WABASH VALLEY COLLEGE AN ILLINOIS EASTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

THE VIEW FROM THE VALLEY

Volume 14, Issue 11 May 13, 2020

WVC Announces Instructors of the Year

Each year, three instructors an instructor at Wabash Valley Mr. D-Ray Etzkorn, Adjunct In- from Wabash Valley College are College since 2003. She holds an structor for the Concealed Carry selected as instructors of the Associate of Science degree from Program, has taught at Wabash year: a transfer instructor, a Olney Central College, a Bachelor Valley College since 2013. career and technical education of Arts degree from Eastern Illinois instructor and an adjunct in- University, and a Master of Arts It is the goal of the WVC Student structor. degree from Eastern Illinois Uni- Senate to recognize three out- versity. Jill teaches Composition, standing faculty members by or- WVC is proud to announce this Fundamentals of Effective Speak- ganizing a vote for the student year’s instructors of the year. ing and Interpersonal Communica- body to select the instructors of The members of the WVC stu- tions. the year. Three faculty members dent body have selected Ms. Jill are recognized annually who em- Ms. Jill Winter Winter as the Outstanding Ms. Ronda Hockgeiger, Social body the college’s standards for Transfer Instructor of the Year, Services Specialist Instructor, has excellence. The instructors receiv- Ms. Ronda Hockgeiger as the been an instructor at Wabash Val- ing the award teach effectively, Outstanding Career and Tech- ley College since 2014. She holds inspire enthusiasm for learning nical Education Instructor of the two Associate in Applied Science and show respect for their stu- Year and Mr. D-Ray Etzkorn as degrees from Wabash Valley Col- dents. the Outstanding Adjunct Instruc- lege, a Bachelor of Science de- tor of the Year. gree and Master of Science de- Congratulations to Ms. Winter, Ms. gree in Social Work from the Uni- Hockgeiger and Mr. Etzkorn! Ms. Jill Winter, English/Speech versity of Southern Indiana. Assistant Professor, has been

Ms. Ronda Hockgeiger

WVC Commencement Rescheduled

July 31, 2020

Wabash Valley College has Details about the ceremony, com- The College plans to continue rescheduled its 58th annual mencement speakers, and any working closely with state and commencement ceremony honorees will be released once local health officials throughout for Friday, July 31, 2020 at they are finalized. the summer and monitoring so- 7:00 p.m. due to the corona- cial distancing recommendations The administration, faculty, and virus pandemic. and restrictions on large gather- staff are proud to not only contin- ings. The ceremony was originally ue the tradition of celebrating our scheduled for May 8. The students, but to bring reassurance A total of 173 students have ap- new date was selected with and a bit of excitement back to the plied for graduation, with 254 input from students through a WVC community during this diffi- total degrees scheduled to be cult time. survey. awarded.

Illinois Eastern Community Colleges reserves the right to change, without notice, any of the material, information, requirements or regulations published in this newsletter. IECC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, religious affiliation, veteran status, national origin, disability, genetic information, or any other protected category. IECC adheres to the Federal Regulations of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and offers appropriate services or activities with reasonable accommodations to any qualified disabled individual upon request. IECC’s Board of Trustees has adopted the Substance Abuse policy. Students and employees involved in substance abuse, within the college environment, are subject to disciplinary action. Carpenter Honored as One of Country’s Top Coaches

For the second time in his career, Carpenter has 141 wins in seven Silver Waves Wabash Valley College Men's years at Wabash Valley College. Media is labeled Head Basketball Coach Mike Car- Before that, he won 137 games in on social media penter has been honored as one seven years at Danville Area Col- as a new age of the country's best coaches. lege, for a career total of 278 wins, sports media leaving him just 22 victories away organization Silver Waves Media named Car- from the 300-win milestone. that focuses on penter one of the Top 50 Most providing expo- Impactful Coaches in junior col- In 2008, Carpenter's Danville sure for athletes lege basketball. He was honored team reached the NJCAA Final on the west in a similar fashion by Sporting Four, and in 2012 the Jaguars coast. News in 2018. reached the Elite Eight. John A. Logan Silver Waves Media editor Jake "It's nice to receive acknowledge- coach Kyle Stanbrough said, "This is a list, ment for our team's successes on Smithpeters and not a ranking, of 50 current JUCO and off the court," said Carpenter, Vincennes as- men's basketball coaches that also the Athletic Director at WVC. sistant coach have made and continue to make "I'm extremely fortunate to have a Brian Davis also an outstanding impact on their great staff who make my job easi- were named to WVC Head Coach Mike Carpenter directs the Warriors during a District players, programs, and the game er. They deserve as much credit the list. tournament game at Rend Lake College. itself." as anyone."

WVC Supports Students Amid COVID-19 Changes

The word we continuously hear Coordinator Jennifer Stroughmatt These efforts helped students like “When COVID-19 struck, Kali alongside COVID-19 or corona- with a Signal Vine number to im- Kali (name changed). Retention reached out to say that she may virus is unprec- have to drop out and edented, and move to Texas, as for good rea- her mom couldn't son. This pan- help her anymore. demic has One can imagine caused major how stressful this upheavals must have been across the along with all of the entirety of our additional stress of society. No one simply being a young knows this lady living on your better than own for the first time, students. not to mention all of In an immense- this happening during ly short amount a pandemic. This of time, stu- was more than this dents had to girl needed.” adapt to newly The Signal Vine chart shows peak conversational times. 674 messages were received from students over the COVID period. set up learning “Kali had almost quit modalities and change their prove student support outreach. Coordinator Jennifer Stroughmatt nearly every semester at WVC, but schooling habits. WVC faculty and Assistant Dean of Student Services shared Kali’s story. her instructors and her advisor staff have worked tirelessly to en- Steve Patberg fast-tracked WVC’s understood that she, like the rest of sure that no student falls through summer plans and worked diligent- “Kali is an excellent student and us, will sometimes have a hard the cracks. We communicated with ly to check all students and create has bipolar disorder, which caused way to go. Knowing this, what our students, identified their needs a proper upload of over 400 stu- her to drop out of high school. She more could we do but help each and helped them where we could. dents' records into Signal Vine in does not have many friends or other through the rough times. Kali two and a half days. family here, as her mother just passed, not dropping a single In the first week of our classes moved to Texas for a new job, but course, with 2 A's, a B and a C. being virtualized, two key issues Student Support Systems are all Kali decided to stay and finish her Kali will graduate. Kali has learned were identified by our advisors and digitally linked at WVC now. Tabby degree with WVC. For the past the most vital lesson we can teach retention coordinator: student Niduaza, Director of WVC’s Aca- year, her mother has been sending her at IECC. She has learned she online access and support out- demic Success Center, now has money back to help Kali finish her is resilient and can persevere, de- reach. access to the information on three last year of college by covering the spite what labels she carries and systems related to student support: rent. what hurdles she must overcome.” The administration responded im- Early Alert System, Signal Vine mediately by providing Retention and Brainfuse. WVC Gets New Pollinator Plot

Wabash Valley College’s Ag pro- which donated use of their planter Various plants were sown on the gram, in conjunction with Wabash and drill. Wabash Valley Steward- pollinator field. Those plants Valley Service Company, IB Ex- ship Alliance which will provide include: Partridge Peas, Purple ecutive Turf and Landscape, Wa- signs for the area, and area Farm Coneflowers, Lance-leafed Co- bash Valley Stewardship Alliance Bureaus: Edwards, Lawrence, reopis, Indian Blanket, Sunflow- and southeastern Illinois Farm Wabash, Wayne, White, Crawford, ers, Lupine, Ohio Spiderwort, Bureaus, saw the planting of a Gallatin, Richland, Saline, Jeffer- Butterfly Milkweed, Showy Trick new pollinator plot on WVC’s son and Hamilton counties for Trefoil, Lemon Mint, White Up- campus. providing financial support. land Aster, Black-eyed Susan, Lavender Hyssop, New England Mike Wilson, CCA, from Wabash The 1.1 acre-plot will provide a Aster, Plains Coreopis, Spotted Valley Service Company, planted habitat for pollinator species, pro- Beebalm, Hairy Beardtongue, a pollinator plot on campus on mote awareness and education on Eastern Columbine and Gray May 12. Look for it next time you the value of pollinator species to Goldenrod. drive past the college on Oak our local economy and the impact Street! planting perennials has on soil quality. WVC’s Ag program plans WVC would like to thank Wabash to use the plot during lab days for Valley Service Company which various courses as a teaching provided the pollinator seed, IB tool. Executive Turf and Landscape

WVC Bass Team Reschedules Invitational to June 20

Wabash Valley College’s bass until 5:15 a.m. A pre-tournament team has rescheduled the high meeting will take place at 5:15 a.m. school bass fishing invitational at Boat take off will be determined by East Fork Lake in Olney, Illinois, a draw either at check-in or the originally planned for Saturday, evening prior if the tournament field March 21 to take place on Satur- is full. day, June 20. There is a five fish limit per team, Teams that were registered for the with a 12” minimum length per fish. originally scheduled date will be Awards will be given to the top contacted to determine if they still three teams and to the individual intend to participate on June 20. with the biggest bass. The top fin- Once all teams have been con- ishing senior will be awarded a firmed, the WVC bass team will scholarship to fish on the 2020– make an announcement as to how 2021 bass team at Wabash Valley many more openings we have College. available. The tournament is lim- ited to 30 boats. Once we have Those teams that were originally determined the number of teams registered can send an e-mail to coming, we will likely re-open reg- WVC bass coach Todd Gill at istration to fill the field as there will [email protected] or by phone at 618- likely be teams that cannot come 263-8633. Once it has been deter- that date. mined how many new teams can be accepted, a registration link will This is a two-angler team tourna- be available at https:// ment. The cost is $30 per team; wvcwarriorathletics.com/sports/ additionally, East Fork Lake re- fishing/index. quires an Olney boat sticker, which can be purchased on a daily or To stay up to date, follow the Wa- annual basis. bash Valley College bass team on Facebook at WVC Bass Team or The tournament will run from 5:30 on Instagram @wvcbassteam. a.m. until 11:30 a.m. with team check-in running from 4:30 a.m.