Free event to encourage environmental awareness

June 15, 2012 By

When Kevin Archdeacon, 28, took the Ohio Fellows humanities approach to leadership course, it inspired him to want to help Sinclair students become passionate about protecting and sustaining water resources and become more aware of the environment.

Archdeacon, who is a chemistry major at Sinclair, said that the course was environmentally based and required him to do a service learning project. For his project, he has to display leadership. So he is bringing his passion for the Miami River and the environment to Sinclair on June 7, in the basement of Building 8, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The event will have live music and free food. The Fair Shakes, a local band, and Sinclair student performers will be present. The event is open to the public.

“I love the river and the water, so I decided to use that as my project,” Archdeacon said. “Denny Wilson and I decided to make this a great event, so that the students can feel connected and feel like there is something to be involved with.”

Sarah Hippensteel, from the Miami Conservancy District (MCD), will be one of several experts from the City of Dayton. She will be discussing ways that the MCD helps to preserve the quality of water through monitoring and testing, as well as how the MCD provides students with the education to protect their local water resources.

“The Conservancy District helps the communities protect their water resources. We work with community members to help them understand the benefits of our water resources and how individuals impact the quality. And how they can use the rivers and streams as recreation opportunities,” Hippensteel said. “We believe that people are more likely to care for something if they appreciate it. The more we are able to get people down to the river then they are more likely to protect the river and the groundwater.”

Archdeacon said that this event may be the springboard for a Sinclair organization next year that is environmentally based. Future projects include annual chemical testing of The Great Miami River, creating a program with MCD to teach students about the river and the environment and increasing the amount of recycling bins on campus as well as river clean-ups.

“Student engagement is something that I have always wanted to do here,” Archdeacon said. “I want to get students together to be passionate about something. For me it is the environment, but if this event can get students together regardless of their approach, maybe I can use this event as a way to inspire students to do great things.”

The event, Archdeacon said, will help students enhance their knowledge of water resources and the environment. There will be many tables set up from representatives with information about their local ecological organization and what they do in regards to river conservation and sustainability.

“This is my passion, I have always felt connected to the environment and the earth,” he said. “This class and this event have helped me show my passion and try to inspire other people as well.”

Filed Under: Campus, News

Dayton students bond at Disney World

June 15, 2012 By

The Disney College Program (DCP) sends thousands of college students to Orlando or Anaheim every year. So getting to room with someone from your hometown is very rare.

But for Megan Bauereis and Bridget Brady, both college students from Dayton, that’s exactly what happened during their first DCP in spring 2011.

“Bridget was just one of five of my roommates,” Bauereis said. “I didn’t know her before I came down, and I walked in and I saw her dad was wearing a UD cap—So I said, ‘Hi! I’m from Kettering too!’”

Bauereis, 23, a Sinclair Community College student and Brady, 22, a recent graduate from the University of Dayton, made a bond with each other that has outlasted their first DCP. And over the past year, the two students have stayed in contact, frequently texting one another.

“We have talked about having each other at our weddings and going on vacations [together],” Brady said. “I think our relationship has been strengthened because we live so close to each other during the year. We’re friends not just in the Disney location—you can really see that our friendship is real.”

Now the duo is returning for a second DCP in June.

“Nothing beats that first drive in to the ‘Welcome to Walt Disney World’ entrance way,” Brady said. “Its just a completely different atmosphere—I relax when I get there. Even though I’ve been going there for so long—the magic never really ends.”

Now that their second program is nearing the check-in date, both said they can barely hold back their excitement.

“I left a year ago, and I cannot wait to go back,” Bauereis said. “It’s somewhere I want to stay for the rest of my life.”

“I thought I was so lucky to get to go the first time, and to get to go again is just amazing,” Brady said. “I’ve been counting down every day to go back. I couldn’t be more excited about it, and the fact that we get to go back—let alone room together—has made me even more excited to go back.”

Brady will be working in recreation, possibly at one of the waterparks, and Bauereis will be working as a concierge at one of the Disney resorts.

Brady said she expects for this program to be just as amazing as the first time, as she has always been a Disney fanatic, often vacationing to Disney as a child.

“My parents started taking us in 1994… but we have been going back ever since,” Brady said.

Bauereis, however, never ventured to Disney before her first DCP and wasn’t sure what to expect.

“I had never been to Disney before, I didn’t know much about the history of Disney,” Bauereis said.

That soon changed as Brady’s knowledge of the parks was shared with her Disney roommate.

“She taught me Disney,” Bauereis said. “She would just explain the little things. That was the best thing about her.”

During their first experience working for Disney, they both said their favorite part of the job was the benefit of getting into the Disney parks for free, as cast members earn free access as long as they work for the company.

“That was all I did,” Bauereis said. “Just a different park each day—sometimes it would be just ride a roller-coaster and come back—but that was the best part.”

But of all the things they had the chance to experience together at Disney, one thing stands out as their favorite.

“[Bridget] was my Beauty and the Beast partner-in-crime,” Bauereis said. “Beauty and the Beast has a production at [Hollywood] Studios and that was just our thing to do.”

“[Megan] would pick me up from work, and we would go to Hollywood Studios,” Brady said. “We would just watch it and we loved it—we never got sick of it.”

Bauereis said that now that she has finished her transfer module at Sinclair, she intends on working her way toward a full-time role at Disney, and enrolling at the University of Central Florida during her upcoming DCP.

“I have my business cards ready, so I can network my little butt off while I’m down there,” Bauereis said. “I do want to study hospitality management [because] Disney has tuition reimbursement if your classes are relevant to what your position is.”

Brady isn’t sure about what she wants to do now that she has graduated, but she said that hopefully her second experience with the DCP would guide her to that decision.

“I want to see if I want to stay in the company,” Brady said. “Or if it’s just another internship before I move back to Chicago. But my ultimate goal would be to stay on with the company and work my way up to a higher job position.”

Both students said that the DCP has been very beneficial in different ways.

“[I gained] more confidence from working with people from all around the world,” Bauereis said. “It just boosted my confidence even more. [It has] made me more diverse and more confident.”

For students who are interested in participating in the DCP, but aren’t sure that they want to do it, Brady said it’s an opportunity you can’t pass up.

“Not only do you learn so much about the company, and other people and trying new things— you learn a lot about yourself,” Brady said. “Follow your dream. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and you never know what it could lead to.”

Filed Under: Campus, Campus Headlines

Passion inspired dance club to form

June 15, 2012 By

The members in the Last King’s Dance Club (LKDC) always bring their passion to the dance floor.

“This is our passion and this is what we do—dance,” said one of the dancers, Edward Sevillano. “It is all about having fun and teamwork.”

Performing hip-hop, break dancing and choreography, the club consists of 30 students, of which 10 perform. Many of the members involved with the club don’t know how to dance and are in the process of learning.

“We spend our time teaching lessons and teaching people who want to learn how to dance,” said one of the dancers, Ryo Ke. “But really there are no rules to dancing, you just express yourself.”

The idea for the LKDC was conceived by close friends of Sevillano and Ke. They practiced daily with another dance crew but no one was thinking of forming a club at Sinclair. They decided to make it an official club last quarter.

“I don’t dance, and I wasn’t interested, but they put my name as the president,” said President Mark Nguyen. “But now I am looking forward to learning from them.”

Their passion is what brought the dance crew together, but Sevillano and Ke were both inspired by different influences in their lives.

When Sevillano moved to the United States in 2006, he brought with him an array of dancing skills because in the Philippines he was required to dance in school.

But when he moved to the U.S., he had to quit.

“I couldn’t find anyone with the same passion,” he said.

Ke was inspired to dance when he watched the movie “Kickin’ It Old School.” The movie motivated him to research breaking dancing and from there he started to learn the moves. But Ke said that he too had to quit because he couldn’t find anyone with the same love of break dancing.

Nguyen, the club’s president, knows a little about hip-hop, breakdancing and choreography from the movie “You got served.” He watched it in Vietnam, and he said that he is ready to learn how to dance.

“Anyone can join who wants to know how to dance,” Nguyen said.

For now, the club can be found performing at different venues around Dayton. On April 14, the members performed at Wright State University’s Asian Cultural Night. Then on May 18, they performed at the World A’fair in the Dayton Convention Center. At the end of June into the beginning of July, the crew will showcase their moves at Dave and Buster’s.

“We are always focused on the student and focused on performing at any event,” Nguyen said.

For more information or for practice times email Nguyen at [email protected]

Filed Under: Campus

Portfolio exhibit showcases artistic talent

May 30, 2012 By

Whether it’s painting, photography or sculpting, it can be found in the 2012 graduating students’ portfolio show for art majors.

“I liked my education experience here. It allowed me to use what I know, and apply what I learned to explore new outlets of creativity,” said William Potterf, whose portfolio includes a collection of sculptures he had made throughout his time at Sinclair.

Students are expected to show three to five pieces of art that they consider their best work. No specific theme is required unless the students themselves chose to follow one.

Loretta Puncer, owner and operator of Gallery 510, helped students navigate the selection process. Puncer said she feels that business, including pricing and commissions, is an important part of art and that it’s important for an artist to come into the professional realm with real-world experience.

Pat McClelland will coordinate the show. McClelland has taught at Sinclair for the past seven years, and teaches intro to drawing and a capstone class for graduating art students.

Graduating student Tom McCarthy has chosen to show his photography. McCarthy said that some of his landscapes were shot at the same place that Ansel Adams shot some of his pictures.

Diana Herron has chosen to show collages that she put together for the portfolio show. Herron said that for one collage that she is showing she cut up pop cans and put them together to create a picture of butterflies.
“Composition is a very important thing to think about. A way that a person looks at something is based on composition,” said Herron.

Debra Richardson-Wood will show her paintings.

“Everyone likes my photography better, but I like my paintings. I like mixing bold colors and wild crazy colors. I like making texture with brush strokes,” said Richardson-Wood.

One specific painting that she is showing is called “Bubble Draw,” a self-portrait she made in 2009.

The graduating students’ portfolio show for 2012 will be held from Monday, May 28 until Wednesday, June 13 in the Triangle Gallery in Building 13 at Sinclair, as well as the Works on Paper Gallery. A reception will be held on June 1 at Gallery 510 on 510 E. 5th Street, for the first Friday event in June.

Filed Under: Campus, Life, News

Sinclair courses prepare inmates for a better future

May 30, 2012 By

Cynthia Morrison, 40, doesn’t want to be remembered for her past, but for her future. Her past landed her in the Dayton Correctional Institute (DCI) for theft of guns and cars on Jan. 9, 2012.

But in her future, Morrison sees herself obtaining a construction certificate with the goal of working in her family’s construction business upon her release.

Before DCI, Morrison spent 27 years of her life addicted to drugs, but after enrolling in the Advanced Job Training Program that Sinclair offers, she has been sober for 13 months. Morrison has two semesters left to complete her construction certificate.

“I wanted to do something with my time and keep busy–not just wallow around–but change something in my life,” Morrison said. “I didn’t want to resume living the way I was. I wanted to make positive changes and not be stuck where I was  in my life.”

The partnership

For more than 25 years, DCI has partnered with Sinclair to provide inmates with the necessary education and job training skills in order for them to be productive members of society upon their release.

“DCI is a medium-security prison for inmates who have a sentence of eight years or less, and they are rehabilitated through education,” said Coordinator for the DCI program Tom McAllister.

Sinclair offers students in the Advanced Job Training course certificates in construction supervision, help desk analyst, drafting and design and computer support technician.

DCI has approximately 900 inmates, of which 67 students are taking courses.

“Currently the state of Ohio is willing to pay for certificates but not for degrees,” McAllister said. “It costs more to obtain an associate’s degree versus a certificate.”

Inmates enrolled in a college course were 50 percent less likely to return to prison, according to a study by Ashland College. If the student is released before they complete their certificate, any college credits that they earned would transfer easily to Sinclair.

“We don’t have any hard evidence, but I think at least 25 percent of the inmates who are released have obtained jobs in their certificate programs,” McAllister said. “We don’t have anything conclusive because once they leave DCI it is difficult to track them, but several have been in contact with us and tell us that they have obtained a job.”

The fear of rejection 

“Being in prison is not what I wanted for my life, but it is where I needed to be.” 

Julie Rouse, 41, was caught on Sept. 28, 2009 for passing bad checks, and has been incarcerated for three years.

She is now enrolled in computer information systems and business courses at DCI. Her plan is to transfer to Sinclair after she is released on Sept. 1, 2012, just two and a half weeks before her 42nd birthday.

“Just being in school in general has taught me how to handle money better and learn to ask for help,” she said. “I think that it has been great to have Sinclair here, so that we can utilize this.”

Growing up, Rouses’ life wasn’t headed in the wrong direction until she met her ex-boyfriend.

“I thought I needed to buy things to have them love me,” she said. “So I would write the checks and purchase items knowing that I could not afford them. The experience [being at DCI] has taught me that I don’t have to have a man in my life, and I don’t have to have the fear of rejection.”

Johna Wood, 47, was incarcerated when she was caught making methamphetamines during a drug raid.

She was sentenced on June 21, 2011, and will be released May 14, 2014. At the end of the summer, she will complete her help desk analyst certificate.

“These classes are really good,” Wood said. “All the info we are learning has been very useful.”

When she completes her certificate she wants to enroll in a dependency counseling course.

At the end of her sentence, Wood would like to finish her associate’s degree at Sinclair.

“I hope that these classes will help me get out,” she said. “It’s really important for me to get out and do better in my life.”

Making an impact 

Thirteen Sinclair instructors make the weekly trip into the 75-acre institution to teach 19 courses at the prison.

“The teachers are really hands-on,” Morrison said. “It’s good because if I have questions, they are always there to help me. And I can ask questions in my dorm with other students who are taking classes.”

Morrison said that the teachers have provided her with the guidance to succeed in her courses.

“I don’t know anything about computers,” she said. “But they help me through it. And here I can say that the teachers really do care.”

Kinya McBeth, assistant college coordinator, has seen a tremendous amount of change in the students since she started working at DCI in September 2010. She is the liaison between DCI and the college, and teaches a Tuesday and Thursday open lab. During that time, she serves as an educational provider, mentor, tutor and friend to the students.

“I fight for them, and I really challenge them to push themselves harder,” McBeth said. “I don’t see them as they were in their past because every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.”

McBeth said she pushes her students so when they are released they can empower other women and juveniles. Her top priority with her students is helping them break through the barriers of self-doubt, self-hate and low self-esteem.

“DCI gives them an opportunity to reinvent themselves,” she said. “I look at this as a way for them to change their thinking or as a way for them to start thinking for a change. It is very rewarding to empower the women, give them the resources to be successful and a glimmer of light for their future.”

Heidi Arnold, associate professor of communication, has been teaching an interpersonal communication course at DCI since the fall of 2011.

“The students are hungry for an education, respectful and interested in what they are learning,” Arnold said. “I feel that I am making a bigger impact than I do in Building 2.”

Both McBeth and Arnold said that teaching at DCI is an invaluable experience.

“Society looks at them and think that they shouldn’t have an education because they are being afforded an education through taxpayer dollars,” McBeth said. “But these women are on the Dean’s List and gaining an education. I rather fortify them with employable skills, so that they can come out and be productive citizens.”

The students’ lives after prison 

“I am ready to go home, and see my family,” Rouse said.

Rouse said that family is her first priority when she leaves DCI in September. She especially wants to see her daughter.

“It has been a long time,” she said.

Rouse plans on selling her paintings at Traders World in her down time, and she also wants to spend most of her time getting reacquainted with her daughter. Then she will enroll at Sinclair.

Morrison has other goals.

She wants to open up a shelter and a soup kitchen upon her release in 2016.

“I’ve always brought animals and people home, so it has always been my life-long goal just to help the needy.”

The shelter/soup kitchen will be named after her grandmother, who passed away several years ago.

“When I am released, I am going to be in the church and helping the young children come to know God at an early age,” Morrison said. “So that I can possibly help my community turn itself around.”

 

Filed Under: Campus, Life, News headlines

Three faculty members presented with the 2012 Innovation of the Year Award

May 21, 2012 By

Sinclair Community College’s motto, “Find the need and endeavor to meet it,” mirrors the intentions of the Innovation of the Year Award, and inspired Shan Huang, Vandana Rola and Marigrace Ryan, who won the award for pioneering online astronomy and biology labs.

The online module model started in 2006 but took a year of research before it made its official launch as an online class in 2007. Huang, who was teaching a face-to-face astronomy lab at the time, used her students to test out the lab.

“The preconception was that the lab has to be hands on,” said Huang, “We needed it to mirror the face-to-face experience.”

With Physics Department Chair Art Ross and Distance Learning Dean Nancy Thibeault helping her along the way, Huang wrote a proposal for the funding and year of research. After the year of research, they discovered that an online astronomy lab was attainable, and the college started development work.

After the development of the online astronomy lab and at the request of health information management, an anatomy and physiology online lab came into development. Ryan, who has been a college biology professor for 25 years, was asked to help with the development.

“I had to put myself in the position of an online student to understand how it should be delivered,” said Ryan.

The development was started in spring of 2008 and the course was offered later that year in the fall. The second sequence of the course was offered later in winter of 2009. Ryan said that the course looks into the functions of the body; students are able to look through the microscope and perform different experiments and dissections.

“After development and putting it online, we put it into course enhancements for face-to-face students. They think it’s great. They really like it. It’s a benefit I didn’t realize would happen,” said Ryan.

Since offering the courses online, enrollment has grown.

“We have such a strong support system,” said Ryan. “Distant learning is fantastic.”

After already receiving the nationally recognized 2011 Bellwether Award, Ryan said it was nice to be recognized at home.

“The success rate for the online courses is at 70 percent, while face-to-face success rates are at 75 percent, which is much better than the average 65 percent,” said Rola.

Rola said that the courses are important for the students who live a significant distance from the campus, or those whom are too busy to make it to campus at a certain time.

Upon receiving the notification through an email that they had won the award at the beginning of April, Rola said she was very happy. She said that it was a team effort, and that their hard work paid off. Rola also said that winning the award offers encouragement to do better.

“I was carrying a silly smile for two days after that. I was very glad our effort was recognized,” said Huang.

“I was surprised because we had been working for five years. None of us thought to nominate it for the innovation award. Part of that was because it was such an overwhelming project,” said Ryan.

For now, they are in the process of developing online physics labs.

“We’re a country of innovation,” said Huang, “The award has been there since I came to Sinclair. Their goal is to encourage and honor people with success in their projects, and encourage people to work toward it.”

Filed Under: Campus, Featured, Life
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