Bert's Alerts—April 5, 2019
Spotlight
College of Western Idaho Board of Trustees proclaimed Wednesday, April 3, as Start by Believing Day during a presentation at the Nampa Campus Academic Building. The day additionally featured installation of the “What Were You Wearing?” survivor art, a display combining the stories of sexual assault survivors with the clothes they were wearing when they were assaulted. Visit startbybelieving.org to learn more.
Celebrating 10 Years!
Don't miss out on the 10-year celebration as we share stories of amazing students, talented faculty, and quality programs!
CWI in the News
News Highlights
Seven-Time National Champions!
College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Speech and Debate team finished the 2018-19 competitive season with another national championship win! The win came just in time to celebrate the team's 10th anniversary and is their seventh national title.
The 51st Pi Kappa Delta Biennial Convention and National Tournament, held at Hofstra University in New York, was held March 20 – 24 and featured 71 colleges and universities. CWI finishing first among community colleges and sixth overall among the entire field.
Fourteen students represented the College at the tournament, with nine competing at the national level for the first time. In addition to the team awards, competitors brought home a total of 17 individual awards.
Team Awards
2-Year Division
1st Place — National Community College Champions
Entire Competitive Division
5th place Overall — Speech Sweepstakes
6th place overall — Debate Sweepstakes
6th place overall — Combined Sweepstakes
Individual Awards
Debate Events
Novice IPDA
Silver Excellent Award — Tala Davis
Silver Excellent Award — Logan Worthley
Junior IPDA
Gold Superior Award, 2nd place in the nation — Tim Cornell
Silver Excellent Award—Bryce Funkhauser
Silver Excellent Award — Sarah Darby
Open IPDA
Gold Superior Award, 3rd place in nation —Alex Watt
Speech Events
After Dinner Speaking
Silver Excellent Award — Alex Watt
Dramatic Interpretation
Silver Excellent Award — Tim Cornell
Silver Excellent Award — Robert Herold
Duo Interpretation
Gold Superior Award, 3rd place in nation — Bryce Funkhauser and Alex Watt
Showcase of Champions Award — Bryce Funkhauser and Alex Watt
Extemporaneous Speaking
Gold Superior Award — Robert Herold
Superior Showcase Award — Robert Herold
Gold Superior Award, 3rd place in the nation — Alex Watt
Impromptu Speaking
Silver Excellent Award — Bryce Funkhauser
Informative Speaking
Silver Excellent Award — Robert Herold
Prose Interpretation
Silver Excellent Award — Tim Cornell
Changing Lives
Years at CWI: 10
Department: Communication and Marketing
Education: PhD, Educational Leadership and Education Specialist, University of Idaho; MA, BA, Communication, Boise State University
“CWI empowers students to live their best lives,” said Michelle Bennett, Department Chair of Communication and Marketing.
Celebrating her 10-year anniversary this past January, Bennett has been empowering students at College of Western Idaho (CWI) since the beginning. Hired in 2009, she was the first adjunct instructor in the Communication department.
“My very first semester at CWI, the entire faculty all fit into one room!”
One of many notable contributions Bennett has made to CWI is starting the College’s Speech and Debate team. As a competitor on Boise State’s speech and debate team as an undergraduate from 1983 to 1987 and a volunteer assistant coach from 2005 to 2007, her experience made her the best candidate to build a program from the ground up. But her passion fueled it into becoming world class!
“We started with this haphazard team and started growing it. Our first semester was a little bit frightening! By the spring of 2010, we started winning and breaking into final rounds in events. In 2011, we won our first national championship in Portland, Oregon. Most recently, the team brought home its seventh national title!”
Prior to teaching, Bennett spent 20 years in the corporate world including media relations in Denver, Colorado; promotion and public relations for the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, California; higher education admissions in Portland, Oregon; and working for one of the top lenders in Idaho.
“I am more confident in the classroom because of the experience I have under my belt. I can lend my professional knowledge to my students and give them practical advice on how to be successful once they graduate.”
Teaching, for her, is a way to give back and much more fulfilling than a corporate career.
“I love teaching. I love it! It is probably selfish. I feel like I get as much from my students as I probably give them. You have to have a labor for love and passion for giving people a chance. Teaching is physically being there and taking every piece of your essence and knowledge to lead and guide. It’s the only job in the world where you can do that.”
From seeing her students build self-esteem and confidence to witnessing their growth and change, Bennett says the epitome of amazing is watching lives change. One of her most memorable moments was watching a student go from just trying to figure out life to landing the career of her dreams.
“I just cried and cried. I was just so happy! My crowning moment as an educator.”
Empowering hundreds of students over the years, her students cannot say enough about the lasting impact she has made in their lives.
“Whether it was pushing me to work harder (i.e. speeches, papers, etc.), finding opportunities for me to shine, or even listening to me when I needed an ear, Michelle has always been there for me,” said Alishia Jonas, a 2013 Communication graduate. “It would take a very long time to describe in words how much her support and guidance has meant to me.”
Start empowering your future – visit cwi.edu/BeMighty!
Connections Project to Feature Live Music
College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Connections Project is proud to welcome back local Afro-Indie band, Afrosonics, after a dynamic performance last year. The band’s music primarily incorporates African, traditional, and contemporary styles; combining reggae, funk, and Latin themes. Their contagious energy and captivating stage presence made a great impression on last year’s attendees; drawing in a crowd of students, faculty, and community members all dancing without inhibition.
Bass player, Jacob Fredrickson, is a current student at CWI studying Media Arts. He has played with Afrosonics for nearly three and half years.
“The Connections Project is a perfect synthesis of how the music of Afrosonics works in harmony with the local community,” said Fredrickson.
The Connections Project is free and open to the public. This year it is being held on April 25 at the Nampa Campus Academic Building from 3 – 8 p.m. with live music provided by Afrosonics during the social hour from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Learn more about the Afrosonics by visiting their website.
Advancing to the Next Level
Hometown: Eagle, Idaho
Major: HVAC Apprenticeship
Graduation: 2013
“College of Western Idaho (CWI) empowered me by giving me the required education and certifications needed to take my career to the next level,” said 2013 alumnus, Zac Barnes.
Zac had never planned on going to college, but quickly realized it was his best option.
“As I began my career in HVAC, the only way I was going to advance was to get my journeyman license, so I enrolled in CWI’s HVAC Apprenticeship program. At the time, CWI was the only school offering a full, four-year program registered by the state of Idaho.”
As a student, Zac appreciated the quality of instruction he received at CWI, specifically from his instructor, Chris Miller.
“Chris understood we had full-time jobs and was always flexible and fair with students who missed class because they were working late. He helped the more advanced students grow their skills and brought struggling students up to speed. I think he has produced some of the top HVAC talent not only in Idaho, but around the country.”
After sharing four years of experiences together in the program, Zac and his classmates had built lasting relationships with one another and had become very close.
“It’s fun seeing them around the valley working for other companies, catching up, and seeing where our careers have taken us.”
Zac graduated from CWI in 2013. He now serves as Vice President of Commercial Operations at Western Heating and Air in Boise, Idaho.
Tell Us What You Think
As College of Western Idaho (CWI) celebrates 10 years of student success, we are taking this opportunity to survey the attributes and attitudes related to the CWI brand, assess current status of the brand, and utilize this information to create a brand refresh. Once the brand refresh is complete, additional assets related to the brand will be created to help support. Gathering input from the CWI community is a crucial component of this project.
What is a brand and why is it important?
- The brand is not a thing, it is a representation of a business or organization based on experiences, interactions, and perception from internal and external audiences. It represents a standard of quality and a point of comparison with competitors.
- Branding is important because it not only makes a memorable impression on consumers and the value you offer – it also allows customers and clients to know what to expect from a company (your brand promise).
There are two ways you can get involved:
- Participate in an online survey from our partner, Interact Research. The questionnaire should only take about 15 minutes to complete, and no personal information will be shared with CWI.
- Join in a focus group discussion related to the CWI brand. A 60-minute focus group will take place the week of April 29. Exact date and time to be announced. If you are interested in participating, please email communications@cwi.edu.
Thank you, in advance, for your participation! Contact College Relations at 208.562.2222 or communications@cwi.edu with questions or to learn more.
Early Childhood Preschool Openings for 2019-20
College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Early Childhood Education program is proud to announce their 2019-20 preschool sessions.
Preschool sessions are open to children of CWI students, employees, and members of the community. Tuition discounts are available for CWI employees and students, and payment plans are available. Each session runs the entire academic year or two semesters. Children must be three years of age by Sept. 1, 2019 to enroll. Registration must be completed in order to be placed on the waiting list.
The following sessions still have openings:
Monday/Wednesday: 9:15 – 11:30 a.m.
Monday/ Tuesday/Wednesdays: 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Childcare is available prior to and following these preschool sessions to accommodate students for an additional fee.
Register today to enroll your child in CWI’s nationally accredited Early Childhood Education Preschool! Contact Sherri Lauer at 208.562.3483 or sherrilauer@cwi.edu to learn more.
Employee Appreciation Family Event
College of Western Idaho (CWI) faculty, staff, and family are invited to join us at the CWI Employee Appreciation Family Event, Saturday, April 6, at the Discovery Center of Idaho from 6-9 p.m. Admission is free and includes fun for all ages at over 150 hands-on exhibits, pizza, and liquid nitrogen ice cream.
Contact the Culture and Employee Engagement Committee at ceec@cwi.edu with questions.
Fall 2019 Registration
College of Western Idaho (CWI) is excited to announce registration dates for the Fall 2019 semester.
Priority registration at College of Western Idaho for the Fall 2019 semester begins April 8. Priority registration allows continuing students a chance to enroll in classes ahead of others in order to stay on track to graduate.
- Students can register online anytime on or after their assigned registration time.
- Continuing students, who enrolled and attended classes any semester since fall 2016, are eligible.
- Assigned registration times are based on cumulative credits earned.
- Students can check myCWI and CWI email for their assigned time.
- Dual Credit students are not eligible for priority registration.
Open Registration for all students, including new and continuing, begins April 15 at 8 a.m.
Visit us online to learn more about applying to CWI, orientation, registering for classes, and for One Stop Student Services hours and locations.
Guest Speaker—Dr. Leif Hoffmann
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) Political Science program is honored to host guest speaker, Dr. Leif Hoffmann, at the Ada County Campus, April 8. Hoffmann is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Lewis-Clark State College. His lecture will provide a brief overview of the motives and history of European integration. Hoffmann raises the question of “What is Europe?” rather than “Where is Europe?” in order to define the country itself and their political impact.
Date:
Monday, April 8, 2019
Meet and Greet:
4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Ada County Campus Pintail Center
Room 1206
Lecture:
6 – 7 p.m.
Ada County Campus Pintail Center
Common area
Contact Rob Harbaugh, Associate Professor of Political Science, at 208.562.3406 or robharbaugh@cwi.edu for more information.
Lewis-Clark State College Transfer Event
College of Western Idaho (CWI) students are invited to attend Lewis-Clark State College’s (LCSC) Transfer Event, April 18 and 19, to explore various transfer opportunities. This free opportunity will provide students a customized experience based on their interests and will include overnight accommodations and transportation to LCSC from the Treasure Valley. Students will be responsible for the cost of three meals.
Sign up to attend the LCSC Transfer Event
Contact your Student Success Advisor or Brock Astle at jbastle@lcsc.edu or 208.859.3778 to learn more.
Cybersecurity Awareness: Passwords
The length and strength of your password can make a huge difference in how long it takes for hackers to crack the code! Cybercriminals can crack weak passwords in seconds and that’s why it is important that each online account (especially the important ones) have slight differences. However, having and remembering different passwords for each online account may seem overwhelming.
Below are recommended guidelines for creating new passwords:
- Use strong, unique passwords. Secure passwords are those that are easy to remember, but hard to guess. Never use the same password for multiple online accounts. If your password is compromised during a breach, hackers can gain access to all of your accounts.
- Size does matter. Passwords should be at least eight characters long, using:
- UPPERCASE characters (A to Z)
- Lowercase characters (a to z)
- Numbers (0 to 9)
- Symbols (! $ # % @ &*[ < >)
- Use this trick to create a strong password:
- Step 1 – Think of a phrase or the name of a song i.e. “Can’t you see, oh can’t you see,”
- Step 2 – Take the first letter of each word Cys,ocys
- Step 3 – Add numbers and characters, i.e. #2008Cys,ocys!
- Use a password stem to remember unique passwords. Add a different pre- or post-fix to your password per account. It makes remembering multiple unique passwords easier.
- Avoid using any of the following; special dates such as birth and anniversary dates, pet names, spouse, and children’s name, or even your address. Most of this information can be found on social networking sites.
Contact Mike Wilson at mikewilson1@cwi.edu or 208.562.3193 with questions or for more cybersecurity tips, questions, and information.
