Bert's Alerts - July 25, 2014
In the Spotlight
College of Western Idaho (CWI) welcomed the public to campus Thursday (July 24) night for a special preview of CWI’s updated Nampa Campus Master Plan. The open house allowed guests to navigate an interactive, online copy of the master plan that was created by CTA Architects and SRG Partnerships. The master plan is now available to view at cwi.edu/nampa-campus-master-plan. Feedback is still encouraged and can be provided by using the Comment feature on the webpage.
News Highlights
CWI Student Making Mark on Nampa Art Scene
Amandalynn Lovewell is one of six people selected to participate in the first-ever Artist in Residency Program sponsored by the Nampa Art Collective. The six-month program intends to strengthen the life of downtown Nampa by occupying empty spaces and attracting people to nearby businesses, while providing visibility for the local arts community. For Lovewell, the benefits are even greater.
Lovewell is a Liberal Arts major at College of Western Idaho (CWI) with a passion for people and making personal connections with the subjects of her art. The Nampa resident is one semester shy of graduating, highly involved throughout the College’s Art Department, and a member of the CWI Art Club. Lovewell is also active-duty Army Reserves, in which she has been serving since 2010.
But as if that wasn’t enough to keep her busy, she is now finding time to put her stamp on the local art community.
“I think the biggest part of this opportunity is getting daily exposure to other artists and to people in the community,” Lovewell says. “I love people, so having the opportunity to fellowship with other artists as well as people in the community is amazing.”
The program has provided Lovewell a tremendous platform for honing her craft. She is a self-described Expressionist Portraiture Artist with a creative ability for painting people as she interprets their inner beauty. She generally spends three days per week working in the Village Square Studio and participates in Nampa’s Second Friday Art Walk Series.
“The Artist in Residency Program opportunity has made me feel like a real artist. I have more determination because I know I can do it now, and I have tremendous hope for the future.”
Lovewell says the entire experience is positioning her to reach her long term goals. She is planning to pursue a bachelor’s degree after CWI and says a doctorate isn’t out of the question.
“Art provides such a powerful connection for people. I want to harness that through either teaching high school art or connecting art to faith through art ministry.”
Regardless of which direction her journey takes her, Lovewell knows experiences like the Artist in Residency Program and her time at CWI are preparing her to continue connecting with people through art.
CWI Adjunct Music Faculty Concludes International Tour
College of Western Idaho (CWI) Adjunct Music Faculty, Svetlana Nagachevskaya-Maddox, spent her summer vacation on an international concert tour with performances in New York, Moldova, and Hungary. Her tour included a solo recital, a lecture-recital, and a Master class.
Nagachevskaya-Maddox began her trip in New York where she performed as a guest artist at Merkin Concert Hall. She then flew to Chishinau, Moldova, her native country, where she played a solo recital at the National Organ Hall. Her performance was recorded by the National Radio Moldova and she was interviewed by several newspapers. The stop in Moldova concluded with a performance in the First International Pushkin Festival Chekhov Theater in Chishinau.
From there Nagachevskaya-Maddox traveled on to Hungary, where she concluded her tour with a Lecture-Recital at the Franz Liszt University of Music in Budapest. Following the Lecture-Recital a master class was arranged due to several of the students requesting to perform for her.
Student Services Seeks One Stop Volunteers
Student Services is looking for College of Western Idaho (CWI) employees interested in helping assist in the One Stop as students prepare for classes this fall. Volunteers are needed to help welcome new and returning students visiting CWI’s One Stop Student Services locations during high traffic times. Volunteers play an important role each semester in helping ensure students feel welcome, while giving One Stop staff more flexibility to address student needs.
Volunteers will assist with directions, check-in, printing student ID cards, and refilling coffee and cookies. Typically, volunteers are needed for a couple weeks prior to the start of the semester and one week after classes begin. More specific time frames will be identified as the semester gets closer. Anyone interested in volunteering should receive supervisor approval and contact Mo Shamseldin at 208.562.2118 or moshamseldin@cwi.edu.
Staff Senate Provides Avenue for Input
Staff Senate would like to remind all College of Western Idaho (CWI) staff that they are a valuable resource for sharing ideas, suggestions, and feedback. Staff Senate has helped implement new College-wide programs like tobacco-free campus and vacation donation thanks to employee input. Staff Senate is currently working to complete a proposal to better define CWI’s Conflict Resolution process for employees and provide reward toolkits for managers.
In addition to projects, Staff Senate attends various committee meetings to ensure the Senate is aware of current and upcoming events and to provide a voice for staff. These committees include:
- College Council
- Board of Trustees
- Human Resources Advisory Committee
- Accessibility Committee
- Weapons Task Force
- Mascot Committee
- Internal Communication Focus Group
- Master Campus Committee
- Club Advisory Board
- Fun and Culture Committee
Staff members with questions or concerns they would like shared at a committee meeting can contact a Senator, email staffsenate@cwi.edu, or utilize the anonymous suggestion boxes at the following locations:
- Ada County Campus (Pintail)
- Canyon County Center
- Nampa Campus Academic Building
- Nampa Campus Administration Building
- Nampa Campus Micron Center for Professional Technical Education
All staff members are invited to attend Staff Senate meetings, which are scheduled for the second Thursday of every month at various locations. The next meeting is Aug. 14 from 8:30-10:00 a.m. at the Nampa Campus Administration Building Conference Room 101.
