EDITOR'S NOTE: College Relations is publishing a monthly series of news articles, features and Q&A interviews highlighting various departments on campus in an effort to assist the faculty and staff in gaining an increased awareness about and understanding of each other's roles and responsibilities.

The May Q&A is with Dr. Lorie Hunn, chair of the Education department.

Q: What are your duties as department chair?

My duties are the same as every department chair on campus. I am in charge of updating the four-year course rotation, finding adjunct professors to teach the classes, and work with the Dean in determining course loads for the faculty members within the Education department.

I am fortunate to have collaborative members of the department who help with some of the departmental chair duties. Dr. Sealey writes the assessment report for the graduate program in the Education department, Dr. McCallum writes the SPED (Special Education) assessment report and Dr. King writes the elementary assessment report. I am also fortunate to have a Project Coordinator, LaWayne Zeller, who prior to my taking over the chair duties completed the catalog changes for the Education department and presented the changes to the Academic Review Committee. I also handle all student and faculty issues. I attend a variety of meetings that pertain to the duties of Department Chair. I conduct bi-monthly meetings in the department and chair the meetings for the Educator Preparation Committee, which consists of teacher educators from each of the endorsement areas across campus.

Q: What do you like best about teaching at Chadron State?

I enjoy the students who attend Chadron State and am privileged to advise and teach them as they make their journey through the Education program. We have amazing students. I not only teach them, but I also learn from them. I am privileged to teach future teachers. I also work with amazing professors, professional and support staff and maintenance crew. We all work together to make Chadron State a place of excellence.

Q: What are some of the unique aspects the Education program offers?

Many of the professors who work in the Education department have years of experience working in public education and are able to bring those experiences into the college classroom when teaching our students. Our professional block is a unique concept in which the students form a cohort group and the professors come to them to teach their areas of expertise. Many institutions have the students take each individual class as you would for any required class. Our approach gives the students an opportunity to form a support group as they progress through block and their student teaching experience.

Q: Please describe the block and student teaching programs for education students and how important is it?

Once the students have completed their coursework that relates to their endorsements in Education, they enter the professional block. Professional block is where students take 16 weeks of classes with a cohort group of students that will prepare them for teaching in the various educational fields. Students are also provided with a couple of opportunities to positively encounter the diversity of students in the classroom and the interactions of the teachers with this student population. We go to Lexington, Nebraska, and Pine Ridge, South Dakota, which has a very diverse population of students. This is a great opportunity and experience.

Q: How does the student teaching portion of the education department work?

The student teaching experience is where the rubber meets the road. The students work with a cooperating teacher out in the field who will guide them through this experience.

Q: What student opportunities are offered in the Education department?

The students in the Education department have the opportunity to participate in a variety of clubs and activities across campus. The students are given the opportunity to become a member of SEAN which is the Student Education Association. At least once a year students are initiated into Sigma Delta Nu which is an honorary Education fraternity.

Q: What advice would you share with high school students interested in becoming Education majors?

Education is a great occupation to enter. I do know there are individuals who tell students not to go into education with all the different guidelines and assessment changes that are occurring in public education. But I disagree. I tell students if they want to make a difference and enjoy working with kids, then Education is a great field to enter. No matter what occupation an individual enters, it is going to have its drawbacks. As an educator, you have the chance to positively influence students.

Q: Many educators take advantage of online graduate courses offered by CSC. How can those classes benefit current teachers and administrators?

For teachers who are currently teaching and want to add another endorsement area or work on a master's program, online courses are the way to go. It is beneficial to anyone wanting to further their education and not leave the comfort of their home. Teachers are busy and online courses are a great way to further their education and move across the pay scale.

Q: There is a strong tradition of CSC producing talented teachers. What does that tradition mean to you and your colleagues?

I am a product of Chadron State College Education department. I tell the students I take their degrees very seriously. Not only are they representing themselves as an individual, but they're also representing me and Chadron State College. I am very proud of my degree I obtained from CSC and I am also very proud of the products we put out into the schools.

CHADRON - As adviser to Chadron State College students who are planning on a career in veterinary medicine, CSC faculty member Lara Madison, said she hears people joke that the educational requirements for admission to veterinarian schools are so stringent that students who don't make it into vet school become doctors.

Three recent CSC graduates have met that challenge head on, and recently earned entrance to veterinary medicine schools for the fall 2016 semester, even though Chadron State doesn't offer a major tailored to that career path.

That hasn't deterred many students, though, as 43 CSC graduates have been accepted into veterinary schools since 1987.

The most recent CSC graduates, Amber Christianson and Dallas Shaw, will begin classes at Washington State University's veterinary school this fall, while Brittany Senecal will attend Illinois State.

Christianson, a December 2015 graduate, and Shaw, who completed her undergraduate degree in May, are both from Wyoming. Senecal, who graduated in 2014 and is currently assistant director of housing and residence life at CSC, is from Colorado.

Only 28 schools in the U.S. offer four-year veterinary medicine degrees and the small number of spaces at each school are among the reasons that the entrance process is so selective, according to Madison.

"They say they only require a 3.0 (grade point average), but if you look at who they accept the average is 3.6," she said.

Another challenge for pre-vet students is keeping track of the prerequisite courses at the different schools, because they aren't standardized, Madison said.

"Veterinary schools don't have a general core of prerequisites," said Madison, who keeps a spreadsheet to help students track the requirements for the schools they hope to attend.

While CSC offers courses needed to gain entry into most vet schools, completing them all within four years can be a challenge, because there isn't a pre-vet major, according to Madison.

"We don't have a single path," she said. "They take a major in the science department because those courses match the prerequisites. It's similar to pre-med but they don't take human anatomy."

That does offer some flexibility, however, as students can put together a degree to match their interests, Madison said.

"They can put things in that make sense for their career path. They can take mammalogy," she said. "They can take ornithology. We have all sorts of courses that the typical biology degree doesn't."

Another challenge is the requirement that applicants have 1,000 hours of job shadowing with a veterinarian and students must submit applications to vet schools during their junior year.

All of those hurdles didn't deter Senecal from pursuing the goal she has had since childhood of becoming a veterinarian. Senecal's parents are second generation pet store owners, so she grew up working with animals, and knowing that vet care is a big part of store overhead. The combination of working multiple jobs to pay for college, and a tough chemistry class almost derailed her plans, but Senecal persisted, and earned a biology degree in 2014. To complete the job shadowing hours, she took an internship with a dental veterinary specialist in Colorado.

Concerned that her GPA wasn't high enough, she also enrolled in classes at Metro State College in Denver, an experience that gave some insight into the strength of the CSC programs, she said.

"Their (Metro State's) classes were infinitely easier than (CSC's), Senecal said. "It's rough here but if you get through it, and you get in, you are prepared."

With prerequisites completed, Senecal applied to five vet schools, and made the waiting list for one. She applied again the next year and again was put on the waiting list. In her third round of applications, she gained admission to the vet school at the University of Illinois and is ready to begin the program there in a few months. Undecided on a specialty at present, Senecal is thinking about critical care or canine reproduction. "What I'd want to do is work at pet stores and make sure the sires and dams are healthy," she said.

Shaw's path to vet school also wasn't direct. She had a basketball scholarship to attend CSC and entered as a criminal justice major. Shaw switched to a biology degree, with a pre-vet minor in her second year, motivated in part by her family's ranching background.

"I've always been around animals," she said.

The rigorous science background needed for vet school entrance led Shaw to drop basketball in her final year at CSC.

"You have to dedicate a lot of time (to coursework)," she said. "That's why I didn't play my senior year."

Shaw also applied to several vet schools and was accepted at Washington State. Wyoming residents can attend there at resident tuition rates, which will help with the cost of school, said Shaw, who plans to return to Wyoming and work with large animals after completing her degree.

Chadron State's pre-vet curriculum provided a strong background for vet school, according to Shaw. She also said working with Chadron veterinarian Dr. Lynn Steadman was valuable preparation for her career.

Taking an active role in CSC's pre-vet club is a good way to gain insight into the application process, Madison said. On a visit to the vet school at Colorado State this year, club members were able to have direct discussions with admissions representatives. Club members also attend a national conference of pre-vet majors where they can visit with representatives from many different vet schools.

Madison said she tries to make contact with students interested in vet school during their first year at CSC, so she can help them take courses that meet the prerequisites of the schools they want to attend.

"I help them navigate the requirements for the schools," she said.

Once CSC students are accepted to a vet school, they are well prepared for the four years of additional training, and the demanding, science-oriented classes that it will take to become a veterinarian, according to Madison.

"We have really good courses that give the students a good foundation," she said.

That's part of the success CSC students have had in veterinary medicine for many years said long-time faculty member Joyce Hardy.

"We have had a strong and proud tradition of successfully preparing students for veterinary medicine professional school, going back as long as I can remember," Hardy said.

CHADRON - Chadron State College has announced the names of students who qualified for the institution's spring 2016 academic honors lists.

The President's List requires a 4.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale. Students on the Dean's List earned at least a 3.5 GPA. Students must also be enrolled in 12 credit hours of coursework during the semester to qualify.

President's List: Nebraska | Colorado | South Dakota | Wyoming | Other States and Nations

Deans' List: Nebraska | Colorado | South Dakota | Wyoming | Other States and Nations

President's List

Nebraska

Alliance: Shelby Ackerman, Zachary Clark, Logan Dietrich, Janelle Dutton, Hannah Fessler, Elizabeth Goodell, Isabella Irish, Ashly Lunbery, Hannah Miller, Brettni Mills, Jayme Nunes, Jacob Palmer, Christian Rivera, Josie Seidler, Danielle Shimp, James Vermilion

Ansley: Ashley Bundy

Atkinson: Jessica Thiele

Auburn: Chelsea Haynes

Bartlett: Lane Day

Bayard: Steven DeVault, Ashton Rose, Kristyn Stricker

Bellevue: Joel Milos

Benkelman: Brianne Shillington

Bennington: Brittnie Wedel

Big Springs: John McClung

Bradshaw: Dacia Stuhr

Brady: Autumn Hild

Brewster: Megan McLean

Bridgeport: Marqui Keim

Broken Bow: Kristina McGann

Central City: Sara Joe

Chadron: Jennifer Allen, Taylor Allison, Nicky Banzhaf, Rebecca Beu, Sadie Bolze, Amy Carnahan, MacKenzie Carroll, Kaylee Gaswick, Laural Harris, Larissa Hastings, Cassandra Kuebler, Vincent La Barca, Catherine Mailloux, Jamie McLain, Wayne Robison, Chelsea Rugg, Leanne DeKay, Jessica Hartman

Chappell: Katherine Ashmore

Cody: Shannon Schneider

Columbus: Whitney Coop

Cozad: Todd Roenfeldt

Crawford: Allison Allen, Brittney Allen, Charles Anderson, Nina Anderson, Alyssa Dodd, Lindsay Dunn, Taylor Osmotherly, Lance Stasinski

Curtis: Regan Garey

Ellsworth: Sierra Bixby

Ewing: Kelsey Brummels

Ewing: Leyna Brummels

Farnam: Timothy Aanenson

Fort Calhoun: Chelsea Lukasiewicz

Gering: Justin Brester, Patrick Fuller, Morgan Greene, Morgan Kuykendall, Daniel O'Boyle, Katherine O'Boyle, Dakota Wademan

Gordon: Shea Lindsey, Micah Scherbarth

Gothenburg: Kayla Anderson

Grand Island: Nathan Maginnis, Miranda Oberschulte

Greenwood: Teryn Blessin

Gurley: Garrett Westman

Harrison: Jeremiah Fink

Hastings: Jonathan Rodriguez

Hay Springs: Tauna Letcher, Skyler Ryan, Jennifer Scherbarth

Hemingford: Taylor Forgey, Thomas Linegar, Alexis Phillips, Irene Prochazka

Henry: Brandon Avila

Holdrege: Miranda Karn

Hubbard: Rachel Blair

Kimball: Jessica Hanks, Colton Snyder

Lincoln: Holly Atterbury, James Harrison

Louisville: McKenna Jones

Maxwell: Kassandra Schuett

Maywood: Justine Stone

McCook: Laykin Engell, Isaac Langan

Minatare: Christian Miller

Minden: Cheyenne Wilson

Mitchell: Stephanie Alfred, Julie Chambers, Hattie Guzman, Barbara Pieper, Spencer Rien

Nenzel: Sami Schmit

North Platte: Gabrielle Brumfield, Amy Callendar-Taft, Ashley Lewis, Ashley Melvin, Cara Sanchez, Lane Swedberg, Margaret Vinton

Oconto: Garret Dockweiler

Ogallala: Shyanne Foster, Sydni Stevens

Omaha: Aaron Duin, Hollie Hanash, Alexandra Knapp, Jennifer Murray, Megan O'Leary, Jordyn Schwenk

O'Neill: Logan Spencer

Ord: Emily Blaha

Oshkosh: Shelby McKay, Diana Paisley

Paxton: Shandi Bricker

Pickrell: Matt Fujan

Rushville: Brittany Hoagland, Cassandra Jackson, Derek Janssen, Melissa Jech, Shae Tausan, Ame Woodbeck

Saint Paul: Cleo Scheer

Scottsbluff: Lauren Armstrong, Robert Cantril, Mary Durbin, Yadira Gurrola, Matthew Klein, Krystal Rodriguez, Randall Wentz, Krysilen Yarnell

Seward: Ashlyn Hanson

Sidney: Karson Langley

St. Paul: Jordyn Hulinsky

Stapleton: Kali Blevins, Kellie Main

Sutherland: Alissa Meyer, Susan Quick

Valentine: Angela Cruz, Justin Hartman, Holli Schmitz

Verdigre: Kelsey Knust

Waco: Wendy Rathjen

Wahoo: Emma Harris

West Point: Jordan Hagedorn

Wood Lake: Sara Marlatt

Colorado

Akron: Shelby Dunker

Arvada: Zoe Leishman

Bennett: Joshua Miller

Bethune: McKayla Stephen

Calhan: Morgan Helton

Colorado Springs: Jade Capezzuto, Draper Sullivan

Denver: Abel Gugsa

Erie: Haley Gallagher

Evergreen: Brianna Phillips

Firestone: Shyanna Neu

Fort Collins: Rachael Guiberson, Courtney Lecher

Fort Morgan: Madalyn Brashears, Josef Gertner

Gill: Jaylinn Lohr

Greeley: David Jones

Highlands Ranch: Cynthia Lee

Holyoke: Logan Zeiler

Hugo: Rebecca Kraxberger

Limon: Breanna Stickels

Loveland: Heather Walls, Madison Webb

Pueblo West: Ashley Goad

Sedgwick: Keeya Marquez

Sterling: Timmi Keisel

Westminster: Alyssa Geist

Wiley: Mittie Helm

South Dakota

Belle Fourche: Christian Buresh, Paige Bush, Melanie Nelson, Tori Stepp

Black Hawk: Stachia Reuwsaat

Blunt: Elizabeth Bourk

Box Elder: Kylee Pourier, Matthew Vinson

Chamberlain: Bryson Hellmuth

Hermosa: Taylor Bauer

Hill City: Mackenzie Swanson

Interior: Brandy Kammerer

Martin: Abbie Alexander

Mitchell: Chandler Nelson

Philip: Afton Burns

Piedmont: Jessica Orose

Pierre: Renae Kueter, Samantha Merrill, Tory Snyder

Quinn: Lissa Papousek

Rapid City: Brittney Anderson, Aimee Glandt, Tessa Gorsuch, Angela Schafer, Angelica Spreen

Spearfish: MacKenna Broeder, Kellie Morford

Tuthill: Tanya Stehlik

Wyoming

Albin: Cassady Malm

Big Piney: Jordon Cooper

Buffalo: Desiree Brito, Lara Morris, Caitlan Nimick

Casper: Callie Johnson, Tristan Loyd, Allen May

Cheyenne: Kaitlin Borm, Sheridan Hanson, Kymberlie Marrill

Douglas: Taylor Dick, Dianna Hale, Morgan Hays, Sarah Townsend

Gillette: Jessica Kornemann, Laken Kuenzel

LaGrange: Sarah Cline

Laramie: Jamie Henry

Newcastle: Dillon Ehlers, Courtney Munger

Pine Bluffs: Alejandro Garcia

Rawlins: Dean Michel

Riverton: Molly Thornton

Rock Springs: Clayton Cundall

Sheridan: Chae Bybee, Alex Lassle, Darcy Mitchell

Sundance: Robin Moore

Thermopolis: Jennifer Cramer

Torrington: Mikayla Brower-Wisroth, Laura Cataldi, Chrisanna Foltz, Alisa Reyes

Wheatland: Jennifer Bruns

Wright: Holly Real

Other States and Nations

Carlos Calle, Daleville, Ala.

Sierra Winkle, Tucson, Ariz.

Christopher Hudson, Carlsbad, Calif.

Rudy Leasau, La Mesa, Calif.

Phillip Avery, Paradise, Calif.

Seth Holcomb, Vallecito, Calif.

Farid Jalilvand, West Covina, Calif.

Cindy Ethington, Clermont, Fla.

DeAndra Miller, Greenacres, Fla.

Kevin Coy, Lake Wales, Fla.

Rose MacClure, Whiting, Iowa

Jedidiah Rice, Kellogg, Idaho

Rebekah Anthony, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Amanda Jeter, Lecompton, Kan.

Brock Thumm, Watervliet, Mich.

Madison Weikert, Belgrade, Mont.

Jerica Rabenberg, Dickinson, N.D.

Danielle Goulis, Brunswick, Ohio

Sean Rukgaber, Galeton, Penn.

William Krause, Canyon Lake, Texas

Jennifer Self, Henderson, Texas

Cristina Valle, San Antonio, Texas

Shikira Sanders, Emporia, Va.

Yohannes Berehanu, Addis Ababa

Simon Gudeta, Addis Ababa

Keeley Pearce, Adelaide, Australia

Natnicha Songthangtham, Bangkok

Anh Le, Hanoi

Uyen Han, Ho Chi Minh City

Nabin Shrestha, Kathmandu, Nepal

Alphese Stubbs, Nassau

Lelalelei Nomura, Pago Pago

Ting Qian, Shanghai

Maria Evtodieva, Syktyvkar

Olga Grushina, Syktyvkar

Sofia Trefilova, Syktyvkar

Yuxuan Zhang, Taiyuan

Dean's List

Nebraska

Ainsworth: Quentin Wagner, Abigail Wiebesiek

Alliance: Broc Anderson, Ellie Applegarth, Jessi Aufrecht, Shayleen Behm, Mani Freeman, Efrain Gallegos, Lacy Helms, Sydnie Hiemstra, Kyle Hooper, Christa Horn, Monique Jensen, Aydin Mack, Lauren Moller, Devan Oligmueller, Elizabeth Orr, Eli Reynaga, Rylee Schnell, Maria Valdez

Ashby: Travis Hoover

Atkinson: Mackenzie Hale

Axtell: Bethany Bergstrom

Beatrice: Delaney Baxa

Benkelman: Kindra Vanderford

Bennington: Alexis Farris, Dillon Hilger

Bradshaw: Jessica Tracy

Bridgeport: Janelle Kesterson

Burwell: William McClintic

Callaway: Michaela Weverka

Cambridge: Troy Gregory

Chadron: Justine Ackie, Hannah Andersen, Jacob Anderson, Alia Brennan, Brenton Bussinger, Asia Carr, Miles Chasek, Mariah Conyers, Jamie Damon, James Davis, Jackson Dickerson, Aaron Eagle, Nicholas Enos, Heather Gibson, Brandon Girard, Kayla Hall, Clayton Hinman, Alexander Jensen, Lane Jersild, Keenan Johnson, Shayna Johnson, Jennifer Kallunki, Ashten McConnell, Elspeth Moon, Allison Munk, Ashtyn Nelson, Heather Yi Lin Ong, Kristavia Passero, Jordan Price, Megan Rust, Jessica Steffen-Schepers, Tristin Stein, Trace Strotheide, Sara Tompkins, Rebecca Volf

Chappell: Jillian Kepler

Clarks: Chancy Miller

Columbus: Joslynn VanDerslice, Melissa VanDerslice

Crawford: Dylan Stansbury

Crete: Brianna Williams

David City: Julia Witter

Eagle: Maryah Harding

Edgar: Matthew Rohrer

Fremont: Hannah Love

Ft. Calhoun: Anna Boll

Geneva: Courtney Pendleton

Gering: Christian Gunia, Courtney Haywood, Ciera Keith, Kelsea Prieels, David Safford, Chloe Santos, Zachary Smith, Erin Vacha

Gordon: Rylan Fultz

Grand Island: Marcella Luton, Kaleb Puncochar, Jason Scholz, Dillon Spies

Grant: Taylor Boldt

Haigler: Meg Peterson

Hampton: Rachel Dowling

Harrison: Jonathan Dunn, Jennifer Fowler, John Murphy, Nathan Woodrum

Hastings: Brandon Kile, Tyler Prescott

Hay Springs: Elias Badje, Jaycee Housh, Cydney Jancik, Kellie Smith

Hebron: Madison Reece

Hemingford: Colt Foster, Blake Hansen, Kelsy Wood

Herman: Marietta Kuhl

Hubbard: Jayden Gubbels

Imperial: Justin German, Breanna Krutsinger

Johnstown: Derek Pollock

Juniata: Jaden Lacy

Kearney: Jennifer Daake

Kenesaw: Christian Brumbaugh

Kilgore: Kimberly Goodwin

Kimball: Kallie Bush

Lakeside: Brittany Stetson

Lewellen: Jesse Bleidt, Frantzlee LaCrete

Lincoln: Joshua Mayer, Brandy Poole

Linwood: Matthew Croghan

Lyman: Alison Briggs

Lyons: Morgan Olsen

Maxwell: Jessica Schrad

Maywood: Anna Fischer

McCook: Mitchell Collicott, Taylor Geisler, Darian Krysl, Patricia Mitnik

Milligan: Cody Filipi

Minatare: Tyler Koke, Miguel Martinez

Mitchell: Danielle Grentz, Colton Keller, Havannah Newens, Morgan Rien, Mackenzie Smith

Morrill: Morgan Peacock

Mullen: Kylee French

Norfolk: Kyle Temple

North Loup: Nolan Grint

North Platte: Kelsey Cahill, Abigail Cary, Rachel Hanson, Darcey Lindsey, Audri Pelton

Ogallala: Angela-Katherine Mackey, Curtis Stevens, Brianna Wilson

O'Neill: Brittany Soukup

Ord: Grant Gydesen

Oshkosh: Corinne Carlton

Papillion: John Porter

Pierce: Noah Fisher

Plattsmouth: Michael Steube

Potter: Donica Enevoldsen, Talia Enevoldsen, Alyssa Sanders

Randolph: Leo Haselhorst

Red Cloud: Miles McDole

Rushville: Kolten Marx

Sargent: Emily Clayton, Kaylee Clayton, Kalen Grint, Ryan Mosier

Scottsbluff: Cutler Busch, Hamidou Conde, Ashley Dillman, Dakota Gellner, Mikayla Kreider, Chadwick Nagasawa, Kayla Pierce, Olivia Salazar, Johnathan Sayaloune, Lindsey Schanaman, BriAnn Straub

Seward: Caitlin Gustafson

Sidney: MacKenzie Bowker, Erin Bown, Barrett Browne, Roberto Guzman, Natausha Holtz, Andrew Phelps, Derek Phelps, Leah Uhlir

Spalding: Nicole Thramer

Springview: Phillip Lewis

Stanton: Zachary Doffin

Stratton: Jyssica Forch

Sutherland: BreAhnna Thompson

Taylor: Abagaile Hill

Tilden: Rhonda Heldt

Utica: McKenzie Dvorak

Valentine: Shyloe Battershaw, Kolton Brown, Savannah Jackson, Sophie Lopez

Walthill: Martina Juhlin

Wellfleet: Brooke Moore

Wilber: Katie Odvody

York: Kenneth Parr

Colorado

Bailey: Jacob Robl

Brighton: Kayla Michel

Calhan: Wyatt Helton

Colorado Springs: Shelby Austin, Shea Graham

Craig: Morgan Carrico

Denver: Chelsea Starr

Eaton: Jazmin Schwark

Firestone: Caroline Johnson

Fort Morgan: Cody Davis

Grand Junction: Cierra Cosslett

Highlands Ranch: Austin Fajfer, Drew Kasch, Greggory Peterson

Julesburg: Spencer Gerk, Lauren Newman

Loveland: Brianna Blunck, Tyler Kiess

Ordway: Zachary West

Platteville: Magnuson Reinick

Pueblo: Angelique Urenda

Pueblo West: Derek Jackson

Sterling: Mackenzie Chrisman, Bryony Trump

Thornton: Mikaela Fatzinger

Westminster: Cheyanna Thompson

South Dakota

Black Hawk: Daniel Espinosa-Cariveau

Buffalo Gap: Breezy Boldon

Chamberlain: Jonnie-Lynn Massingale

Clearfield: Rachel Tate

Custer: Geena Carlson, Cody Martinz, Jade Spring

Geddes: Brandi Cwach

Hermosa: Gina Bale

Hot Springs: Kolby Benson, Justin Harkless, Shelby Hills, Samuel Martin

Interior: Rolly Fortune

Kadoka: Chandlier Sudbeck

Newell: Prestyn Novak

Piedmont: Tylee Evans, Emily Lisko

Pierre: Cattibrie Riggle

Pine Ridge: Denni Steele

Rapid City: Bailey Broderick, Alexander Ferdinand, James Hubbeling, Jared Maciejczak

Spearfish: Marissa Apland, Heather Clark, Savannah Johnson

Sturgis: Kelsey Kinney

Summerset: Jessica Pekron

Timber Lake: Laura O'Leary

Wyoming

Albin: Colton Wright

Buffalo: Shannon Horn, Dallas Shaw

Burns: Travis Romsa

Carpenter: Preston Goehring

Casper: Stevann Brown, Lexis Ferguson

Cheyenne: Joshua Borm, Brenna Thompson

Cody: Stephanie Tarbett

Douglas: Blake Brooks, Reed Burgener, Zachary Henderson, Celina Leman, Robert Ricks

Evansville: Teren Hanson

Gillette: Garret Brunson, Marleigha McDonald, Evan Smith

Glenrock: Serena Brooks

Green River: Alyse Henry

Greybull: Calder Forcella

LaGrange: Chandra Stoddard

Lingle: Henry Jackson

Newcastle: Kiana Cade, Kaitlin Macke

Pine Bluffs: Carly Eastman

Pinedale: Ethan Proud

Rock Springs: Cassidy Johnson, Cory Salitrik

Sheridan: Susan Finley

Sundance: Jamie Sigel, Savannah Silbaugh

Torrington: Caitlyn Cummings, Nicole Donbraska, James Martin, Xiyun Tu

Other States and Nations

Hannah Wharton, Ketchikan, Alaska

Ian Ahrens, Palmer, Alaska

Andre Woodson, Elk Grove, Calif.

Evan Bruce, Fontana, Calif.

Taylor Shortall, Lakeside, Calif.

Megan Vincent, Poway, Calif.

Ethan Haddock, Ridgecrest, Calif.

Rachel Doty, San Jose, Calif.

Tara Medigovich, San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Kirandeep Mand, Tallahassee, Fla.

Cory Martens, Newton, Kan.

Brandon Faber, Overland Park, Kan.

Courtland Joshua, Donaldsonville, La.

Robert Taylor, Jefferson, La.

Tiffany Thomas, Columbia, Md.

Mouhamad Ahmad, Dearborn, Mich.

Kristina Binnebose, Brownton, Minn.

Christopher Sasser, Ocean Springs, Miss.

Shelbey Nagle, Circle, Mont.

Olivia Vester, Glendive, Mont.

Keziah Johnson, Dickinson, N.D.

William McLaughlin, Navajo, N.M.

Mellisa Hislop, Springfield Gardens, N.Y.

Fiker Waldemeskel, Philadelphia, Penn.

Kendrick Haverly, Beaumont, Texas

Chad Hall, Brazoria, Texas

Tochukwu Mbanugo, Fresno, Texas

Clay Nelson, Kyle, Texas

Jacob Voorhis, Fort Valley, Va.

Meron Achahmanew, Lorton, Va.

Maxwell Gray, Arlington, Wash.

JaCarla Webb, Puyallup, Wash.

Matthew Reader, Appleton, Wisc.

Lynda Talady, Appleton, Wisc.

Leigh Saffin, Mailors Flat, Victoria Australia

Mekdelawit Tadesse, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Tsion Woldekiros, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Medina Adem, Addis Ababa, Ethiopa

Keren Boyce, Arad, Israel

Anna Dembele, Bamako, Mali

Nattanit Songthangtham, Bangkok, Thailand

Shoichi Arai, Kashiwa, Japan

Melina Khadgi, Kathmandu, Nepal

Rayven Nairn, Nassau, Bahamas

Natsuki Sato, Oita-Shi, Japan

Ta-Fu Lin, Xiamen, China

CHADRON - The amount of knowledge available instantaneously via the Internet has fundamentally changed the role of teachers from providers of information to developers of critical thinking skills, according to Chadron State College science faculty member Dr. Joyce Hardy.

CSC instructors are adapting to the change with courses that emphasize inquiry-based learning and authentic research experience.

Hardy and fellow faculty members in CSC's physical and life sciences department, Dr. Ann Buchmann and Dr. Wendy Jamison, shared their experiences with those new teaching methods before an audience of educators from around the country at the annual Lilly Conference on College and University Teaching and Learning in Newport Beach, California, in February. In a presentation at the conference, the three professors discussed the use of case studies, research experiences, inquiry-based labs and problem-based learning in CSC biology classes.

"Teaching is very different from when I started," Hardy said. "The focus then was for the instructor to organize and synthesize hard-to-find information and present that to students. With the information glut and availability, that role is no longer appropriate. Students have access to far more information than they can possibly use."

The new role of teachers is to help students determine when they need more information, where to find it, how to evaluate what they find and how to use it to make informed decisions, Hardy said.

"Higher education has really undergone a dramatic change, and the expectations for our students after they leave us have changed significantly," she said.

Hardy said she and Buchmann have previously been involved in national discussions about how biology instruction should be changed to meet today's needs, and Buchmann and Jamison have attended conferences on integrating problem-based learning into classrooms.

"All (of us) have been actively involved in changing our classrooms to meet these national conversations," she said. "These conferences allow us to share what has worked well for us, and our challenges, and to learn from others."

While the specifics of the new instruction techniques vary depending on the course topic and level, the general framework is to have students learn basic material prior to class, give instructors time to provide a short lecture on topics that may be difficult to understand and then move students into groups for activities, discussions, problems or case studies that allow for more critical learning of the material, Hardy said.

"The national conversation has shifted our focus from memorization to more authentic learning of information," Hardy said. "The instructor and text book are no longer sole source and students can find and learn through the Internet and each other."

In scientific fields, research shows that students learn best by doing science, the professors' said in a description of their conference presentation topic. For CSC biology students, that translates into beginning with courses that introduce and develop scientific inquiry skills, moving to advanced classes that involve authentic research guided by instructors, and ending with courses that include student-directed research.

The Lilly Conference presentation focused in part on CSC's scaffolding of multiple courses at different levels to develop scientific inquiry skills throughout the curriculum, rather than viewing classes as individual units. That emphasis appeared to be well received by conference attendees, whom Hardy said were thrilled to see examples of integrating student research into multiple classes and the specific methods CSC uses in teaching research skills to freshmen.

Faculty collaboration in teaching both knowledge and skills across different courses is a strength of CSC's biology program. That's a good thing for students, according to Hardy.

"Students benefit from gaining learning and critical thinking skills, content knowledge, application of knowledge to make informed decisions and problem solving," she said. "All of these are necessary to function in any aspect of today's society."

CSC faculty members Dr. Mary Jo Carnot, Todd Jamison and Dr. Lara Madison also attended the Lilly Conference, which had over 250 participants from 105 institutions. The Lilly Conference series began in 1981 and now involves about 2,000 participants each year at several different locations around the country.

CHADRON— The 2016 Story Catcher Summer Writing Workshop and Festival, "Writing Wild," is now open for registration and pre-workshop retreat lodging is limited to 15 participants.

The writing retreat portion of the workshop will be at Fort Robinson, Nebraska, June 9-10. The emphasis of the retreat is to build a community of writers by sharing written work as well as individual writing processes.

Three writers-in-residence will be featured: poet Robert Wrigley, author Kim Barnes and author Joe Wilkins. Author Dan O'Brien will also join as a special guest.

A registration fee of $350 includes two days lodging at Fort Rob and admission to the general workshop and festival on the Chadron State College campus June 11-12.

The general workshop and festival will be at the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center, featuring both Wrigley and Barnes, and writer Alan Wilkinson.

The general workshop fee is $150 and includes access to workshops, events and reception, as well as continental breakfast and refreshments.

Complete workshop information is available online.

For registration and workshop questions contact scoughlin@csc.edu.

CHADRON - The convenience and flexibility of earning an advanced degree completely online makes Chadron State College an attractive option for professional educators seeking to advance their career by moving into administrative roles, according to Jesse Sealey, graduate faculty member in CSC's education administration program.

Chadron State, founded in 1911 as a school for training teachers, has offered master's degrees in education administration for many years, but the online component of the program has only been in place for about 10 years.

About 130 students are enrolled in the education administration master's program currently. A majority of the students are from the region and many have undergraduate degrees from CSC, Sealey said. Because the program is online, students from all across the country and even overseas are enrolled as well, he said.

"The flexibility of our program, and the online format, makes it accessible to a wide variety of students," Sealey said. "Almost all of our students are practicing teachers and they are scattered across the map, so it allows us to connect with a very wide audience."

The range of students enrolled in the program includes new teachers and those with years of experience in education.

"Some students are relatively new teachers who work toward the degree to use later in their careers and others are veteran teachers who have chosen to move into a leadership role," Sealey said. "Some students choose to use their degrees right away, while others may stay in the classroom for a period of time before moving into an administrative role."

Many of the courses in the program, including research design, data analysis and school law, are required of all students. But the Educational Administration Practicum, a year-long course that involves working with school administrators is probably the most influential for students, Sealey said.

"During this time, students take on leadership roles within their settings and complete at least 200 hours of administrative tasks," he said.

Practicum course requirements are tailored to the individual student's situation.

"(Situations are tailored) so no two students have the same experience," Sealey said. "Some students may be analyzing district assessment data while others are conducting mock classroom observations. Each opportunity is unique and still allows the student to experience situations that practicing administrators face on a daily basis."

The flexibility of online courses allows students to take classes at times that are convenient for their own schedule.

"As most of our students are practicing classroom teachers, many of them tend to take a heavier course load in the summer when they have more free time," Sealey said.

Since students can take courses to fit their schedules, the time needed to complete the degree program varies. While many students are able to complete the program in two years, others may take longer, Sealey said.

The program can also be customized to meet the student's goals, with options of earning endorsements in elementary, secondary, or K-12 administration.

Providing courses entirely online does have some limitations, but CSC has found ways to overcome them.

"It can be difficult for us to personally connect to each student, but we do utilize technology to frequently video conference with students, in order to make those connections and put a personal touch on the program," he said.

Sealey predicts enrollment in CSC's education master's degree program will continue to grow.

"We have a reputation of offering a quality program for preparing future administrators. We are able to deliver courses in a way that is convenient for students. Our program is very competitive when it comes to cost and there will always be a need for qualified administrators in our schools," he said.

CHADRON — At the beginning of a college student's academic career, life after school can seem far away. However, Chadron State College education students enrolled in block classes learn the ability to see what their futures have in store.

Block at CSC is one semester of a yearlong academic program referred to as Professional Year that all education majors must complete in order to graduate. The other semester in the Professional Year is student teaching.

"Past students talk about block and how much work you do. You cover a lot of material in a short amount of time, so it seems like a lot to handle and you know you have to take it in order to graduate," said Zach Smith, an elementary education major of Gering, Nebraska.

Elementary and secondary block are designed to prepare prospective teachers for the rigors of daily life in the classroom. Chadron State's education students are accepted into block through an application process that requires applicants to pass certain prerequisites and maintain a 2.75 GPA.

The 12-credit hour course for elementary block is comprised of eight different sessions in a single classroom setting: Classroom management, curriculum and counseling, human relations, assessment, science and health, primary reading, intermediate reading and reading diagnosis.

Block for secondary teaching candidates is worth six credit hours and comprised of classroom management, curriculum and standards, assessment, special education practices and strategies, reading in the content area and human relations.

CSC faculty members Dr. Henry McCallum, Dr. Karen Enos, Dr. Lorie Hunn, Dr. Jesse Sealey and Robin Brierly taught the 22 students enrolled in elementary block this spring. Each of the five individually taught and led different subject materials weekly.

Brierly, who teaches primary reading, intermediate reading and reading diagnosis, tries to incorporate hands-on activities and learning, in the hopes of developing primary teaching skills.

"The courses that I teach in block are filled with skills and strategies that the students will need when they are out in the world as teachers," Brierly said. "I try to use many hands on activities that they can incorporate in to the classroom."

Smith said even though the extensive subject material led to extra homework, the class was well instructed.

"Some weeks we had a lot of assignments, but I took a lot from it and I think the instructors managed the time very well, considering there was so much to cover," Smith said.

Jamie McLain, senior of Chadron, Nebraska, said the discussion driven environment of block sometimes leads to lively discussions, however, the open nature of the course is ultimately engaging.

"Typically, the students lead the discussion. The professors guide us, but the environment is very open and conversational. Our class this semester was very strong-minded and opinionated, so we had some very heated discussions, but we learned a lot because of that," McLain said. "I thought the instructors did a great job allowing the students to lead in discussion."

Along with academic lessons, block students benefit from Professional Development Workshops (PDW). The informational lectures are led by instructors ranging from police officers to technology gurus, and explore material not necessarily taught in college.

Justine Ackie, senior of Phoenix, Arizona, said the workshops were instructive and fun.

"The PDWs were awesome and probably my favorite part of block. They showed us things like how to detect the physical signs of someone on drugs and how to run all sorts of technology in the classroom," Ackie said.

PDWs are not the only view into real world teaching block students get.

Every semester the block class also travels to local schools, so students can observe classrooms in a natural setting. This semester the block class traveled to the Pine Ridge Reservation and Lexington, Nebraska.

McLain, who plans on student teaching in Douglas, Wyoming, this fall, particularly enjoyed the Lexington field trip because the block class met students with multilingual abilities.

"Lexington was impressive because the kids could speak multiple languages fluently and it was interesting to see how the teachers handled that. I met a boy who could speak nine languages fluently," McLain said.

Block culminates with a critical assessment of the students' performance, but not in the form of exams or term papers. Students complete evaluations assessing themselves, then instructors review the evaluations and add specific comments or critiques.

Subjects evaluated involve primary academic skills like discussion participation and writing ability and work attire.

"Among the many things on the evaluation, dress attire is one of the areas we must grade ourselves on. Some people don't prefer it, but I didn't mind having to dress up every day," McLain said.

Dress code aside, Ackie, who is student teaching in Chadron this fall, is happy the block experience is available at CSC.

"Not all colleges have something like a block semester and usually go straight into student teaching," Ackie said. "I am happy Chadron State requires it, because now I feel much more prepared to teach."

CHADRON - Chadron State College recently announced four full time employees were hired and two others received title changes in May.

The new employees are Teresa Elliott, Zachary Henderson, Houston Reed and Nick Yardley.

Elliott and Henderson were both hired for Office Assistant II positions. Elliott works in the Justice Studies department in Old Admin, while Henderson works for Human Resources in Sparks Hall.

Reed is the new Head Men's Basketball Coach and his office is located in the Chicoine Center. Yardley is a Maintenance Repair Worker II.

Both title changes occurred in residence life. Austen Stephens, formerly the Associate Director of Residence Life, is now the Associate Director of Housing and Residence Life. Mariah Nelson, formerly an Assistant Director of Residence Life, is now the Associate Director of Residence Life.

CHADRON - The Chadron State College Campus Arboretum Volunteers (CAV) will be planting water-conserving plants at the Rangeland Lab building Saturday, June 4. The event will begin at 10 a.m. and conclude at noon.

Horticulturists Bob Henrickson and Justin Evertson from the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum (NSA) will deliver the plants from the NSA greenhouse and explain their qualities while helping volunteers install the planting around the Rangeland Lab, located on the east edge of campus at the end of the 12^th Street extension.

According to CSC horticulturist Lucinda Mays, the rain garden will feature plants especially well-suited for thriving in rain run-off conditions.

Volunteers are invited to dress for the weather, bring gloves and trowels if possible.

Families are welcome and snacks are provided. Contact lmays@csc.edu for additional details.

CHADRON - Headlines blaring stories of the huge debts that students all across America are taking on to finance their college education have become commonplace, but Chadron State College Director of Assessment, Dr. Bob Adebayo, thinks much of the problem stems from a lack of knowledge, not a shortage of money.

In a book published earlier this year, "College The No-Debt Way: No-Debt College Grads Share their Secrets," Adebayo outlines a host of strategies for obtaining financial assistance to pay for higher education and backs up the practicality of those ideas with quotes from students who have used them to graduate from college debt-free.

The book is already finding its way to one segment of its intended audience. "College The No-Debt Way" will be used as a resource in the summer session of Upward Bound program based at Chadron State College, according to Heather Barry, an Upward Bound academic adviser.

Upward Bound is a federally funded program aimed at motivating and supporting high school students from low-income families to further their education. Adebayo is expected to speak to the Upward Bound class June 24.

Although post-secondary education in the United States can be costly, there are more programs, incentives, and opportunities to graduate without debt than most people realize, Adebayo said.

"If you look at the higher education system all over the world, no country like the United States does the kind of stuff we do," he said. "There are dozens of ways to get your college education for free."

Adebayo's interest in the subject began well before the recent focus on high levels of student debt in America. When he was an adjunct faculty of sociology at Ohio State University in the late 1990s, he discovered several people in his classes were high school students from the local area. Intrigued, he asked the students why they were taking college classes and learned their tuition was paid by their school districts and the course credits they earned would apply to their college degree.

"They said they would save money and avoid massive debt," Adebayo said. "I thought, Wow, that is fascinating.' That's how I got into studying debt-free college grads."

In speaking with debt-free college graduates, and sometimes their parents, Adebayo said he found some common characteristics.

"Most of them start very early in middle school. They plan," he said. "They are, for the most part, informed consumers of higher education information."

That planning gives students the opportunity to find and apply for scholarships that others may not even know about, according to Adebayo. And, while the scholarship application process takes time, it can pay off handsomely.

"One student applied for 14 scholarships. He got six of them and free college," Adebayo said.

Taking college courses while enrolled in high school and searching for scholarships are just two of the tactics that Adebayo highlights in his book. The debt-free college grads he interviewed also talked about the importance of selecting a college major early, attending an affordable college, and picking a field of study in high demand, among other strategies that helped them graduate debt-free.

Lack of information is one of the chief reasons students go into debt to pay for college, according to Adebayo. While the availability of student loans is widely known, students have to search for scholarships or other opportunities for financial assistance or tuition reduction.

"Successful graduates who have beaten the odds and avoided massive debt tend to attend affordable public colleges, especially those that provide reasonably priced tuition and fees for both in-state and out-of-state students like Chadron State College," Adebayo said.

The Chadron State Eagle Rate requires all non-Nebraska resident and international undergraduate students to pay in-state costs plus $1 more per credit hour and publications consistently rank Chadron State as one of the Best Regional Colleges in the Midwest region, Adebayo noted.

"Most scholarships are not well advertised. You have to go look," he said.

Adebayo's book doesn't offer specifics about scholarship options but provides a guide to general strategies students can use to minimize the cost of their college degree. That's backed up with plenty of quotes from students who have successfully graduated without taking out loans, and Adebayo said that's what makes the book valuable.

"I think the best thing is to get the word from the mouths of those who have done it," he said. "And I use my research to back it up."

"College The No-Debt Way" is published by Page Publishing, Inc., in New York, New York, and is available from Amazon, iTunes, Google Play and Barnes and Noble. Adebayo is also the author of "Barack Obama By the Numbers."

CHADRON - Nebraska's PBS and NPR stations will be presenting four free public eventsin Chadron June 13 and 14.

Monday, June 13, a "Nebraska Stories" screening will be at 7 p.m. in the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center. It will feature segments about Agate Fossil Beds, Toadstool Geologic Park, local artist Mary Tejeda Brown, bullfighters and trail rides. Plans include having several of the show's subjects in attendance. Registration is required for this event.

Tuesday, June 14, from 9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m., following an 8 a.m. town hall meeting with NET leadership at the Bean Broker, local guests will appear with host Genevieve Randall for a taping of "Friday LIVE." The public is invited to attend. The program will then be broadcast on Friday, June 17, at 8 a.m. on KCNE 91.9 FM in Chadron.

From noon to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jet Propulsion, the lead character in the PBS children's program "Ready Jet Go," will appear at the CSC Child Development Center. Hands-on activities will include coloring sheets, button making, an iPad lab, play with wooden blocks called Keva planks. All area families are welcome to attend the free event. Children will receive a number of give-away items. No registration is needed.

CSC accompanist Bobby Pace, music faculty members Brooks Hafey and McKay Tebbs will be among the guests appearing with Randall during the recording of "Friday LIVE."

Pace said he anticipates speaking about the strong points of the CSC music department, multiple performing ensembles, and expertise of faculty as well as discussing the intricacies of playing duo piano with Hafey.

"While pianists often collaborate with other musicians and ensembles, such as in my job as accompanist, pianists rarely collaborate with each other. It helps to be working with a musician that you trust both musically and professionally," Pace said.

He said he hopes to also emphasize the importance of having staff accompanists.

"Every institution I attended as a student did not have staff accompanists and my fellow students had to pay to hire accompanists for their musical studies," Pace said. "I think having a professional staff accompanist is an important service we offer our music students and shows our commitment to offering our students a valuable education at an affordable price."

Tebbs will be performing a jazz guitar arrangement of the Star Spangled Banner. His version incorporates such jazz techniques as swing, walking bass lines, and a rubato feel. The song will be featured on his new CD "Patriot Dreams," set to be released in July.

Tebbs said the inspiration for recording his CD is tied to his ideals.

"America was founded on principles of worshiping God, protecting families and preserving freedom. I believe strongly in these values and recorded songs with the hopes they will be meaningful to others and help preserve these freedoms for the future," he said.

CHADRON - After having their best season ever, the Chadron State College cowboys are hoping to ride high at the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) in Casper this coming week.

The Chadron State men finished the year with 4,460 points to win the Central Rocky Mountain Region's team championship by 969 points over runner-up Casper College. It's the first time a CSC men's team has won the regional title and this will be the second time CSC cowboys have qualified as a team for the national finals.

The men's team has six members. They will be accompanied by goat tier extraordinaire, Shelby Winchell of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, who won the regional championship with 1,080 points, 465 more than the runner-up.

Winchell has been among the 12 goat tying finalists at the CNFR three times and placed third in 2012 and second in 2014 in the final standings. Her points helped the CSC women's team earn the reserve champion honors at the 2014 CNFR.

This year's rodeo will begin Sunday with bulls, broncs and breakaway sessions starting at noon and 4 p.m. in the Casper Events Center.

In order to accommodate all the contestants, slack will take place both Monday and Tuesday, starting at 7 a.m. Beginning Tuesday, performances with all the trimmings will take place each evening starting at 7 o'clock, culminating with the championship go-round Saturday night. That's when the top 12 contestants in each event after the rodeo's three go-rounds have ended will compete.

The CSC men's team will be led by Clayton Van Aken of Descanso, California, who was the region's tie-down roping champion and took third in the team roping header standings. Both Winchell and Van Aken won saddles as the regional champions.

Also qualifying individually for the CNFR are Nate McFadden of Elsmere, Nebraska, and John Kissack of Gillette, Wyoming, who placed second and third, respectively, in the region's bareback standings, and Dakota Rice of Kellogg, Idaho, the third place bull rider.

Rounding out Chadron State's team in Casper will be Prestyn Novak of Newell, South Dakota, in tie down roping and Colby Anders of Bayard, Nebraska, in steer wrestling. They finished fifth and sixth, respectively, in the region in those events.

The CSC cowboys won the team title at four of the 10 rodeos in the region in this year and were the runners-up at three others.

Chadron State coach Dustin Luper also got in on the honors. He was selected the region's Coach of the Year. He believes that with a little luck the men's team will make a strong bid for the championship at the finals rodeo.

"They're all really good cowboys," he noted.

Luper added that Winchell's consistency will make her hard to beat in the goat tying.

"She definitely knows how to approach goats and tie them," Luper said.

The schedule announced this week has Kissack and McFadden riding barebacks in the second session Sunday, again Monday morning and Thursday night. There will be 36 bareback riders.

Rice will be among the last bull riders Sunday and among the first Monday. His third trip out of the chutes is Thursday night. He's the only freshman on this year's CSC team. There are 39 bull riders.

Both Van Aken and Novak will compete in Monday and Tuesday's tie down slack and make their third runs Wednesday night. There are 46 calf ropers.

Van Aken and his team roping partner, Trey Yates of Laramie County Community College, will be in the middle of both the Monday and Tuesday slack performances. Their third run will be Thursday night. Fifty team roping duos are entered.

Anders will be the next to last steer wrestler on Monday, return for the first section Tuesday and make his third go-round bid Thursday evening. The doggin has 45 contestants.

One of 56 goat tiers, Winchell will be among the last to compete in Monday's slack and the third contestant Tuesday. She'll make her third appearance Wednesday night.

EDITOR'S NOTE: College Relations is publishing a monthly series of news articles, features and Q&A interviews highlighting various departments on campus in an effort to assist the faculty and staff in gaining an increased awareness about and understanding of each others' roles and responsibilities.

The June Q&A is with Alex Helmbrecht, director of College Relations.

Q: As the director of College Relations, how do you see the role of the department?

I think the role of College Relations at Chadron State College is best defined by a statement my former journalism teacher, LaVida Dickinson, cherished: "Consistency builds credibility." Everything the department of College Relations does in some way or another ties back to that statement. If the department, and by extension Chadron State, is consistent with all it does, then its messages will be credible. College Relations is a tangible representation of the college and it is the mission of the department to promote and maintain the quality and integrity of Chadron State College through reliable communication and marketing in a variety of mediums.

Of course, CSC has been here for longer than any of us have been alive and it will continue to educate students and serve the region for many years to come. When you embody an institution as important as Chadron State, you want it to be represented in the most positive light and to remain a credible entity.

Q: Could you please explain identity standards and your department's responsibilities in administering them?

The Identity Standards were created in 2013 to help define a unified visual identity for the college. In the past, several variations of CSC logos - some approved and some unapproved - were often seen throughout Chadron and in the area. A lot of times when dealing with logos or brands, perception is reality. So, in order to build a stable foundation for Chadron State's brand, the Identity Standards were created.

The Identity Standards are a helpful tool for external agencies who wish to reproduce the CSC logo. The Identity Standards are also used on campus to maintain a consistent brand on all college publications. However, the Identity Standards aren't limited to only brand governance. The guide also provides an editorial style guide, writing tips, history on former CSC logos and direction for accurate color reproduction.

Q: Can you share how CSC Live provides outreach?

CSC Live has really grown in the past few years, particularly in its ability to produce studio quality broadcasts of live campus events that are readily available on the Internet. Daniel Binkard is chiefly responsible for helping CSC Live grow and he utilizes a large group of student workers in effective ways. Craig Conway has also helped develop the look and feel of the live events by creating original graphics that give the broadcasts a professional touch. The best thing about the broadcasts? They're all free.

Q: What services does the CSC Print Shop provide the campus community?

The Print Shop is one of the places on campus where a lot of work gets accomplished. Bruce Huckfeldt and Craig Conway are constantly providing campus employees and students with professional printing services. The Print Shop is really the finish line of a lot of services College Relations provides because it sees basically everything that is created on campus for print.

The Print Shop provides standard printing services, including business cards and posters, lamination, finishing work (folding, stapling, spiral binding) and graphic design on just about any project you can imagine. Chances are if you see something on campus with the CSC logo or colors, the Print Shop helped create it.

Q: How do the graphic designers on your staff assist others with their needs for online and print materials?

A former colleague once said about College Relations: "You don't have one boss - you have several." In reality, that is a true statement. The graphic designers on staff work with a wide variety of people. Typically, the designers are the ones contacted about a job and they often see the project through from the idea's conception to the finished product. All of College Relations' graphic designers - Dewayne Gimeson, Daniel Binkard and Craig Conway - are professional, responsible and well equipped to create original graphics for a variety of mediums. The graphic designers on staff are tasked with balancing the college's identity, while also providing the customer what they want. Sometimes that can be delicate to maintain, but all of the designers do what is in the best interest of the college and explain those intentions well to the people they collaborate with.

Q: What are your news and marketing strategies to position CSC's strengths favorably in the media?

The news strategy is fairly straightforward - College Relations will consistently and accurately report on campus events and provide a reliable lens to view the campus through.

As far as marketing goes, Marketing Coordinator Tena Cook innovatively and creatively emphasizes the college's accessibility and affordability to prospective students. Students get opportunities at Chadron State that are unique to this school and town for a variety of reasons. We advertise, "Build Your Future," because when a student enters CSC he or she has an unwritten future. Once students are equipped with a valuable education, they have the chance to build their futures however they want.

CHADRON - Jon Vanderford with KOLN/KGIN TV in Lincoln and Grand Island visited the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center on the Chadron State College campus Thursday, May 26, to film several segments for the station's human interest and rural life magazine called "Pure Nebraska." His wife and co-anchor, Taryn Vanderford, along with Brad Anderson also filmed segments at the center.

One of the segments will likely air the week of June 13 and all three will be available online at 1011now.com later this month.

Sarah Polak, director of the Sandoz Center, said the segments on "Pure Nebraska" will be a great way to show Lincoln viewers the Sandoz Center's great resources.

"Pure Nebraska' highlights things special about our state. By having "Pure Nebraska" visit the Center, we are able to show people who may not be familiar with the Center, or western Nebraska, what we have to offer and what we contribute to the heritage of the state," Polak said.

Jon Vanderford said his crew likes to travel around the state and show viewers interesting places to visit.

"We have been wanting to travel to the Chadron area to do some stories for a while. We wanted to learn more about this famous Nebraska author, and what our viewers can enjoy during a visit to the Sandoz Center," he said.

Friday morning after their stay in Chadron, the film crew and Jon and Taryn's children took State Highway 27 south of Gordon, and visited Sandoz's grave and the family's orchard.

"The Sandhills are some of the most breathtaking we've seen. It was raining hard, but that didn't stop us. I think we were amazed at Mari's life story and at how many books she actually wrote. It was interesting to learn about her youth and how that had an impact on her writing," Vanderford said.

Polak said most visitors from eastern Nebraska find it interesting that Sandoz lived in Lincoln for several years and the buildings where she lived and worked are still there.

Some visitors to the center have never read Sandoz's books and others have read all of them, Polak said.

"In general, Mari's honesty is what resonates with people the most. The majority of visitors have read either Old Jules' or Crazy Horse.' Her examination of these two men and their lives in a rather unglamorous fashion resonates with people, especially after they have visited here," Polak said. "Mari does a great job of describing the landscape, but once people visit, they better understand the conditions and lives that Mari describes in her books."

The Sandoz Center is open year round and admission is free. Archival resources are open by appointment to interested individuals or groups. Details are available by contacting Polak at spolak@csc.edu.

CHADRON - Dr. Laura Gaudet, Chadron State College counseling and psychology professor and department chair,recently returned from China where she presented at a third conference in two years.

The conference, "Neurotalk-2016: Innovations of Neuroscience," was in Beijing May 20-22.

Gaudet's presentation, "The Effectiveness of a Brief Educational Intervention on the Perceptions of Persons with Traumatic Brain Injury," explained differences of psychology students' perceptions between individuals with and without a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

"Recent interest in the United States for persons with Traumatic Brain Injury is the result of two phenomena: soldiers returning from war zones with PTSD and TBI and TBI and concussion resulting from football and other contact sports injuries," Gaudet said.

She expressed her gratitude to administrators who provided support for her travel to present.

"I appreciate academic deans Dr. Jim Powell and Dr. Jim Margetts, who assisted with my travels to these three international conferences. I have a very strong interest in China because the international conferences were well orchestrated and the professional programming was of the highest caliber. Also, the Asian people are extremely kind and welcoming," Gaudet said.

Gaudet conducted the research at CSC with the assistance of her colleagues Dr. Mary Jo Carnot and Jen Taylor.

During the fall 2015 semester, they administered six psychosocial instruments - measuring emotions, memory, problem-solving, social competence, temperament and other traits using several behavioral and psychosocial checklists - to undergraduate students in Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 131) and Introduction to Behavioral Neuroscience (PSYC 430).

They compared pre-test results to a post-test taken after students completed a treatment or educational lesson about TBI.

Before the study, CSC professor Dr. William Roweton pre-tested the instruments with students in Social Psychology (PSYC 331) to assess the readability level.

In all, 76 students in the freshmen level PSYC 131 course sections and 48 students in the senior level PSYC 430 course sections consented to participate in the study. In general, the researchers found significant differences in the students' perceptions of self vs. persons with TBI for all psychosocial instruments.

Gaudet has researched the psychosocial concerns of individuals with TBI from the perspective of the person, family member and healthcare provider since 1987. Her 1995 dissertation was on the social, emotional and sexual concerns of persons with TBI. She has presented on the topic in Amsterdam, Puerto Rico, Russia, Austria and China.

CHADRON - A furnace in the Burkhiser technology complex, unused for five years following the discontinuation of the Industrial Technology program, has been dusted off and put to use heating metal for sculptures.

Discussions between Rod Clause, art instructor, and Phillip Colella, a senior majoring in art, about the possible repurposing of the furnace and the benefits of making metal sculptures led to consultations with Richard Bird and Dr. Jim Margetts about starting up the foundry and how it could benefit the art program.

Eventually Clause fired up the natural gas furnace May 6 and melted about 2 ½ pounds of aluminum. He used a 10-pound container called a crucible and poured the liquid aluminum into molds with Colella's assistance.

The aluminum heated to 1223 degrees Fahrenheit, the ideal threshold for pouring, in about 45 minutes. Clause said he checked the temperature of the molten aluminum with a long-handled tool called a pyrometer.

"It's exciting when you're pouring. It's safe. We have fire suits, helmets, glasses and gloves," Clause said. "It is a good thing for students to learn."

Clause and Colella poured the molten aluminum into a traditional investment mold made of plaster and sand surrounded with chicken wire.

Colella said the art and science of pouring metal is never going away.

"We're always going to be using metal casting for automotive parts and for art," Colella said.

Clause said once the aluminum has cooled enough to handle, the artist removes the mold, and cuts off the vents and the sprues, or openings through which the aluminum was poured.

The complete casting process starting with the clay sculpture through to a finished metal piece involves 17 steps, according to Clause who has worked in various capacities at foundries in Loveland, Colorado.

CHADRON - Three Chadron State College rodeo contestants have gotten off to a fast start at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper.

Shelby Winchell of Scottsbluff tied her first goat on Monday in 6.3 seconds to share fourth and fifth places in the opening go-round. Three contestants, all of them from Oklahoma schools, are tied for first in 6.2 seconds.

Also for Chadron State, Clayton Van Aken of Descanso, Calif., tied for second and third in tie down roping with a 9.0-second run Monday morning. The only cowboy who was faster in the first go-round is Brysen Sechrist of Southwest Oklahoma State in 8.4 seconds.

Another Chadron State entry, Nate McFadden of Elsmere, Neb., is fourth in the bareback riding standings after two go-rounds have been completed. McFadden scored 70 points on his first bronc on Sunday and 69.5 on Monday.

The other Chadron State contestants didn't do quites as well during their first performances.

Bareback rider John Kissack of Gillette, Wyo., received a no score in the first go-round and scored just 58.5 points on his second bronc.

Prestyn Novak of Newell, S.D., caught and tied his first calf on Monday, but his time of 23.5 seconds was far off the pace. Colby Anders of Bayard completed his first run in the steer wrestling in 10.1 seconds, putting him in 23^rd place in the first go-round.

Chadron State freshman Dakota Rice of Kellogg, Idaho, was bucked off of both of his bulls on Sunday and Monday, but only eight of the 39 bull riders stayed aboard until the eight-second whistle sounded in the first go-round and just three of them made it on Monday. None of the entries rode both of his bulls.

Later Monday, Van Aken and his partner, Trey Yates of Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, will make their first run in team roping later today (Monday).

The rodeo will continue through Saturday night, when the top 12 contestants in each of the events after the three go-rounds are completed will compete. All the action is in the Casper Events Center.

CHADRON - Chadron State College goat tier extraordinaire Shelby Winchell had another 6.3-second performance at the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper on Tuesday and is tied for the top spot in the standings after two go-rounds have been completed.

A graduate student from Scottsbluff, Nebraska, Winchell shared fourth and fifth place in the first go-round on Monday with her first 6.3 second clocking, then had the same time Tuesday while tying for second through fifth place. Her total time of 12.6 seconds puts her at the top of the leader board with Jacoby Hotsenpiller of Southwest Oklahoma State.

Two more goat tiers, Shayna Miller of Northwest Oklahoma State and K.L. Spratt of Sam Houston State in Texas, have combined times of 12.7 seconds. All the other 56 entries have taken at least 13 seconds to catch and tie their goats.

Winchell will make her third go-round run during the rodeo's first official performance Wednesday night, then wait to see if she's one of the 12 finalists on Saturday night.

Winchell finished third in the final national standings in 2012 when she was a sophomore at Eastern Wyoming College, was among the dozen finalists in 2013 after she transferred to Chadron State and tied for the reserve championship honors in 2014, her second year at CSC.

She did not compete last year, but returned this season and has been working on her master's degree at Chadron State.

It was a mixed bag for another Chadron State veteran on Tuesday.

Clayton Van Aken of Descanso, California, saw his calf run through the loop in tie down roping, but he and his team roping mate, Trey Yates of Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, completed their run in 6.7 seconds and are fifth in the standings after two go-rounds are in the books.

Chadron State rodeo coach Dustin Luper said Van Aken appeared to be on his way to having a great time in the tie down roping, but he didn't get the slack taken up soon enough and the calf kept on running. Van Aken caught and tied his first calf on Monday in 9.0 seconds, good for a share of second place.

In team roping, Van Aken and Yates finished their first run on Monday in 7.4 seconds, good for 13^th place. Their 6.7 clocking Tuesday was the ninth fastest and their total time of 14.1 seconds is fifth among the 50 teams. Their third go-round appearance will be Thursday night.

Senior bareback rider Nate McFadden of Elsmere, Nebraska, located in Cherry County, is 10^th in the bareback standings with 139.5 points through two go-rounds. He'll be riding again Thursday night.

Chadron State's Colby Anders of Bayard, Nebraska, hasn't done badly in steer wrestling with times of 10.1 and 7.8 seconds, but he's 17^th among the 46 contestants after two go-rounds. He'll probably need to pick up the pace a bit during this third go-round performance Thursday night in order to be among the 12 finalists Saturday night.

CHADRON - Much like the school it now broadcasts, Chadron State College Live, the video and audio production component of College Relations, came from humble beginnings.

CSC Live provides live video coverage of select home athletic contests, campus events and music performances and it also produces original videos and audio files for marketing purposes. In 2015-16, CSC Live covered 76 events and had nearly 10,000 unique viewers.

Certainly those numbers are impressive, but the live productions haven't always been the highest caliber.

Beginning in 2008, Chadron State College began broadcasting athletic contests through the online service, America One. However, streaming video was almost an afterthought to various other game management responsibilities. So, the former sports information office utilized a single camera - often borrowing the feed from the coaching staff's game footage - tied into the radio broadcast of the same game to provide an audio component.

Since the online video streaming service required CSC to have a wired Internet connection for the video feed, some interesting troubleshooting opportunities occurred. Since the press box at Elliott Field didn't have a network connection the sports information office was forced set up a filming station on the roof of Miller Hall. A student worker, often an undergraduate or redshirt freshman from the football team, operated the camera on the roof and followed the action. By hanging cables from the roof to an open window in a classroom 30 feet below, the camera was connected to a computer on the campus network. The audio feed came from a portable radio.

Daniel Binkard, a digital graphic designer at Chadron State and the de facto engineer for CSC Live, remembers assisting with setup for football games at Miller Hall.

"It was 2009 and we were setting up for a football game," Binkard said. "We had some heavy snowfall for a couple days but we all knew the game was going to be played. So, we hauled snow shovels up to the roof to create a path for the camera station."

Thankfully the weather didn't interrupt any other filming operations, but the desire to showcase CSC and its various offerings to an online video audience became a priority for the campus and its administration. In 2012, buoyed by the support, College Relations purchased equipment to use in multi-camera productions.

Since then, CSC Live has taken off. During live broadcasts, up to four cameras are operated by student workers while others are busy working in the production room. In addition to the camera operators, CSC Live employs a switcher operator and a replay technician. There are also student commentators and Craig Conway, a publications technician and member of College Relations, provides graphic support.

"We might have one student worker or as many as six or eight for a full production" Binkard said. "We've built this into a system that runs pretty smoothly. We know our roles and as we train new workers they get to know their roles. The entire production process runs well. Giving our viewers and fans of the college a quality product is important."

The CSC Live productions keep Binkard busy. Since 2012, he has been involved with nearly 300 productions consisting of athletic contests, musical performances, commencement and other events. In addition to providing engineering for those events, Binkard is in charge of programming and arranging the student workers' schedules. He also works closely with Conway to develop graphics.

"Craig is very good at designing graphics, so most of the time he'll show me something and then I'll say: Great, let's use it.'"

While Binkard certainly appreciates the support of the administration and Conway, he knows the broadcasts wouldn't happen without the assistance of students.

"CSC Live couldn't happen without the help of our student workers," he said. "They all do a great job with what we ask of them. It takes a burden off my shoulders and Craig's as well, knowing we have a crew that does its job well. The students get something out of it, too. It gives them practical experience and they have a background that is useful as they explore careers in this industry."

A large part of the practical experience is putting in the hours. Binkard, Conway and the other members of CSC Live work long hours preparing for production needs, including setting up and tearing down equipment, creating video graphics, building cable runs and conducting research for each event. All of that work doesn't even include the actual event, which can take anywhere from two to eight hours.

"There's a lot of behind the scenes work that Craig and I do prior to game days," Binkard said.

Despite the weekend schedule and long hours, Binkard is proud of how CSC Live has grown in just four years.

"We've come a long way," he said. "In the coming years, I think providing video content will continue to be big. The importance of our product is going to remain because the necessity of providing high quality content to our viewers is key. We receive compliments from parents and grandparents. Our commentators are visible at all of the games and they tell me multiple times they get thanked for what they're doing. That means we're on the right track."

CHADRON - Groups of Chadron residents gathered in four venues, including two at Chadron State College, Monday and Tuesday to discuss community issues, be entertained and provide feedback to staff members of NET, Nebraska's PBS & NPR Stations, education, communications and development teams.

Monday night, a screening of several "Nebraska Stories" in the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center at CSC included features of Hyannis High School students, Chadron resident Mary Tejada Brown and Wildcat Hills trails.

Tuesday morning at the Bean Broker, Debbie Hamlett, assistant general manager of development and marketing, facilitated a town hall style meeting titled "Town Talk" discussing needs, lifestyle benefits and future plans related to life in the Chadron area.

A live taping of "Friday LIVE" followed, including interviews of several CSC employees. Sarah Polak, director of the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center, spoke about a traveling exhibit of Mari Sandoz on display this summer in the Custer County Museum in Broken Bow, Nebraska. Brooks Hafey, Bobby Pace and McKay Tebbs from the CSC music department gave musical performances. The program was aired Friday morning and can be heard online at netnebraska.org/fridaylive.

Tuesday afternoon, Jet, a character from PBS Kids "Ready, Jet, Go" spent two hours at the CSC Child Development Center posing for photos with children, teachers and parents. The meet-and-greet also included play time with Keva planks, making PBS Kids lapel buttons, and viewing film segments of "Ready, Jet, Go."

While these events were underway, other NET film crews were in the field recording segments for future Nebraska Stories and other programs. In all, nearly 20 NET staff stayed in Chadron, according to Cameron Risher, NET director of communications.

"We knew we wanted to come out west. It's been an incredible experience. It's important to meet face-to-face with our followers of all ages. We want to share stories from here with other communities statewide. We know how much they enjoy learning about other areas," Risher said. "The response and support has been wonderful. It's great to connect with our followers and hear about their favorite shows and episodes."