CWI Compass Connect - Feb. 10, 2023
News Highlights
CWI SCORES Big Support at Steelheads
The College of Western Idaho (CWI) community was in full force at CWI Night, Feb. 8, as the Idaho Steelheads crushed the Tulsa Oilers in a shutout game of 5-0. More than 250 tickets were sold for the CWI section — totaling $1,265 to help fund student scholarships!
Students, faculty, and staff from around campus came out to support the Steelheads and students at Idaho Central Arena, where they saw President Gordon Jones and several of the College’s Presidential Ambassadors on the ice as they kicked off the game off with a puck drop.
Throughout the game there were noticeable signs CWI was in the arena — from advertisements on the scoreboard to Steelheads’ mascot, Blue, sporting some CWI swag to CWI staff riding on a Zamboni with a College pennant. The College’s enrollment team was also set up with a booth at the Arena to meet and engage with prospective students signing several future and current students up for a chance to win the SCORE Big Scholarship and a new CWI hockey jersey.
The impressive win for the Steelheads and great turnout from CWI wasn’t the only thing to celebrate as CWI Secondary Education student, Logan White, was randomly chosen as the $1,000 SCORE Big Scholarship recipient for the night. White was awarded the scholarship by President Jones and CWI Foundation Board members on the ice during the game’s second intermission.
“This scholarship is an amazing gift and more over an opportunity to pursue my dreams of becoming a high school English teacher,” said White. "This scholarship will afford me to help take care of my family and continue to fill out my education at College of Western Idaho!"
Automotive Technology program student, Mike Wilson, won the CWI hockey jersey — one he can wear to two more CWI Nights this season. Those interested in getting their hands on a CWI branded jersey of their own still have the chance! The CWI Bookstore is fully stocked with jerseys, offering various sizes at a special discount of 25% off.
Again, there are still two more chances to attend an upcoming CWI Night this season on Feb. 22 and Mar. 15. Visit the CWI Nights web page to purchase group tickets at a discounted price of $15! Keep in mind, $5 from every group ticket for a CWI Night goes to support student scholarships!
The fun doesn’t stop at CWI Nights! The College also offers a discounted ticket price of $16 to all Steelheads home games for the 2022-2023 season as part of being the Steelheads’ official education partner.
CWI Speech and Debate Team Dominates and Makes History Once Again
College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Speech and Debate team has, once again, made history! Preparing to wrap up a successful forensics competition season, the team was recognized as the top Northwest Forensics Conference (NFC) school in debate for the 2022-2023 season. This marks the first time a community college has been awarded this honor and the first time a community college was honored with any NFC Presidential Award.
Over the weekend, the team competed in the 50th Annual Michael Dugaw Smelt Classic at Lower Columbia College in Longview, Washington, where they took home first place in their division and continued their winning tradition as a Gold Community College Program in the Northwest. The tournament served as the final of three designated tournaments in the NFC. Scores across the designated tournaments are tallied to determine top programs in forensics, culminating in NFC awards each January.
Programs are awarded Presidential Awards based on cumulative, season-long points in the categories of speech and debate events, which resulted in CWI being recognized as the top NFC school in debate among all schools in the NFC, including four-year universities.
Individually, CWI students were recognized with 16 different awards at the Smelt Classic.
Speech Awards
Novice Impromptu — Alex Norris (third place)
Junior After Dinner Speaking —Terrence Sharrer (sixth place)
Open Dramatic Interpretation — Elijah Charlton (sixth place)
Novice Extemporaneous — Kennedy Carr (sixth place)
Junior Extemporaneous — Trace Van Sickle (second place), Kevin Chase (fourth place)
Novice Persuade — Sam Easley (fifth place)
Open Programmatic Oral Interpretation — Alli Koetsier (fourth place)
International Public Debate Association (IPDA) Debate Awards
Novice Division — William Guerrero (quarterfinalist)
Junior Division — Alex Norris (semifinalist), Trace Van Sickle (quarterfinalist)
Novice IPDA Speaker — Will Guerrero (sixth place)
Junior IPDA Speaker — Alex Norris (ninth place), Joe Nigro (fifth place), and Trace Van Sickle (first place)
Open IPDA Speaker — Oliver Heaviside (ninth place)
In addition to the team's success, their coach and CWI Director of Forensics, Luke Yeates, received the NFC Judge Educator Award, which is given each year to coaches who provide superb feedback to competitors.
“I’m overwhelmed and beyond proud. Awards like these only come from continuous work and a steadfast dedication to the craft, and the Presidential Award reflects exactly that — a season of incredible success," said Yeates. "What we do takes immense effort, but every team on the circuit puts in that effort. The fact a community college could be in the running for an award that has only ever been won by four-year institutions is impressive enough, but to earn it outright is a different level altogether. The fact that it has never been done before speaks to how unrealistic this should have been. It will take me a while to process what it is this group of students has accomplished, but I will never forget the way I felt when I watched them take first this weekend.”
CWI Speech and Debate will now get ready for the International Public Debate Association (IPDA) Nationals hosted at Boise State University held March 23 – 25. Following that, the team will head to Washington D.C. to compete in the Phi Ro Pi Nationals in April.
For those with questions, or in need of more information about CWI’s Speech and Debate team, contact Luke Yeates at lukeyeates@cwi.edu.
Spring 2023 Transfer Fair
So, you’re a College of Western Idaho (CWI) student who is approaching graduation and interested in learning more about transferring to a university or college to continue your education. You are in luck! CWI invites those interested to the Spring 2023 Transfer Fair on Tuesday, March 7.
College and university representatives will be on campus to discuss programs, majors, and transfer requirements. This is a one-day event that will take place at both campus locations, Ada County and Nampa, throughout the day.
Visit with representatives from schools, such as Boise State University, University of Idaho, Idaho State University, College of Idaho, and more! You can find the full list of participants on the Transfer Fair webpage.
Ada County Center Pintail Building (APIN), Student Commons
Nampa Campus Academic Building (NCAB), first floor lobby
For those interested or who have questions, please contact Brittney Hernandez at brittneyhernandez@cwi.edu.
CWI Bookstore Raises Hundreds of Dollars’ Worth of School Supplies
College of Western Idaho (CWI) Bookstore’s first school supply donation drive was a success! The CWI community donated nearly $800 worth of school supplies for Central Elementary School in Nampa.
The supply drive, which collected items throughout January, received various school supplies, such as dry-erase markers, #2 pencils, colored pencils, notebooks, binders, and more. Bookstore employees then stuffed the donated supplies into backpacks and hand delivered them to students at the elementary school on Friday, Feb. 3.
“What a privilege it was to watch student faces light up with excitement at the sight of brand-new school supplies,” said Central Elementary Principal, Ashleigh Loeber. “Central was honored to be chosen for such a generous donation.”
With it being the first time the bookstore put on a donation drive like this, CWI Bookstore Manager, Stephanie Walker, was not sure how much they would collect. She was delightfully surprised to see how giving students, faculty, and staff were.
“This was exciting to see how much we collected,” Walker said. “Many of the donations I saw were from students who are parents because they know how costly school supplies can be.”
Those who donated school supplies were also entered into a drawing to win an iPad, courtesy of the Bookstore. Occupational Therapy Assistant student, Kaila Boeck, was randomly chosen as the winner.
The Bookstore hopes to do a similar school supply drive for another Nampa area school in Fall 2023.
Early Childhood Education Spends Day at Capitol for Early Learning Day
College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Early Childhood Education (ECED) faculty joined Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children (AEYC) and other educators around the state for Early Learning Day at the State Capitol on Monday, Feb. 6.
Idaho AEYC is the state affiliate to National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) which is the body that accredits the lab school located at the Nampa Campus Multipurpose Building (NCMP). NAEYC also puts forward the professional development standards that guide the learning outcomes for students enrolled in the College’s ECED courses.
Faculty were able to meet and chat with Idaho lawmakers about the importance of early education. Instructors and staff members explained Career and Technical Education (CTE) and the academic pathways to a career in early care and education.
For Early Childhood Studies Instructor, Sharol Viker, it was important for her to share with legislators about what they can do support local communities when it comes to education.
“I wanted to ensure the arm that trains the early care and education field was represented at the Capitol and CWI was highlighted as a CTE and academic pathway,” Viker said. “CWI was the only college represented; the other agencies represented were focused on professional development hours and not academic units. I wanted to network with other state ECED agencies who could be potential partners for the College and CWI’s program in the future.”
Viker was able to speak directly with two legislators who she said spoke “very positive of quality care for young children and the support of the needed workforce.” Viker hopes to attend Early Learning Day at the State Capitol again next year and would like to schedule specific meetings with lawmakers.
For more information on CWI’s Early Childhood Education program, contact Doug Rapley at dougrapley@cwi.edu.
Pruett Wins 2023 CWI Connections Project Logo Contest
Congratulations to College of Western Idaho (CWI) student, Eiko Pruett, winner of the College’s 2023 Connections Project Logo Contest! Pruett’s logo submission was chosen out of 23 entries earning her the $150 cash prize.
Pruett, who is in her second semester at CWI, found out about the Connections Project Logo Contest as part of an extra credit assignment in her Introduction to 2-D Art Foundations (ARTS 105) course. She downloaded a free sketchbook app on her phone to begin the design work and then integrated her work into the graphic design program, Canva.
After Pruett sent her design in, she didn’t think anything would come out of it, let alone being named the winner the contest.
“When I was told my logo was chosen, my first thought was, ‘Are you sure?’” said Pruett. “It is so cool they saw something in me when I didn’t have the vision for myself. I am really grateful I was able to integrate the lessons I learned in class into a real-life situation.”
Pruett’s inspiration behind the design was to bring together the different colleges in Idaho and around the region.
“I thought it would be interesting to do string art to connect the colleges,” Pruett said.
The logo selection process begins when student submissions are sent through an anonymous jurying process. The jurors consist of members of the Connections Project team including staff, faculty, and past logo winners. Finalists are determined, and the group votes on their favorites.
Once a design is selected, the winner has an opportunity to work with the College’s Graphic Designer, Cody Sprague, and Communication and Design Intern, Bri Daniels, to refine the design and create several iterations of the logo for t-shirts and digital promotion.
Karen Brown, Assistant Professor of Art History and Humanities, helped create the Connections Project logo design competition five years ago. She enjoys the types of connections the project brings.
“My favorite part of the entire event is facilitating the mentoring experience that the winner receives,” said Brown. “Cody is great with the students, preparing them for the process and gently guiding them through the changes — he’s kind, and generous and is a stickler for adhering to the CWI brand. “
“I feel extremely honored my design was chosen. It gives me some validation and more confidence to be able to pursue something in a more creative direction,” Pruett said. “I definitely had creative challenges through this process, but I had a lot of opportunity to overcome and learn.”
At 36 years old, Pruett is a non-traditional student at CWI and decided to return to school after she was nominated and awarded a scholarship last year. She encourages other students who may be like her — a parent, working a job — to branch out and get involved with activities, such as CWI Connections Project.
“Come to the College with an open mind to opportunities. It’ll be easier to reconnect with your love of learning,” Pruett said. “It can be really intimidating to come to class knowing you are one of the oldest, and a lot of the students in your class are the same age as your kids, but with that brings a lot of understanding. The reality is we're all here for a purpose and that is to learn. Once you start recognizing that there are people who, regardless of age, all are on the same path to something greater. I think that is really powerful.”
Save the date for this year’s Connections Project event Thursday, April 20. Visit the Connections Project online for more information and ways to get involved.
Parry Visits CWI to Commemorate 160th Anniversary of Bear River Massacre
The Bear River Massacre - History Healing and ReSTORYation
College of Western Idaho (CWI) hosted former tribal Chairman of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation, Darren Parry, for an educational and inspirational presentation on the 160th anniversary of the Bear River Massacre on Wednesday, Feb. 8. Nearly 100 students, faculty, staff, and other members of the community were in attendance for the presentation, History, Healing, and Re-STORY-ation.
Parry shared his personal story and his community’s legacy regarding the tragic circumstances of Jan. 29, 1863, which led to the deaths of over 400 Shoshone, including unarmed women and children by U.S. Army forces near Preston, Idaho.
"Often omitted from history textbooks, Mr. Parry spoke eloquently of the need to acknowledge our shared past in order to reckon a collaborative path forward," said CWI Associate Professor of Anthropology, Nikki Gorrell. "He also informed the near-capacity audience the Shoshone nation is working diligently to secure and restore the sacred land and Bear River Valley where the massacre took place, as well as create an innovative memorial and cultural interpretive center on site."
Parry's presentation was sponsored by CWI’s School of Arts and Humanities, School of Social Sciences and Public Affairs, the Anthropology program, and Inclusive Excellence Committee.
Those interested in learning more about the Bear River Massacre and efforts to reclaim and interpret the site by the Shoshone Nation can do so by visiting the Boa Ogoi Cultural Interpretive Center webpage.
OTA Students Advocate to Improve Client Access at State Capitol
Students in College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) program spent the day at the Idaho State Capitol to learn more about their future profession’s advocation and the need to improve services in emerging areas. CWI’s OTA junior cohort took part in Idaho Occupational Therapy Association (IOTA) Capitol Hill Day on Monday, Jan. 30.
Each legislative session, IOTA set up a table at the Capitol rotunda to provide occupational therapy practitioners (OTP) and OTAs with the opportunity to meet with state representatives. OTPs and OTAs discuss with legislators the issues impacting the quality and provision of occupational therapy (OT) services in the state.
This year, OT professionals spoke to lawmakers about issues, such as access to mental health services, practicing OT across state lines, permanent OT services via Telehealth, and more.
“This year's Capitol Hill Day showed the importance of advocating and educating Idaho legislators about the distinct value of occupational therapy, especially its need in emerging practices and mental health services,” said OTA student, Megan Gibb. “My Capitol Hill Day experience taught me that building a good relationship with your local legislators provides advocacy opportunities to educate, plead on behalf of others, and raise awareness for issues currently impacting the profession. IOTA works diligently to ensure occupational therapy is valued, protected, and that effective advocacy efforts are accomplished, thereby promoting positive changes within the profession.”
Besides meeting state legislators, CWI OTA students met with OT students and practitioners from around the state to learn about issues currently impacting the profession. It also gave students an opportunity to meet with potential future fieldwork educators.
"I was inspired by my experience at Capitol Hill Day with IOTA in seeing the work and time that practitioners put into this event to advocate for the profession,” said OTA student, Kaila Boeck. “Practitioners and students traveled from around the state to attend this event. There were even practitioners from Coeur d'Alene who were present on Zoom to speak with legislators in a ‘Table Talk’ discussion. Seeing the lengths practitioners and students took to lobby for changes in Idaho motivates me to continue being a voice for this amazing profession!"
For more information on CWI's OTA program, visit their program page or contact Program Director and Instructor, Mel Henderson, at melhenderson@cwi.edu.
Novak Named Faculty of Distinction for January 2023
Congratulations to Department Chair of Engineering, Robert Novak, who was named College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Faculty of Distinction for January 2023.
Novak has been with the College for the last six years, where he has taught, and continues to teach, various Advanced Mechatronics Engineering Technology courses and leads the program.
His journey to CWI began after he finished high school, where he enrolled in a trade school and received the equivalent of an associate degree in Electronic Engineering Technology.
“It was this degree that launched my career and changed my life forever,” said Novak.
During Novak’s career outside of education, he was able to earn a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, a Bachelor of Applied Science in Electronic Engineering and Technology, and a master’s in Human Resource Development — which were largely paid for by his employers.
Before joining the CWI community, Novak spent more than 25 years in the industry with his last 11 years as the Operations Engineer for the two W.M. Keck Observatory telescopes located atop a 14,000-foot dormant volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii. After a very rewarding, nearly three-decades-long career, Novak wanted to give back to students so they could share in the same career success he had.
“I get to help students have successful careers every day,” Novak said. “When looking back at my long career in the industry, nothing has brought me more personal and job satisfaction than working at CWI.”
Novak values student success and works diligently to help those who are struggling and want to quit his program stay motivated. He can list off many student stories where someone was overwhelmed with the course load or the thought of life working in the industry, but he was able to calm their nerves and push them to succeed and graduate. He keeps in touch with many of his former students, many of whom have gone on to very successful careers — which Novak has had a hand in placing some of them in those jobs.
Other faculty and staff around CWI have taken notice Novak’s hard work — especially over the course of the last six months as the College has partnered with Micron Technology, Inc.
“He has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to create a curriculum for a new and exciting program to create workers for the semiconductor industry,” said CWI Dean of Industry, Engineering, and Trades, Pat Neal. “He has had several meetings with Micron to make sure the new program will fit their needs. We can always rely on Robert to get the job done and it will be done right!”
Outside of CWI, Novak enjoys spending time with his wife, Terri. They have one son, who is still living in Hawaii. Novak and his wife love to spend time outdoors and go hiking, biking, or camping. Together, they also are raising Toyger cats.
One of Novak’s favorite hobbies is collecting and refurbishing World War II rifles. As a result of this hobby, he has gotten interested in reloading ammunition because it is hard to find factory loads for his rifles.
Get Involved in REUs at CWI
“Careers in science are hard and hard to come by” said College of Western Idaho (CWI) Professor of Biology, Dr. Steven Lysne. And he’s right. According to National Center for Education Statistics, in 2019 – 2020, over 125K degrees were awarded in the biological or biomedical sciences. A quick national search on Indeed resulted in just over 30K jobs using the keyword biology. That’s a large disparity.
So how do you continue to follow your passion and stack the deck in your favor? By getting involved! One sure way to stand out in a crowd is to have accumulated relevant experiences in your chosen field. Fortunately, CWI has several Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) that faculty in the biological sciences have developed to help our students get involved and get a head start as clinical technicians and scientists.
The St. Luke’s Cancer Institute Clinical Research Internship
The competitive clinical research internship program is a 16-week program for students interested in cancer research. It has been helping healthcare students gain practical experiences since 2014 and begins again in the fall of 2023. Students can earn up to three credits of elective coursework that can be applied to their degree programs. Contact Dr. Suzanne Oppenheimer at suzanneoppenheimer@cwi.edu for more information.
Idaho INBRE (IDeA Network for Biomedical Research Excellence)
In its ninth year at CWI and supports faculty and students at every college and university in Idaho. Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the specific aims of Idaho INBRE change every three to five years but broadly support biomedical research and education in Idaho. Student Fellowships include paid 10-week summer research experiences in the Treasure Valley and across the state.
“Instead of just learning about science, undergraduate research allows students to do science. Students get to apply science to solve problems and experience first-hand the impact of science on addressing critical issues” said CWI Biology Professor, Dr. Elise Connor.
Idaho INBRE also supports faculty training in cutting-edge technologies and the purchase of equipment and supplies, benefitting all CWI students. For more information about the program and its various opportunities, contact Dr. Elise Connor at eliseconnor@cwi.edu.
Idaho Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR)
EPSCoR is a National Science Foundation (NSF) supported program with broad aims relevant to NSF, National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Energy (DOE), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). EPSCoR specifically targets states that receive smaller amounts of federal research and development funds.
One EPSCoR program is Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) which provides a range of training, mentoring, and professional development for students and faculty. At CWI, the VIP course is finishing its second year of REU offerings and has become a successful regular class lead by Professor Miranda Striluk. The VIP course at CWI carries one credit and is offered in the fall and spring. You can find it listed as SCIE 200 in our course catalog. For more information, please contact Miranda Striluk at mirandastriluk@cwi.edu.
Southwestern Idaho Bridges to Baccalaureate program (SWID B2B)
SWID B2B is another highly successful REU for CWI students. This NIH-sponsored program provides up to two years of support for students interested in pursuing a career in biomedical research. Now in its sixth year, the SWID B2B program has supported dozens of CWI students through advising and mentoring.
Highlights of this competitive program include monthly stipends, a tuition and fee waiver, two summers of paid research experiences, and conference participation with support for travel. Eligible students must be planning on transferring to Boise State University and meet other NIH requirements. Contact Professor Stephanie Sevigny at stephaniesevigny@cwi.edu for more information.
The Biological Sciences faculty at CWI have been working hard to develop experiences that support students’ incipient careers as researchers. These are the opportunities that allow you to stand out in a crowded field!
Reach out to your professors, any CWI advisor, or the individuals listed here and get involved. You’ve nothing to lose and it may very well be the catalyst that jump-starts your future.
