call911 or take theperson to a hospitalor a mental healthprofessional;• Encourage him tovoluntarily give uppotentially harmfulitems;National HelpLocal Help• Contact a reliablefamily member orclose friend of theperson;• Follow up to makesure the person isreceiving help;• Use nonthreateningstatements such as“You are not alone;let me help you.”Society and religion havegiven suicide a bad rap tothis sensitive <strong>issue</strong>, makingindividuals feel inferior forfeeling this way, embarrassedand alone.If you are feelinghopeless, helpless, restless,uninterested and/or havefallen prey to drug or alcoholabuse—you may be oneof many suffering from amental illness.The most important step totake is talk:Talk to a parent, adult,school counselor, socialworker, school nurse, mentalhealth therapist, familyphysician, minister, sheriffor local police. You can evencall 911.There are also nationalcrisis hotlines suchas 1–800–273–TALK(1–800–273–8255,or 1–800–SUICIDE(1–800–784–2433).National Suicide Prevention Lifeline1-800-273-TALKTorringtonEastern Wyoming College(307) 532-8238CheyenneLaramie County Community College(307) 777-1214 counseling(307) 630-0645 securityCasperCasper College(307) 268-2366 counseling(307) 268-2688 security...or you can always call911
<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspanfeaturesWi n g s pa n17Site starts fresh but lags behindThe userriendlyservice,tarted in 2006,akes life’s littlepdates easiero pass around;owever, certainompetitorsake this serviceeel like ahortcoming.By TravisShermanPhotography EditorKeeping everyoneyou knowupdated aboutdaily events can beas easy as picking upyour phone and pushinga few keys, butthe Internet makes iteasier with Twitter.In 2006, Twitterwas started in 2006as a side-project forpeople around theoffice to communicateshort blurbsabout their day butsoon became anInternet phenomenonafter it becamea public entity.Twitter allowsyou to set up a smallprofile, find peopleand record 140 characterupdates to yourprofile, and deliver towhoever is subscribedto your “tweets.”You have the optionto customizeyour profile as well,with a backgroundsuiting your personality,as well as finetuningthe web siteto your liking.Twitter’s maingoal is to make yourcomments simple,yet elegant, and allowsyou to expressyour mood in text,pictures and links towhatever else makesyou, well, you!Signing up for theservice is free, andfinding your favoritecelebrities and bestfriends on Twitter iseasy as well, so don’tworry about thehassle of having toknow all their informationwhen findingthem.Businesses andeven some charitableorganizationsare starting to maketheir way ontoTwitter, promotinga new product or anew cause to fightfor. Plus, Twitter hasannounced a wayfor your business tomake money usingits service, but nodate has been announcedon whenthis will be implemented.Something aboutTwitter bugs me,though. It has a servicethat allows youto create short blurbsand updates abouteveryday life, yet twoof the most popularsocial networkingsites on the Internetuse the same kind ofstructure that Twitteruses. I’m, of course,talking about Facebookand MySpace.To get the fulleffectiveness fromTwitter, you needsubscribers, orsimply put, peoplewatching yourupdates to see whatyou say about yourself.With MySpaceand Facebook, youhave your friend listalready established,and with their updateservices, youcan tell everyonewhat you’re thinkingabout right nowand, with MySpace,you can update yourmood, too.Twitter started offwith a fantastic idea,but when it camedown to it, MySpaceand Facebook werealready runningat full steam whenthey started, so it’sno surprise that thesocial networkingservices borrowedthe concept of updates.If you would liketo check out Twitter,feel free to. Itis a great way toexpress yourself in140 characters, andyou can track yourfavorite people andcelebrities, whereverthey are. But, if youalready have a Myspaceor Facebook account,don’t botherwith Twitter, becauseyou already haveyour own audience,and you can updateto them.
18Wi n g s pa nNew classesto offer moreopportunitiesfor studentsSummer classes addedBy Jeff FrerichDeputy A&E Editorew classes arealways beingadded to helpake the Laramieounty Communityollege campus aore educationallace. Some of nextemester’s new classesre in the fire sciencerogram, and othersay be added in theedical field.When the summeromes, students whore working towardecoming a firefighteray take summerlasses.The three classesill be offered in thevenings, and theynclude “Principles ofmergency Services,”Fire Protectionydraulics andater Supply” andFire Behavior andombustion.” Thelasses will be taughty Cheyenne cityrefighters.Students enrolledn the fire sciencerogram can earn awo-year degree ande prepared to go outnto the world andork for fire departentsnationwide.Adding theselasses to the fire scinceprogram helpstudents with theirraduation requireents.According toat Currie, programanager/emergencyervices, these classesre also one step toarda bigger goal ofaving a fire academyn the campus nextummer.The staff of the firecience program isalso waiting for a newlab where they canput their equipmentand conduct theirtraining. Currie said,“The fire science programis a lot of fun.”Also, pendingWyoming CommunityCollege Commissionapproval, new medicaltechnician classeswill be added to thehealth science area. Ifthis program is added,it will start in January2010. Adding theseclasses will require anew instructor, whichis why commissionapproval is required.campus newsBy KolbyVerbeckOnline EditorThe LaramieCountyCommunityCollege speech teamexcelled in two nationaltournaments recently.“Three LCCCspeech team members—SarahWhittle,Mark Schaad and IsaacMurrell—representedthe team very well,”said Dave Gaer, LCCCspeech coach.Gaer also receiveda DistinguishedService Awardfrom the AmericanForensicsAssociation—anaward presented tosomeone who providesdistinguishedservice to an organizationas a whole.Gaer was the firstperson ever to receivethis award for a communitycollege.The students placedin the Top 30 percentat the AmericanForensics AssociationNational individualevents tournament atthe University of Akron.The events attracted<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspanSpeech team places in Top 30%Coach Gaer receives Distinguished Service AwardLaramie CountyCommunityCollege’s speechteam attendednumerousnational eventswhere severalteam membersreceived highmarks.130–150 studentsand included mostlyfour-year colleges anduniversities.At the Phi Rho PiTournament (twoyearcolleges only)hosted by ClackamasCommunity Collegein Portland, the teamalso excelled. Whittleadvanced to thesemifinal round andreceived a bronzemedal, placing heramong the Top 15 inher event.The parliamentarydebate team of TanyaFairweather andMurrell were in 27 thplace after the preliminaryrounds. TheTop 26 advanced tothe semifinal round.The team receivedbronze recognition(the Top 6) in theHindman divisionof sweepstakes forindividual eventsand received bronzerecognition in overallsweepstakes (Top 6) inthe Hindman division.In order to figuresweepstakes, the teams(75 total) are split bythe number of entriesthey bring. One-third ofthe schools are placedin each division. LCCCplaced in the Top 6 ofthe 20 schools in theHindman Division.
<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspannewsWi n g s pa n19Wyoming snowfall stays unpredictableBlizzards in past no worse than blizzards todayBy VernonHedrickContributing Writer“Everybodyomplains about theeather,” Charlesudley Warner onceaid, “but nobody doesnything about it.”That’s not enirelytrue in Wyominghough. If you comlainabout winterwithin earshot of anylong-time Wyomingresidents they’ll tellyou what winter herecan really be like.“This is nothing,”they’ll say as they lookout a frost-coveredwindow at the gentlyfalling snow. Thenthey’ll tell you blizzardstories that will makeyou want to move toKey West.It might be aboutthe time they weresnowbound at workduring the storm in2003—when theyhad to break into thevending machine fordinner before spendingthe night curledup under their desk.Or they might talkabout the storms of1979 and how theywere forced to tunnelout of housescompletely covered insnow drifts.Anyone old enoughto remember the greatblizzard of 1949 willtell you how it was 70degrees and sunnyone day, 30 below thenext. They’ll tell youabout the storm thatkilled more than 100people, about familieswho froze to death intheir stranded carsand whole passengertrains trapped betweentowns. They’lltell you about shriekinghurricane-forcewinds that pushedup 30-foot drifts thatdidn’t melt until June.It only takes a fewof these stories to understandwhy peoplehere often plan theirtrips to the grocerystore based on theweather forecast.Stories like theseexplain the contentsof so many Wyomingcars—trunks full ofsnow shovels andsleeping bags, dufflebags full of highcaloriefoods andwarm clothes. Someof these people cantell you how to makea tiny, lifesavingalcohol stove from acoffee can and a rollof toilet paper. Somecarry paperbacks andcrossword puzzles. Afew even carry pencilsand pads of blankpaper and makestraight-faced jokesabout last wills andtestaments.These grizzledveterans of Wyomingweather make it easyto believe that wintershere just aren’t whatthey used to be. Thenumbers, however,tell a different story.All it takes is aquick glance at thehistorical snowfalland temperaturestatistics gatheredby the High PlainsRegional ClimateCenter to see how difficultit is to find anysimple patterns in ouroften chaotic climate.Winters of record highsnows are often followedby winters withalmost no snow at all.Exceptionally frigidwinters are frequentlybookended by pleasantlymild winters.Based on meteorologicalreadings thatdate back to 1888 andbeyond, the averagewinter temperaturein Cheyenne is a surprisinglybalmy 37.3degrees. In the typicalwinter, Cheyennereceives an average of54 inches of snow—most of that froma small number ofspring storms.Weather professionalsoften struggleto find meaning in thenumbers.Jim Hatten, asenior meteorologistfor the NationalWeather Service, sitsin a large room fullconsoles and beepingmachinery. It’s animpressive sight—ifyou didn’t know betteryou’d think this waswhere the weather ismade. A large TV onthe wall is tuned to theWeather Channel butthe volume has beenturned down, and noone pays any attentionto it. Hatten andhis colleges don’t needthe Weather Channel.On Hatten’s desk aloneare a half-dozen computermonitors. Twoof them display twodifferent computerweather models, eachpredicting wildly differentweather futures.Hatten has workedin Cheyenne foralmost 30 years. He’sseen it all—includingthe 1979 tornado thathit Cheyenne on hisfirst day on the job.He uses every toolavailable to him toassemble his officialweather reports, buthe still peeks out thewindow before he hitssend.He rememberedhis first winter inCheyenne. Between aThanksgiving blizzardand several morestorms the snowfallpiled up to a record121 inches—morethan 10 feet andalmost twice theyearly average. “Whatis wrong with the climatein this place?” heremembered thinking.“We’ve got to getout of this place!” Thenext winter was justfine, however.Hatten thumbsthrough small stacksof printed statistics,accesses severalonline databases andbrings up screen afterscreen of currentweather data on hismonitors to demonstratethe unpredictablenature of ourwinters. At one pointthe word “baroclinicity”is used.Our winterweather, he said, is“wildly variable” but isgreatly dependent onthe jet stream, whichcan be affected by thesea temperatures inthe Pacific Ocean. Thiswell-known “El Niño,”“La Niña” phenomenais often the one commonthread in our unpredictableweather.During a La Niñaevent, when thewaters off the coastof Peru are cooler,the jet stream isoften pushed far tothe north blowing incolder winter weatherfrom Canada. El Niño,on the other hand,usually brings us lesssnow, less wind andwarmer temperatures.“Some winters arebad,” Hatten summarized.“Some aren’t.”Either way though,keep that emergencykit in the car.Read<strong>Wingspan</strong>Onlinelccc.wy.edu/wingspanDo It.
20Wi n g s pa nfeaturesPersonality profile<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspanWoman triumphs over adversity:By KristineJacksonManaging EditorHave you evermet a personwho is just soinspiring and yet sodown-to-earth you feelas if you almost wantto get an autograph soyou can say later thatyou knew the person?Ashley Merrill, apre-med student atLaramie County CommunityCollege, is oneof those people.The 23-year-oldhas experienced a lotof heartache in herlife and yet remains ahappy, bubbly person,who also holds thetitle of Miss LaramieCounty Galaxy. Born inGreeley on March 11,1986, Merrill movedto Cheyenne with herparents, Leslie andPatrick. She was raisedwith her younger sisterand brother, Amandaand Dustin, in thecountry and laughsabout having to awakevery early to collecteggs and do otherchores before school.While attendingCarey Junior HighSchool, Merrill discovereda friend hadattempted suicide.Being a good friend,Merrill immediatelytook her friend forsome help. Merrill recalledthat friend wasso angry they didn’tspeak for years. Buteven at 13, Merrill wasable to think beyondher years and understandthe gravity ofthe situation.Also in junior high,her grandfather diedof lung cancer, andthat’s when she beganto develop her incredibleability to dealwith the stresses herlife would bring.Always an overachiever,Merrillwas still a troublemaker—bouncingthose rubbery schoolcafeteria hamburgersoff the wall and startinga food fight justto make her friendslaugh.In fact, makingpeople laugh hasalways been one of herfavorite things to do.Friend James Riley, 29,said, “She makes jokesand does funny thingsto make people laugh,like making garbagebag hula skirts at work.”Merrill met her futurehusband the summerbefore the 10 th -grade and continueddating him all throughEast High School. Shegraduated in 2004, asemester early, andmoved to Phoenix tobe with her boyfriendwho had moved thereto attend college.When they returnedto Cheyenne,they married on June18, 2005, and soon relocatedto Rapid City.Yet within a yearshe caught him cheatingand two weekslater was involved ina bad car accident,which resulted inher car veering into aravine and wrappingaround a tree.She blacked outwhen she crashed, butafter she awoke, shedid not panic. Merrillsaid she felt strangelycalm and protected asif nothing would hurther. She remembersvery clearly smellinghot grass and antifreeze—andalcoholbecause the manwho found her andreported the accidentwas severely drunk.She experiencedwhiplash from theaccident. A coupleweeks later, Merrillmiscarried.See Merrill, Page 21Jarrell PhotographyAshley Merrill:Despite hardship and heartache, this pre-med studentkeeps a smile on her face and a bounce in her step.
<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspanfeaturesWi n g s pa n21Optimist strives to help others overcomeFrom Merrill, Page 20In December 2006,errill moved into herwn place and begano make new friends.But one friend ofer husband was aan who seemedruly to care about herell-being. On onearticularly rough dayn March 2007, thisan came to comforter.Merrill had taken aew too many pills—inn attempt to ease themotional pain, not toill herself—and didn’tnd out until later, head taken advantagef her incapacitatedondition to rape her.he found out after heent pictures he hadaken to her husband.About this time,errill learned therain cancer herather had beenfighting since she wasin high school wasterminal. She movedback to Cheyenneand at Thanksgivingfound out her motherhad the rarest form ofthyroid cancer, andlater her other grandfatherdevelopedAlzheimer’s. Merrill,whose divorce wasfinalized in Decemberof that year, said herworst fear was losingher family, especially“if it were a suddenloss and I didn’t knowit was coming”.In January 2008,Merrill experiencedher first seizure. Shewas informed 35percent of people willhave one once in theirlife, so the doctorsweren’t concernedabout it. But in thefirst week of Septembershe had twoseizures at home andwas hospitalized bothtimes.The doctors thendiscovered she hada massive infectionand her kidneys wereshutting down. Aftera spinal tap foundabnormal white cells,she was diagnosedwith viral meningitis.Yet Merrill continuesto have seizuresto this day, one everycouple of weeks,and the doctors arestill unsure why. Sherecalled one day whenshe had a seizure inher public speakingclass and was so embarrassedshe refusedto return to class forseveral days.In July 2008, doctorsstarted suspectingshe had lupus, butMerrill said it takesfive years to make apositive diagnosisof the disease. Thenshe experienced hersecond miscarriage.Once, while Merrillwas on vacation, herbody quit makingenough platelets andred blood cells. Shesaid they are still notat normal levels.If all that werenot enough, Merrillrecently learned thather younger brotherhas a congenital kidneydefect in whichone kidney does notfunction at all andthe other functions atless than 50 percent,requiring a kidneytransplant.Despite all this,Merrill soldiers onand can be foundoften cheering upother people.Merrill had workedfor three years as acertified nurse’s assistant(CNA) at the LifeCare Center nursinghome but now worksin the emergencyroom at CheyenneRegional MedicalCenter.She spends herspare time volunteeringfor Fire DistrictNo. 2 and using hertitle as Miss LaramieCounty Galaxy topromote and helpFire Corps, whichconnects communityvolunteers who canassist in nonemergencyroles.She also enjoysscrapbooking, baking,painting, swimming,snowboarding, rockclimbingand generallyanything outdoors.Of her rock climbinghobby, she saidwith a laugh, “I knowit’s not the best ideawith a seizure disorder,but…”Merrill wants tobe a doctor because“I’ve always worked inthe health care field,and I love the feelingof being able to helppeople.” Because ofher family historyand how she has seenpeople suffer throughcancer, she wants tohelp ease their pain asan oncologist. If shehad the ability to doone thing, she woulduse that chance tocure cancer.Merrill is also writinga book about herexperiences caringfor her father whilehe suffers throughbrain cancer. She hadsearched for such abook unsuccessfully.She said writingthe book “won’t makeit easier or better,” butshe wants to share herexperience.Merrill has her ownbucket list she titled“Things To Do BeforeI Kick the Bucket,”which she had postedon her myspace.comaccount. Participationin a humanitarianeffort in a third-worldcountry to providevaccinations andaccess to differenthealth care serviceswould top that list.She plans to visitthe <strong>May</strong>o Clinic to seeif doctors can movebeyond the inconclusivetests and pinpointher exact medicalcondition.Another friendJennifer Ostorom, 20,who worked as a CNAat the nursing homewith Merrill, said,“[Ashley] doesn’t wantpeople to worry abouther. She would ratherworry about them,would do anythingfor anyone even if shedidn’t know them.”This is a womanwho has enduredmore trials thanmost people canimagine, but whileshe lounged in thecomfy, purple chairsat Starbucks sippingon her favorite, whitechocolate mochafrappuccino, thisstrong, beautifulyoung woman saidshe does not knowhow long her life maybe, but she wantsto spend it helpingothers.Her experienceshave opened a newperspective on life.“Dealing with yourown mortality makesyou do stuff faster,”she said. “[It] makesyou realize life is tooshort not to do things;it could be up tomorrow.I want to do everythingI can possiblydo in one day.”Merrill said her adviceto anyone experiencingrough timeswould be this: “There’sno point in letting itget to you. I always tellmyself there’s peopleout there who have itworse than I do. Yeah,I have some mysteryillness, but if you letit get to you, all it’sgonna do is get youdepressed.”
22Wi n g s pa ncampus news<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspanArt exhibits cycle into libraryLibrary director aims to include variety of artistsThe Luddenibrary ataramie Countyommunityollege joinsith the Artn Campusommitteeo includert exhibitshroughout theibrary.By HoustonWoodhouseGraphics/Layout EditorThe LuddenLibrary atLaramieCounty CommunityCollege has teamedup with the Art onCampus Committeeto cycle new art exhibitsthroughout thelibrary.Library DirectorKaren Lange hasbeen working inconjunction withthe Art on Campus“Not only will new databasesnot be purchased, but wecould lose current databasesdue to inflation, budget cutsand database fee increases.”Committee to helpdistribute studentand professional artwithin the library.Recent changes tothe library layouthave freed up severalKaren LangeDirector, Ludden Librarywalls for large artexhibits. The frontentrance to thelibrary no longer hasperiodicals on itseast wall. The shelveswere relocated to theFormer ASG presidentto speak at graduationreading room as wellas other pottery andsmall art.New wall spacewas important toLange because itadds diversity withinthe learning environment.Display casessuch as one on thewest end of thelibrary now showoff baseball memorabiliaand will bechanged periodically.Other enhancementssuch as the popularfiction book shelvestoward the main entranceof the libraryare rotated often to“encourage reading,”Lange said.Improvementswithin the onlinedatabases are strongfor the LuddenLibrary this spring.With the new “Chatwith a Librarian”option within thecollege Web site,students can nowinteract and receivelive help over theInternet. The librarytook advantage ofthe technology andcan instant-messagewith students duringregular hours.Accompanying theonline movement,the Ludden Libraryalso added two newonline tutorials fornursing and searchingcapabilities.Another databaseprogram purchase bythe library was theAssociated ProgramsSource Plus, whichhosts more than1,700 full text journalsand 200 full textbooksfor numeroustrades and degrees.Librarian MeghanKelly was impressedwith the quantityand quality of journalsoffered by theprogram.Although Langeand the rest of theLudden Library staffare excited about thenew databases andpurchases, furtherpurchases may be puton hold. Lange said,“A current 10 percentstate cut by thecommunity collegecommission makesit difficult to expandInternet databases,and if an additional10 percent cut wereto be implemented,database growthwould decline.“Lange also noted,“Not only will newdatabases not bepurchased, but wecould lose currentdatabases due toinflation, budget cutsand database feeincreases.”Ludden • 1972–73 Ludden • 2006With less than amonth beforecommencement, aspeaker has been named forLaramie County CommunityCollege’s graduation onMonday, <strong>May</strong> 18.According to AmandaHubbard, student involvementcoordinator, RandyLudden for whom LCCC’slibrary is named, will givethe address at 7 p.m. at theCivic Center.An LCCC alumnus,Ludden served as studentbody president his sophomoreyear and graduatedin 1973 with an associate’sdegree in business. Helater earned a bachelor’sdegree in finance from theUniversity of Wyoming.There he met his wife,Yvonne. They now live inHouston where Luddenworks for Citgo Oil, and hiswife teaches.In June 2006, the LCCClibrary was renamed theRandall W. and YvonneD. Ludden Library, and adedication ceremony wasconducted by the LCCCFoundation.Initially, the LCCCAssociated StudentGovernment chose ASGPresident Ryan Archibaldas the graduation speaker.Archibald was chosen outof three nominees for thespot. The recommendationwas given to Dr. DarrelHammon, president of thecollege. After reviewing thechoice, Hammon turneddown the recommendationand urged the graduationcommittee to come up withthree other nominations.Although no practiceceremony will be held,instructions will be givenwhen the students pickup their royal blue capand gowns, which can beobtained from <strong>May</strong> 14–15in Room 329 in the CollegeCommunity Center.
<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspannews Wi n g s pa n 23County in ‘middle of the road’for driver safety rankingWYDOT statistics reveal the worst, best drivers statewideBy Caitlyn BeleyFeatures EditorIt seems everycorner turned thesedays has a fenderenderunder investiationor, even worse,gurney.If we counted onoth hands how manyimes we have beenut off, flipped offnd ticked off by a eraticdriver, we woulde part of the grimtatistics because ourands wouldn’t be onhe wheel—we’d mostikely crash…All jokes aside, theyoming Departmentf Transportation’sighway Safety Indexas ranked the 23ounties statewide inerms of their drivingafety statistics.Uinta County chartshe lowest in the safetyndex at 7.6, with 12 theverage safety index.he safest to drive ins Goshen County,oming in at 19.0 in a005–2007 study.Sgt. Duane Ellis,afety and training,yoming Highwayatrol, agrees much ofhe problem to “dailyusiness” distractionsn the road—cellhones, eating, pasengersetc. In fact,0 percent of crashesre caused by driverarelessness. The other0 percent consist ofrunken drivers, mostf whom consisted ofhe 16–24yearold ageroup.In Laramie County,4.5 percent of allatalities and seriousnjuries were causedy inattentiveness,ollowed by 26.5ercent by speed,nd 17.6 percent byoung drivers rangingrom 14–20-yearsold.Compare that toNatrona County, where6 percent accountedfor driving distractions:22.4 percent in speedand 19 percent causedby young drivers.Statewide, 36percent of the humanerror,fatal crashesresulted from overcorrecting;28 percentwere involved with fixobjects, and 24 percentwere vehicletovehiclefatalities. A quarterof these fatalities occurredin Fremont andSweetwater counties.Furthermore,Campbell, Fremont,Park and Sweetwatercounties accounted for48.9 percent of all alcoholrelated fatalities,with a large portionof those drivers being16–24 years of age. Sgt.Ellis said three-quartersof this age groupwho died in crasheswere alcohol-related.Ellis suggested thehigher alcohol fatalityrates in FremontCounty were due tothe Native Americanpopulation and theage-old problem ofalcohol abuse in theirculture.“Driving under theinfluence of alcohol(DUI), also referred toas DWI (driving whileintoxicated), OUI(operating under theinfluence, which mayinclude impairmentfrom other drugs (legalor illegal.))” arrestsaccount for 40 percentof all arrests statewide,which is a large chunkconsidering the other60 percent include domesticdisputes, childabuse, burglary andother actions of thatnature, combined.But where doesLaramie County rankin terms of safe drivers?Cheyenne andsurrounding areasactually rank fairlywell in terms of safetystandings, coming inwith a 13.2 in the totalranking safety index—compared to NatronaCounty with an 8.6.In 2007, 149 fatalitieswere recorded inWyoming; 18 percentof those were motorcyclists,and 1 percentinvolved pedestrians.This number hasdecreased significantlycompared to the 169fatal crashes in 2006.This can be creditedto efforts made byWYDOT to increaseawareness of seatbelt usage, drunkendriving and the graduateddriver licensingsystem, implementedin 2005.The truth of thematter is Wyomingdrivers must drivelonger distances, moreoften to arrive at theirdestination on a dailybasis. So WYDOT incollaboration with theWyoming HighwayPatrol is making effortsto produce saferdrivers.WYDOT’s grantspecialist and dataanalyst, StephanieLucero, is currentlyworking to upgradetraffic statistics on itsnew Web site, whichwill be live, and shouldhave things up andrunning by 2010.The site will offerthe same informationas dot.state.wy.us, butin a more comprehensivefashion.Lucero said theagency is still “cleansingthe data, but studieswill be on the Web,”once the demographicshave been analyzedand complied intheir entirety.Thousandsof people252015105The distraction categorieswill be brokeninto specific areas suchas cell phone usage,eating, radio tuning orpassenger distractions.WYDOT is constantlysearching fornew ways to makehighways safer,and one way is theWyoming Seat BeltCoalition (WSC) whosemission is to “increaseTd e at h b yr a n s po r tat i o n24,1008,6003,20022,4009,6002,20020,7001990 1995 2000 2005 2006seat belt usage inWyoming to preventfatalities and decreasethe number and severityof injuries in trafficcrashes.”Those efforts arepaying off too; in 2007,381 fatalities andserious injuries werereported by WYDOT,compared to in 2006,with numbers charting433. That still does notEach year, thousands of traffic accidents takeplace in the United States. However, while caraccidents have declined in the past 20 years,the number of truck and motorcycle accidentshas risen. Each year is ranked 1–5 based onthe total number of deaths.11,5002,90018,50013,0004,600compensate for thefact that in ’07, 61 percentof Wyoming roadfatalities were causedby motorists not wearingtheir seat belts.The WSC hasan important task,considering Wyomingis below the nationalaverage for wearingseat belts, with only72 percent of motoristswearing a safety17,80012,7002 5 4 1 34,800Passenger Car Truck MotorcycleSource: U.S. Bureau of Transportation StatisticsOscar Morillonrestraint, comparedto the average of 82percent nationwide.You cannot controlother drivers, but youcan control yourself.To avoid becomingpart of a statisticWYDOT says to wearyour seat belt, don’tdrink and drive, eliminatetravel distractionsand use defensivedriving skills.
24Wi n g s pa ncampus news<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspanMusic videos become first test for AV classStudents ofhe audio/videoroduction classre put to theest with theirrst project:self-createdusic video,temming fromhat they learneduring the springemester.By HoustonWoodhouseGraphics/Layout EditorLaramie CountyCommunityCollege’s audio/visual productionclass lets studentsexpress their creativitythrough music videos.Some might sayMTV will take overthe world, but DougMcGee, instructor forMMMM 2222, allowsstudents to take anysong and recreate amusic video version inspite of the myth.Members of thespring semester classrecently completedtheir first major assignmentfor the class.Making a music videowas the goal, andusing the softwareto complete editingtechniques was thechallenge.McGee, who hasbeen teaching theclass for seven years,has been implementingthe music videoin the course sinceday one. Now publicaffairs manager atWyoming Departmentof Transportation,McGee had been thevideographer thereand has worked intelevision.Student suggestionsshowed McGeethat creating musicvideos was a goodway to keep studentsexcited about theirprojects. McGee saidhe believed the classteaches studentsplanning, timing, titleand graphic creation,audio basics, andhow hard it really is toget a vision onto thescreen.Ed Vossler, a parttimenontraditionalstudent at LCCC, tookthe class to learn moreabout the softwareused to create videos.Adobe Premiere isthe program usedby the students, andVossler is attemptingnot to master it, butjust understand thebasics. Vossler spenteight hours recordingand editing his musicvideo rendition of “Noshirt, No shoes, Noproblems” by KennyChesney. He and othersspent time beforethe process planningand timing when andhow to get the shotsthey wanted.Vossler’s countrysong would have beena world premiere ifnot for Country MusicTelevision (CMT).McGee said countrymusic “took longerto evolve than mostsong genres.”When McGee wasa child, there werereally four genres:pop, bubble gumrock, hard rock andpunk. Country musicseemed to be the lastof the genres to seethe potential of musictelevision.The creation of themusic video madeVossler enjoy thecountry song evenmore. He was able toportray the story ofthe song with the useof the software and hisown creative mind.Other studentssuch as Oscar Morillonof Jackson took awhile to pick a song.McGee emphasizedthe importance ofselecting a song thatshows creativity and“does something thathasn’t been donea million times.”Morillon played offinspiration and whathe loves most--soccer.His three-minutesong, showing offsoccer skills, goals andother aspects of thegame, allowed him notonly to make a musicvideo he liked but alsoto create a projecthe could add to hismultimedia degreeportfolio.Once the musicvideo has been created,it can be dishedout in different fashions.YouTube is oftenthe most popularbecause of its freedomHouston WoodhousePre-production:Audio/video production student Seneca Riggins beginsto look through his homemade video before uploading itto the computer for editing. Students are encouraged toshoot their own video and select their own music to keepthe project exciting.to upload almost anycontent.Where peoplewatch the videos,however, does notstray too far away.Morillon watches allhis music videos onYouTube, and McGeewatches the majorityof his there, too.Vossler, however,watches his favoritemusic videos on CMT.The ages havechanged for musicvideo watchers.McGee recalledwatching MTV backwhen MTV stood forwhat it showed andwatching it was vitalto any young kid’sstreet cred.Dire Straits’ “Iwant my MTV”summed it all upfor McGee with coolanimation and stylizedconcert footage,which is what hehopes his studentsimplement while takingthe course.In the fall, theMMMM 2222-20“Desktop Audio/Video Production,three credit hours,will be offered from5:45 to 8:30 p.m. onWednesdays.Enjoy the perksof working at McDonald’s* Flexible Hours* Advancement Opportunities* Stock Purchasing Options* Earn up to 46 college creditsin our management training programMcDonald’s of Cheyenne, Laramie & Rawlins Wyoming
aeay 4, 2009 Page 25 lccc.wy.edu/wingspantudents on displaySelf-portraitChris LewisCalm WatersChris LewisStonewareEddy MillerAll photos by Daniel StelleChalice and BladeDeb IngersollChairsKevin Reed‘Coyote’ howlsLacerating play draws crowdPage 26Meditative coyoteDepth of play discussedPage 27
26Wi n g s pa na&e<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspanReviewEmotional plot makes ‘Coyote’ thought-provoking“Coyoten a Fence”ave audienceembers annside look onthe inside”nd took a closerook at capitalunishment andhe lives affectedy it.Chris ArnesonInnocent until proven guilty:From left, John Brennan (Ryan Archibald), Bobby Reyburn (James Sweazea), Sam Fried (Eleanor Duffy) and Shawna DuChamps (Anna Katen).By DominicBenintendeCo-A&E EditorThe horns andcheering—well,they were celebratingthe executionof another person ondeath row.A cast of four actedout this bizarre scenefrom “Coyote on aFence” at LaramieCounty CommunityCollege’s Playhouseduring April. Theresult was moving.LCCC theatreinstructor JasonPasqua directed BruceGraham’s little-knownplay about coping withlife that has a very certainexpiration date.The set, lined withcinder blocks and abarbed wire fence,locked in the audiencein with the prisonobituary writer JohnBrennan, played byRyan Archibald, and hisnew racist cell partner,Bobby Reyburn, playedby James Sweazea.Throughout theplay, both characters’pasts were revealed—each debatably dark.However, Brennan didhis best to give everyprisoner on death rowa fair obituary afterhe dies and fightingchance while he isalive.Brennan believesno one deserves thedeath penalty. “I’mnot going to let thelast thing said aboutthese men be ugly,”Brennan said.His new next doorneighbor, Reyburn,on the other hand, feltReyburn should diefor burning down ablack church with 37people inside, 14 ofthem children.Ironically, Reyburnwatched episodesof “All My Children”during the play, all thewhile complaining nochildren were in thesoap opera.Between Reyburn’sracist and anti-Semiticrants, Reyburn didhis best impressionsof animals. Thoughsome may have seenReyburn’s acts asmonstrous, there wasno denying the humorin seeing him try tobalance a tennis ballon his nose while pretendingto be a seal.Both prisonerswere different. Theyshared their last daysarguing over commasand whether it’s OKto hate Jewish people.Yet, at the core, thebiggest differenceseemed to be theirviews of their crimes.Reyburn admittedhe did what Godasked him to do whileBrennan proclaimedhis innocence for thebrutal murder of adrug dealer.The play placedequal weight on crimesthat could be arguedas being on differentends of the moral andethical spectrum. Itbegs the question ofwhether it is betterwhen one murders ascumbag or 37 innocentblack people.The play broughtin two other necessarycharacters who offerdifferent views on thedeath penalty.ShawnaDuChamps, playedby Anna Katen, wasa woman trapped inher own way. She wasa guard in a town builtaround the prison.DuChamps has amonologue in the playin which she swallowsa recent execution withthree or four SierraNevada Pale Ales.As the play progressed,the audiencesaw emotion buildingin DuChampsbecause she had losta friend she may havenever known she had:Brennan.The other character,Sam Fried, playedby Eleanor Duffy, wasan opinionated NewYork Times journalistwho made frequentvisits to the prison tospeak with Brennan.Fried was coercedby Brennan to getbackground informationon Reyburn, whohe felt was too crazyto die for his crimes.Brennan told ajoke he would notfinish in his dyingbreath to Reyburn andsaid he would finishit if Reyburn wouldfight for an appeal.Reyburn refused.The meaning of theplay’s title, revealednear the end, referredto a story told byReyburn’s uncle, whotaught him how tohate, in which a coyoteis killed and hung on afence for all to see.The underlyingmeaning was predatorsdeserve to die.Arguably, Reyburnsaw himself as apredator. Reyburntried to convinceBrennan that the manhe killed was one ofthese predators.The play endedwith the sounds ofcheers and honkinghorns—this has alwaysbeen the sign theykilled another deathrow prisoner. Thefirst one to meet hisfate was Reyburn, towhom by this time theaudience had grownsympathetic. The nextto go was Brennan.“Coyote on aFence” likely conveyeddifferent emotionsand meanings toeveryone who viewedit. But all surely foundit thought-provokingafter seeing it.
<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspana&eWi n g s pa n27By DominicBenintendeCo-A&E Editor“Coyote on aFence,” a play abouttwo men on deathrow, can leave audiencemembers onboth sides of thedebatable <strong>issue</strong> of thedeath penalty.Keeping this inmind, Laramie CountyCommunity College’stheater department‘Coyote on a Fence’ discussionPanel includes psychology, justice studies, mediaorchestrated a discussionto follow itsWednesday, April 22,performance.A panel of facultymembers representingtheir departmentsgave their opinionsand answered questionsregarding theplay’s subject matter.For more than anhour, members ofLCCC’s English, philosophy,psychology,justice studies, massmedia and theater departmentsdiscussedthe death penaltyand the hot-button<strong>issue</strong>s it presents. Thediscussion took placepromptly after a performanceto allow adialogue to take placethat involved audiencemembers.“Coyote on aFence” showed howtwo cell partnerson death row gotto know each otheras their final hourapproached—one wasan obituary writer forthe prison newspaper,the other a racistmurderer diagnosedwith fetal alcoholsyndrome.The main <strong>issue</strong>addressed duringthe panel washow the U.S. justicesystem determineswhether someone ismentally capable ofbeing charged to thefull extent of the law.Within that discussionseveral subtopics wereaddressed such asobituary writing, possiblesolutions to highcrimes, and the justicesystem itself.Luanne Gearhart,of LCCC’s psychologydepartment instructor,explained how thecharacter with fetalalcohol syndrome,Bobby Reyburn, had aform of mental retardation.“The SupremeCourt has made itillegal to executepeople with an IQ of69 or below,” Gearhartsaid. “This leavesit up to the jury todecide if the person isretarded.”Dr. John Sanford,an instructor ofpsychology, said theterm insanity is a legalterm. “Anyone whokills another meetsthe qualifications fora mental disorder,”Sanford said.In the play thecharacter of Bobby asplayed by LCCC studentJames Sweazeaappears to accepthis crime and hisimpending doom.Psychologyinstructor Gearhartsaid: “I hate the wordinsanity. Bobby knewexactly what he wasdoing. He did exactlywhat he knew to do.”Throughout theplay, it was revealedBobby were taughtto be racist by hisbeloved uncle. Theaudience also learnedthat Bobby set achurch filled with 37people on fire andsat beneath a tree towatch it burn until thepolice arrived.Leif Swanson, anEnglish instructor atLCCC, said a closereading of the textwould have to beconducted to see ifBobby were written tobe insane.Eleanor Duffy, whoplayed the reporterSam Fried in the play,said, “It seems likeBobby is the onlyone living in the realworld.” She supportedthis by revealing thatall the characters in theplay were hiding froma part of themselves inone way or another.The prison guardcharacter of ShawnaDuChamps, playedby Anna Katen, drankthroughout the playwhile the character ofthe obituary writer,John Brennan playedby Ryan Archibald,consistently deniedthe murder for whichhe had been sentenced.Toward the end ofthe play, the characterof John admits he isguilty of murdering adrug dealer for wateringdown the drugs hehad bought from him.Dave Zwonitzer, aninstructor of Englishand philosophy,asked Duffy whethershe would hold bothequally accountable.Duffy said, “They’reboth accountable, butBobby stands behindwhat he did.”Jodi Weppner,LCCC’s justice studiescoordinator, said: “Tothink justice is alwayspart of our system isnaïve. Sometimes yousee it; sometimes youdon’t.”Archibald, whoplayed the otherinmate John, said,“My character and hiscrimes are a result ofthe drugs he did.”Jason Pasqua, thedirector of “Coyote ona Fence,” explained“The character Ryanplayed was in withdrawalwhen he committedhis crime.”The character ofJohn fought to giveevery prisoner aproper obituary andstressed the appealprocess throughoutthe play, even to thecharacter of Bobbywhom he appeared tohate for most of theperformance.Philosophy instructorZwonitzersaid, “The longer yougo through the appealprocess, the more youplay the lottery.”English instructorSwanson who noted,“He who has the bestlawyer wins.”However, in theplay “Coyote on aFence,” no one wins.Both John and Bobbywere both executedby the end of the play,which made it appearthat John wouldn’treceive the same kindof obituaries he wrotefor others.Mass Mediainstructor RosalindSchliske also said,“This is a play aboutobituary writing.”She explained theprogression of obituariesthroughout timeand their importance.“Obits are a rite ofpassage,” Schliske said.“In the old days youwould get your namein the paper moreoften. Now someone’sobit is the only timethey get their name inthe paper.Schliske pointedout how the mediawere woven throughoutthe play. During“Coyote on a Fence”the character of JohnBrennan workedto attract publicitythrough the characterof Sam, a reporter forThe New York Times.“When people losetheir voices,” Schliskesaid, “they go to themedia to get help.”Throughout theevening’s discussion,the conversationcircled back to solutionsseveral times.Swanson said: “Theanswer is changing theculture. We should turnoff the TVs and stopwatching this crap themedia presents to us.”Psychologyinstructor Sanfordagreed a changeshould be made in theculture but added that“someone’s paying forit and watching it. It’snot the media’s fault.”Duffy, who playedthe character of Sam,said: “People of ourgeneration aren’taware of what’s goingon. I don’t thinksociety understandsitself.”
28Wi n g s pa n<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspan
sp rts<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009 Page 29 lccc.wy.edu/wingspanRider ranked 6th nationallyBy Nichole GradyCo-Sports EditorImagine you were oneof more than 75,000equestrian riders nationwide.Of those ridersyou were one of only 400to make it to nationals ofthe Intercollegiate HorseShow Association.A Laramie CountyCommunity CollegeEquestrian team member,Lauren Stanford,did just that and thenplaced sixth out of 11competitors.In order to make itto nationals, competitorswere required tocompete in one of threesemifinal competitionsheld across the countryand place in the TopFour of their respectivedivision at that competition.The westernsemifinal competitionheld in Amarillo, Texas,March 21–22 was whereStanford earned herticket to nationals.While qualifying fornationals was a difficulttask, training for thecompetition proved tobe a daunting task initself. While having onlyone rider qualify for thecompetition allowedplenty of one-on-onecoaching it was achange of pace for riderand coach alike.Coach Lanae Koonscommented: “Preparingfor nationals wasn’tany easier with just onerider. It gives more oneon-onetime, but it’s achange from practicingwith other riders, havingteammates there tohelp prepare.”Another challengefor Coach Koons wasfinding a proper horsefor Stanford to train on.Although horses at nationalsare matched tocompetitors’ skill level,it’s always a “guessinggame,” according toKoons. “It’s difficult toknow what to expectfrom a competition on anational level,” she said.The IHSA nationalcompetition kickedoff on April 23 inMurfreesboro, Tenn.Competitors weredivided into severaldivisions, based upontheir skill level, and thenmatched with a horsethat met that level. TheTop 10 competitors ineach division receiveda ribbon and an awardwith the overall winnerreceiving a saddle.While the rules arethe same at nationals,the pressure only rises.With stiff qualificationsto make it to nationals,the competition wasonly the best of the best,the coach said.Stanford’s qualificationand sixth-place finishwas a first for CoachKoons, who is in herthird year as equestrianteam coach.Koons commentedon Stanford’s performance:“I’m very proud.The competition herewas the best of the best.She did very well.”With the springsemester coming to anend, the IHSA competitionwrapped upanother successful yearfor the equestrian team.Coach Koons said theteam plans during thesummer possibly toparticipate in and hostnumerous 4H clinicsand will resume competitionin the fall.CourtesyWe have a winner:From left, Equestrian Coach Lanae Koons, LCCC Equestrian Teammember Lauren Stanford and Intercollegiate Horse Show AssociationFounder and President Bob Caccihone.Out with a bangRodeo team wraps up season at UWPage 30New kids on the blockSports teams sign new members for fallPage 30Endurance fuels recoveryRunner’s past aids healing processPage 31
30Wi n g s pa nsports<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspanEagles’ rodeo teamshows improvementThe Laramieountyommunityollege Rodeoeam finished itseason on a highote, with twoiders possiblyaving a chanceo qualify forationals.Rodeo TeamBy StephonParkerCo-Sports EditorThe LaramieCounty CommunityCollege Rodeo Teamtraveled to Sterling,Colo., on April 24–26to face NortheasternJunior College, wherefive riders placed inthe event.Sophomore MattHollan took the firstround of steer wrestling;Freshman JustinThomas placed fourthin the first round andfifth in the averageround in bull riding;and Ryan Heupelplaced seventh in thefirst round of saddlebronc riding.Representing thewomen’s team, CallieCapraro placed fifthin the first round forbreakaway roping,and Kayte Schaffertook 10th place in thefirst round in barrelracing. She also wonfirst in the short goand sixth in the averageround.On the weekendof April 17–19, therodeo team competedagainst CasperCollege, where Hollanplaced sixth in theshort round and sixthin the average steerwrestling, whichadded 20 points (10points in short roundand 10 points in averageround) to his totaland the team total.Thomas stoodalone as he placedfirst in bull riding witha score of 79 in thefirst round from thejudges.Thomas did wellduring the weekendin Casper, earning 120points to the teamtotal. He and Hollancombined for a totalof a 140 team points,which was what theGolden Eagles scoredduring the weekend.Thomas was alsoable to slide into theTop 10 of the CentralRocky MountainRegion’s bull ridingstandings.The rodeo teamwill wrap up its seasonwith its last eventat the University ofWyoming on <strong>May</strong> 1-3.Riders pushingfor nationalsCoach DavidBrowder had said hewas just looking tosee his riders improveon last semester,and he was not reallyconcerned withnationals, but withCollege NationalsFinals Rodeo (CNFR)approaching, LCCCriders Brandon Ableand Thomas may beheading to Casper inJune for the CNFR torepresent LCCC.Browder inksNebraskan riderBrowder hassigned North Platte,Neb., rider LonceyJohnson. Johnson willride saddle bronc andbull ride for LCCC inthe fall.CentralRocky MountainRegion Leaders(as of 4/27)Bareback Riding:Warren Stairs (LCCC),ninth place.Bull riding: JustinThomas (LCCC),seventh place;Brandon Able (LCCC),eighth place; MilesSpickelmier (LCCC),15th place.Barrel Racing:Shaylee Jobman(LCCC), 15th place.Coaches recruit hardHigh school senior athletes sign with collegeBy Stephon ParkerCo-Sports EditorLaramie CountyCommunity College’s athleticcoaches have spentthe past few months recruitingtalent from around the nation.Men’s soccerThe 2008 Region IX Men’sSoccer Coach of the Year,Vince Gibson, enjoyed asuccessful first season withthe Golden Eagles, takinghome the 2008 Region IXChampionship as well asseeing three freshmen gainAll-American nominations.2009 signeesDave Carter, PleasantGrove, Utah;Alex Wixom, Idaho Falls,Idaho;Diego Hernandez,Highlands Ranch, Colo.;Brandon Carrick,Littleton, Colo.;Jeff Hampton, Idaho Falls,Idaho;E.J. Morgan, Twin Falls,Idaho.Women’s soccerHead Coach Jim Gardnerwill return with an experiencedsquad for the 2009season, having to replacecaptains Chelsea Eades andSamantha Larson. The leadershipthey provided will bekey, but Gardner never seemsto miss a beat, as he and theLady Eagles look to contendyet again for a national title.2009 signeesKelsy Gaptor, LaramieHigh School, Laramie, Wyo.VolleyballLady Eagles’ coach TravisWard came in and providedan immediate impact to awomen’s volleyball team thathad only two returning players.Ward not only doubledthe number of wins this yearbut also saw many freshmenshine on the court. Replacingcaptain Amanda Goodrichmay seem impossible, but it’ssafe to say Cheyenne nativeKayli Jordan is the future ofthe program. NJCAA reportsthat three players have signed2009 signeesBreanna Curry, LaramieHigh School, Laramie, Wyo.Brooklyn Pratt, Pine BluffsHigh School, Pine Bluff, Wyo.Janae Kindall, MeekerHigh School, Meeker, Colo.Note: Men’s BasketballHead Coach/Athletic Director,Jason Ficca, was contactedfor comments regarding hisrecruiting, but did not returncalls.
<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspansportsWi n g s pa n31By DominicBenintendeCo-A&E EditorHe has alwaysbeen a runner,even in adream shortly after hishorrific car accident—he ran.Dr. BenjaminMillard was en routeto one of his manyteaching jobs on Feb.17 when an eastboundcar crossed themedian of I-80 andheaded directly forhim. He didn’t evensee it coming. Thecombined relativespeed of both vehicleswas 125 mph.“They believe shehad a medical eventon the roadway,”Millard said with asigh, as his kind eyesbecame more seriousthan normal. ”I justPersonality profilePhysical endurance helps instructor run to recoveryBenjamin Millardhope she was deadbefore we hit.”In fact, Dr. CarolErickson was anacquaintance ofMillard; they hadmet while attendinga faculty orientationfor the University ofPhoenix.” I had mether twice before thatday, both times inDenver,” he realized.“We talked aboutcarpooling,” Millardsaid, “but she was toobusy and couldn’t takethe job.”The accident killedErickson, 58, andinjured Millard, 62,both physically andemotionally.At the time whenthe two met, Millardwas pursuing his twoloves: teaching andrunning. Yet bothpassions had to takea backseat for a shorttime because of theaccident.“It was helpfulto go into the injuryhealthy,” Millard said.Just one monthafter the accident,Millard was able toreturn to the teachingpositions he holds atfour different colleges.Millard teachesmath and physics atLCCC’s Albany CountyCampus, undergraduatestatistics for theUniversity of Phoenix,graduate statisticsfor Grand CanyonUniversity, and “3DAnimation” at LCCC’sCheyenne Campus.His wife, JaniceMillard, has proclaimedhim as awalking miracle.“ Helived through this fora reason,” she said.Millard spent 15days in the hospital,six of which were ina transitional unit. “Icouldn’t move one legat all,” Millard saidwhile gripping theneck of his cane.Lucky to be alive:The remains of Dr. Benjamin Millard’s vehicle after the Feb.17 accident show his vehicle was nearly struck head-on byanother vehicle that had jumped the median on Interstate80 between Cheyenne and Laramie.Millard had escapedwith his life yetsustained a compoundfracture of his fibula.“I couldn’t evenlook at it for threeweeks,” he said as theunnatural lighting ofLCCC’s multimedialab danced across hisglasses.In March, Millardreturned to work inMarch with the aid ofa walker. As the weekswore on, he was ableto trade the walker forcane made of wood ashard as his determination.Seven years ago,Millard switchedcareers so he couldbecome “semiretired.”His wife, Janice,said: “He has foundthe perfect job andloves teaching. I don’tthink he could ever befully retired.”In 1971, “we built alife together,” she said.Millard’s family hasgrown in recent yearswith the addition ofgrandchildren—a4-year-old grandsonand a month-oldgranddaughter.Their motherseemed to follow inher dad’s footsteps—she teaches math inLaramie.CourtesyThe Millards alsohave a son, who iscurrently pursuing ageological informationsurvey degree, ofwhich his parents areproud.Millard left hisjob as an engineer atCheyenne Light, Fueland Power at 55 toteach multiple math,physics and computerapplication classes.“I’ve worked at eightdifferent universitiesand colleges,” Millardsaid as a smile washedover his face, “andLCCC seems to valuetheir students morethan other schools.”“I became anadjunct instructorso I could work parttime and be semiretired,”Millard said,“but there seems tobe such a demandfor adjuncts that I getoffered more classesthan I could possiblyhandle.”Talking aboutteaching seemed tomake him increasinglyhappier as themoments progressed.Millard pointedtoward the classroomwhere he teachesstudents how to createcomplicated 3Dcomputer renderings.“I want studentsto participate,”Millard said. “If Ihave total controlover the class, I don’tfeel like I’m doing agood job.”He talked about hissuccesses—the oneshe seems most proudof are the ones wherehe was running.“You tend topursue things you’rea little successful at,”Millard said with ashrug. “For me, it wasrunning.”For many years,Millard ran six milesnearly every other dayand would compete inmarathons regularly.“It’s hard not to ridemy bike or run,”Millard said.In the early weeksafter his accident,when he was stillbarely able to walk—Millard had a dream.“I was passing atwo-track dirt road,”Millard said, “and Isaid to myself, ‘I thinkI’ll go for a run.’ So Istarted running. I feltso free, like there wereno problems. I thinkthat dream is going tocome true in a monthor two. I’ve been walkingwithout a cane allday.”
32Wi n g s pa nsports<strong>May</strong> 4, 2009lccc.wy.edu/wingspanWhen auto sales fall, look for alternatives1990 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007Millions201816141210Auto SalesBicycle SalesFrom 2006 to 2007, auto salesdropped more than 500,000.This year, sales may be evenworse. With GM, Ford andseveral others on the brinkof bankruptcy, it’simportantto rememberother waysof transportationcan save gas money,insurance and repairs.Sources: National Bicycles Dealers Association and U.S. CensusHouston WoodhousePedal into the ‘green’Cities seek out eco-friendly transportationIn a time whenhe problemsssociated withas seem to bebiquitous, citiescross the nationre searching forew alternativeso cut back on theeed for it. Oneay is throughew bicycleasedprograms.By HoustonWoodhouseGraphics/Layout EditorIn 2006, the UnitedStates spent $318.6billion on gasoline.That monumentalgasoline consumptionraises people’s interestsnot only in whatwill happen whenthe gasoline runsout, but also how canAmericans cut back.Alternative forms oftransportations areall around and maybe the answer. Buses,trains, walking andbiking are a few waysAmerican can reducethe overwhelmingdemand for gas andoil.The startling $318.6billion demand was up22 percent comparedto 2005. The $38 millionincrease eachyear means we arebuying more cars andusing more gas thanever. Local residentsin metropolitan areasare starting to see theeffects of pollutionand overconsumptionof a nonrenewableresource.Baltimore andSan Francisco bothhave programs to cutback on gasoline useand focus on bicycling.Maryland’s newprogram is called “OneLess Car” and focuseson encouraging morningcommuters tobike to work. Togetherwith the train systemand bus system, theyemphasize the importanceof alternativetransportation. Marylandoffers discountsfor bikers who ride tothe local stop.Cheyenne on alocal scale incorporateda linking “Greenway”pathway systemto get people back ontheir bikes, or walking,by linking parksand neighborhoods.The master plan wasadopted in 1992 by theCity Council, and laterphases were completedunder the GreenwayTechnical ReviewCommittee’s guidance.Cheyenne’s sales taxfunds the project everyyear and gives moreincentive to use thebikeways for commutingand recreation.Although Cheyenne’sharsh wind andcold winter make bikeriding difficult, Cheyenneresidents maybe seeing the effectsof high summer gasprices, laying off thegas pedal and gettingon a bicycle.<strong>May</strong> can be a greatmonth to begin orcontinue being activephysically and economically.<strong>May</strong> is alsoNational Bike Monthand holds many opportunitiesto promotebicycle use and safety.Organized by theLeague of AmericanBicyclists, NationalBike Month will becelebrated with Biketo-WorkWeek on <strong>May</strong>11–15 and Bike-to-Work Day on Friday,<strong>May</strong> 15.Oscar Morillon,an Laramie CountyCommunity Collegestudent, enjoys runningfor an alternativeform of transportation.“I like to stay inshape, but it’s not thatI don’t mind payingfor gas money, I justfeel better about runninginstead,” he said.Morillon’s occasionalcar driving is to andfrom long distancesthat running cannotalways accommodatein a timely fashion.Morillon also runs theGreenway in the summerbecause he cansee other active peopleenjoying the sametypes of activities. Hisavid running not onlykeeps him in greatshape but also allowshim to avoid the pumpaltogether, except onrare occasions.
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