Laker Nation News

The eight-week fast track Manufacturing Skills Certificate program, offered collaboratively through Mars Petcare and Lake Land College, recently certified its first class of students on Friday, Dec. 13. Five individuals received a Lake Land College Manufacturing Skills Certificate and began working for Mars Petcare immediately following completion of the program.

“This is an incredible opportunity for our community members. It’s refreshing to partner with a company that is so committed to providing employment opportunities with so many career training options,” Bonnie Moore, director to center for business and industry, said. “Mars Petcare sets a high standard for employee engagement and, given their company culture and dedication to growth, the career prospects are truly endless.”

The unique program spanned eight weeks, beginning in October, with classes meeting from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. five days a week. This is the first group of students to complete the no-cost training and immediately receive a position working for Mars Petcare upon completion.

Dalton Dare, Oakland, and Shawna Hatten, Sullivan, both heard of the program opportunity through the Lake Land College Center for Business and Industry Facebook page.

“I saw on Facebook that there would be an orientation for the program to find out more information and I thought it sounded like a great opportunity,” Hatten said.

“I was curious to learn new machines, meet new people and learn to compute new things,” Dare said.

“We’ve been absorbing and retaining every piece of information since day one,” Jack Nacke, Arcola, said. “There’s been a lot of opportunities to take what we’ve learned and identify and use it in the real world.”

“It’s been a challenging few weeks, but Randy Strohl is an incredible instructor. He’s very good at explaining things and making sure we fully understand what we’re learning,” Nick Poorman, Mattoon, said.

“We’re all very proud of ourselves for the work we’ve done to reach this point,” David Gonzalez, Mattoon, said. “This has given me the opportunity to be a role model for my kids—to show them that they can accomplish anything if they work hard and stay focused.”

The hourly wage for graduates of the program begins at $17 with immediate full benefits including health, dental, vision, vacation time and retirement programs. All applicants completed a screening process and were selected by Mars Petcare before starting the program.

Located in Mattoon, Mars Petcare is the largest producer of dry pet food and care & treats in the company’s North American network. The site produces several iconic pet food brands including PEDIGREE®, DENTASTIX™, IAMS™ AND CESAR®, among others. Products manufactured in Mattoon are distributed nationally to serve consumers in more than half of the country.

The next Manufacturing Skills Certificate program will begin on Monday, Jan. 6, 2020 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Workforce Development Center.

The fast track program is eligible for Lake Land College Guaranteed Financial Assistance. Students are required to first apply for both state and federal financial assistance. Should those sources not cover the cost, Lake Land College will waive any tuition and fees that remain.

To learn more details about the Lake Land College Center for Business and Industry and the unique training and program opportunities available, visit lakelandcollege.edu/cbi/cbi-manufacturing-skills-lab or contact Moore at 217-238-8260 or bmoore71258@lakelandcollege.edu.

Lake Land College students and faculty are tuning in on the innate human need to contribute and provide support to those in need. Throughout the semester, students and faculty carried out initiatives to raise funds, charitable items and quality of life awareness through several acts of kindness.

Students from Philosophy/English Instructor Tara Blaser’s ethics course spent the semester raising awareness surrounding domestic abuse and raised nearly $3,000 in cash and other charitable items to be donated to HOPE of East Central Illinois in Charleston. Broadcasting Club students organized a campus-wide food drive to contribute to the Laker Food Pantry and faculty members created a competition between classes to collect items for the Coles County Animal Shelter. The competition accumulated more than 445 items including dog and cat toys, large and small animal beds and leashes, among several other items.

As the first installment of the domestic abuse project for Blaser’s ethics class, the students were eager to go out into the community and contribute the required 30 hours of volunteer work. One particular group spoke at area high schools about the signs of abuse and ways in which to approach possible victims of abuse. Another group assisted in the selling of meat sandwiches by Possum Lodge #812 in Shelbyville, raising more than $1,500, or one third of the total cash funds raised in the class. The near $1,000 profit was donated to HOPE where 12 teens were sponsored by the class.

“The idea to raise funds by partnering with Possum Lodge was the idea of our group member, Ashley Miller. She’s worked with Possum Lodge for several years and we felt this was the perfect opportunity,” Danielle Having, Effingham, said. “It turned out better than we had anticipated and we are incredibly thankful Possum Lodge was nice enough to help us.”

Other students worked solo on the project. Lacey Lynn, Mattoon, took into consideration mothers and women after noticing the profound support offered to children and the areas in which mothers and women can potentially slip through the cracks.

“I thought to myself, ‘they are struggling just as much as the kids, if not more, because they have to stay strong for them as well. Why not give them something a little special?’” Lynn said. “I decided to make toiletry and hot cocoa gift baskets for them using nice baskets that could be used again and again.”

“The purpose of this project was to show students that they can make a difference in the lives of others,” Blaser said. “In the end, the amount of effort the students put into this project was unbelievable.”

Lynn explained her fear of the project when she first heard that she would need to complete 30 hours of volunteer work, because of other responsibilities.

“I was dreading it, because I don’t have much spare time. However, once I completed the project, I felt very accomplished and happy to know that I made a difference in someone’s life,” Lynn said.

“It’s empowering knowing that our class assignment allowed us to give back in a large way to those in need. None of us realized before this project just how fortunate we are to live the lives we’ve been given,” Having added. “I would recommend every Lake Land College student take this class. It really helps you understand just how different everyone’s realities are.”

Other student and faculty organizations across campus also raised goods for those in need, including animals sheltered at the Coles County Animal Shelter.

English Instructor Matt Landrus, Chemistry Instructor Greg Capitosti and Speech Communication Instructor Eva Ritchey teamed up to create the first annual Animal Shelter Donation Competition among their classes.

Upon returning from the animal shelter in Charleston with his daughter, Landrus took note of the lack of supplies and donations. This evoked a cause for concern among Landrus, initiating the desire to give back to the shelter.

The competition ran for more than two weeks from Nov. 6 to Nov. 22 and the goal was to donate desperately-needed items to the shelter. Specifically, the following items: pet toys, blankets, towels, cat litter, paper towels, bleach, laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent, animal beds, cat trees, rugs and dog houses. The donations were categorized on a point system with smaller items worth one point and larger items worth 20 points. Each instructor provided students with extra credit incentives.

Capitosti’s organic chemistry class won the competition receiving the most points of all participating classes.

“We’re blown away by the students and their participation,” Landrus said. “After seeing how much the students raised, we definitely have a goal for next year. This is something I see us continuing year after year.”

However, charity initiatives did not stop there. The Lake Land College Broadcasting Club recently organized a campus-wide food drive to contribute to the Laker Food Pantry. The food drive collected non-perishable canned and dry goods to the pantry which is available to all students. This is the twelfth annual occurrence of the food drive hosted by the club.

“Our hope is that students receive the benefit of knowing they’re helping others in need,” Greg Powers, speech communication/broadcasting instructor, said. “What’s interesting is I know some of our students have needs from time to time, so I think they enjoy being on the other side of the giving.”

For more information about the Laker Food Pantry and to complete a Shopping List, visit lakelandcollege.edu/laker-food-pantry or contact Sharon Uphoff, college nurse, at 217-234-5276 or suphoff@lakelandcollege.edu.

The Lake Land College Board of Trustees approved funding and construction bids for the new Foundation and Alumni Center during the regular December 9, 2020 meeting.

“The Foundation and Alumni do so much for our students, our college and our community. We are very pleased to partner with the Foundation to create a new center that not only recognizes their contributions but welcomes alumni home to their alma mater,” Lake Land College Board Chair Doris Reynolds said.

Trustees approved several bids and committed $725,000 toward the $2.2 million project. The Foundation will contribute $1.5 million from the Neal Charitable Lead Trust, a discretionary fund created for operational needs, separate from scholarship funds.

“We are very excited to have a generous donation from the Neal Charitable Lead Trust to invest in the new center,” Executive Director for College Advancement Christina Donsbach said.

The facility will serve as a welcoming center to alumni and guests of the Foundation and facilitate a connection between current students and the Alumni office as the Center will host various student events throughout the year. The new center will also provide a central location for the College Advancement staff that includes foundation and alumni.

The renderings call for a large event room that will have glass doors that open onto Alumni Park. Events can be planned for guests to fluidly move between the beautiful park grounds and indoor space.

Construction is expected to begin in early spring with a completion date of August 2020.

Dylan Smith, Charleston, and Logan Hardesty, Neoga, received first place in Best Hard News Audio Reporting, becoming the first Lake Land College students to place in the College Broadcasters Inc. annual conference held in St. Louis in early November.

Not only were both Hardesty and Smith the first Lake Land College students to receive awards from the College Broadcaster Inc. national annual conference, both students were the only community college students to place at the conference this year.

Divided into 30 categories and more than 1,100 entries from across the country, it is difficult to place in the College Broadcasters Inc. awards.

“Our students were mainly competing against four year institutions,” Greg Powers, speech communication/broadcasting instructor, said.

The two students spent five weeks bringing the project from conception to the final product, including a six hour long editing period.

“I still can’t grasp being #1 in the whole United States. There were four nominations and a lot of entries, so it’s kind of unbelievable and shocking to win,” Smith said.

“I wasn’t expecting it, it’s surreal to think that we could have won,” Hardesty said. “But it also adds more pressure because I know I can’t put out mediocre work after winning a national award.”

To learn more about the Radio-TV Broadcasting program at Lake Land College, visit lakelandcollege.edu/high-demand-programs/radio-tv-broadcasting/ or contact Powers at 217-234-5335 or gpowers@lakelandcollege.edu.

Six in-district high school students were selected for a Lake Land College tuition waiver at the recently held Manufacturing Day in Effingham County. Waiver recipients were selected following the Manufacturing Day event which is one of several events held across the nation to inspire students to consider careers in modern manufacturing.

Recipients of the tuition waiver are Josh Bowlin, Effingham High School; Gabriel Schuette, Effingham High School; Lane Mietzner, Effingham High School; Mackenzie Boles, Altamont High School; Kelli Stuemke, Altamont High School; and Xaden Childress, Beecher City High School.

The new waiver, designed to reach students interested in the high demand manufacturing industry, will help students achieve the goal of accessing a fulfilling career in the local area.

“Providing students with this tuition waiver is an incredible way for Lake Land to help encourage students interested in a manufacturing career to attend college and explore the opportunities available to them,” Lisa Shumard-Shelton, director of dual credit and honors experience, said.

The waiver is for the amount of tuition up to three credit hours. The waiver can be used for any Lake Land College credit based course and must be used for the summer 2020, fall 2020 and/or spring 2021 semesters. Students are responsible for all related fees.

For more information about Lake Land College and the dual credit opportunities available, visit lakelandcollege.edu/dual-credit or contact Shelton at 217-234-5044 or lshumard-shelton@lakelandcollege.edu.

Lake Land College’s Adult Education is offering GED classes throughout the Lake Land College district beginning the second week of January. Classes are 100 percent federally funded thanks to the U.S. Department of Education.

The class orientation locations and dates are as follows:

• Arthur – Arthur Public Library, 225 S. Walnut St. – Tuesday, Jan. 7, 4 p.m.
• Charleston – Coles County Health Dept., 825 18^th St., Tuesday, Jan. 7, 4 p.m.
• Effingham – Lake Land College Kluthe Center, 1204 Network Centre Blvd., Tuesday, Jan. 7, 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Marshall – Lake Land College Eastern Region Center, 224 S. 6^th St., Monday, Jan. 6, 4 p.m.
• Mattoon – Lake Land College Workforce Development Center, 305 Richmond Ave. E., Wednesday, Jan. 8, 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Pana – Lake Land College Western Region Center, 600 E. 1^st St., Thursday, Jan. 9, 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Paris – First United Methodist Church, 324 W. Court St., Thursday, Jan. 9, 4 p.m.
• Shelbyville – Shelbyville High School, Pathways Classroom, 1001 W. North 6^th St., Monday, Jan. 6, 4 p.m.

For these GED classes, students’ tuition will be waived and all class materials will be provided. To find a GED class near you, to find more information or to register call 217-238-8292 or email adulteducation@lakelandcollege.edu.

Like and follow the Lake Land College Adult Education Facebook page for an up to date look at what classes are available.

Laker shortstop and second baseman Oliver Dunn, Melbourne, Australia, will travel to the Philippines in early December to play for the Thailand national baseball team at the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

The SEA Games is a biennial multi-sport event involving more than 10,000 athletes from 11 countries that make up Southeast Asia. The games, under supervision by the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Council of Asia, first began in 1959 to promote cooperation and understanding of the Southeast Asian region through regional sports. Throughout the more than 50 year history of the games, Thailand sits at the top of the medal ranking with more than 5,800 gold, silver and bronze medals.

“The SEA Games is a tournament in its own for smaller countries that may not be able to play in the Olympics,” Dunn said. “It’s a good chance for athletes from smaller countries to play internationally.

“I’m expecting this to be a pretty fun experience. Apart from watching athletes from across the world play professional level sports like basketball, I’m most excited to be able to play in front of my parents. They’ve not been able to watch me play for two years now.”

Dunn, a sophomore at Lake Land College, revealed that his passion for baseball began at the age of eight through his dad.

“My dad played state baseball as well in Australia and basically taught me everything I know from when I was a young age,” Dunn said. “He coached baseball from his twenties to his thirties so I learned a lot from him.”

During his early academic years, Dunn played for the state baseball league of Victoria before moving to the United States to play college baseball at Bay de Noc Community College in Michigan. Between transferring from Bay de Noc to Lake Land College in summer 2019, he traveled throughout Thailand and China playing baseball.

“At the end of last spring, I was contacted by an MLB scout in Australia that has connections in the Southeast Asia community. The Thailand national baseball team was looking for more half Thai players. From there I went to Thailand for two months and China for a month as a try-out for the team,” Dunn said.

Dunn’s father is from Australia and his mother was born in Thailand making him eligible to play for the Thailand national baseball team through his mother’s lineage.

Not only does a passion for baseball run through the family, the talent to play almost anywhere on the field keeps Dunn perfecting the sport and improving upon his skills.

“I’ve pitched a little bit and played every in-field position as well,” Dunn said. “I prefer to play shortstop a lot more because I’m able to read the ball better than any other position in the field, but I’m also pretty confident at second base as well because the positions are pretty similar.”

Dunn plans to harness his talent at Lake Land College with a high chance to play more games than on previous teams.

“My experience at Lake Land has been positive so far. Up in Michigan, the snow stopped us from playing a lot, so down here I’ll be able to play more than 50 games in the spring.” Dunn said. “Putting in practice at 6 a.m. every day and late practices is a grind, but it’s something that I find fun sharing with the guys. A lot of good friendships are coming out of this.”

“I’m very excited for Oliver to have the opportunity to play for the Thailand national baseball team. This opportunity is a badge of honor for Oliver as well as the Lake Land College sports community to see one of their own play at this level,” Mike Rudibaugh, geography/earth science instructor, said. “Oliver is a very hardworking student in the classroom and I would assume this is matched by his hard work on the field to play the game he loves.

“The cultural growth Oliver will experience to learn about another country, cultural traditions and style of play will only help the Lake Land College community as Oliver can bring these experiences back to Illinois in the spring.”

The Lake Land College Board of Trustees invites all Laker alumni and community members to attend the Grand Reopening of the Luther Student Center on Thursday, Dec. 5. The open house will run from 3-6:30 p.m. with the Rededication Ceremony held at 5:30 p.m.

The Luther Student Center will be rededicated to Lake Land’s fourth and longest serving president, Dr. Robert K. Luther.

“Serving from 1988-2006, Dr. Luther fostered a culture of innovation and student-centeredness, strengthened the college’s financial foundation, greatly enhanced the beautiful campus we have today and brought national acclaim to our academic excellence. It is with great pleasure that we rededicate the Luther Student Center in honor of Dr. Luther and his vision of Lake Land College with a strong focus on student success,” Dr. Josh Bullock, Lake Land College president, said.

The Luther Student Center is located on the west side of Lake Land’s main campus in Mattoon. Bullock said it has been more than 20 years since Lake Land first identified the need to renovate and add space to the facility and there is great pride in seeing this project come to fruition. The newly constructed addition to the Luther Student Center adds 18,000 square feet to the existing renovated space of 28,000 square feet.

The state-of-the-art facility provides current and prospective students easier access to many college services under one roof. The Luther Student Center now houses the following departments: Admissions & Records, Counseling Services, Career Services, Student Life, TRiO Student Support Services, TRiO Destination College, Financial Aid, Accounting, Laker Nest Bookstore, Lake Land College Theater, Laker Point and the Lake Land College Police Department.

Guests of the open house and ceremony will tour the breathtaking Luther Student Center and campus, enjoy refreshments and visit with the Lake Land College community.

For more information about the grand reopening contact Jean Anne Grunloh, senior executive to the president, at 217-234-5222 or jgrunloh@lakelandcollege.edu.

The Lake Land College Community Choir will present a holiday concert at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 24 in the Lake Land College Theater.

Musical selections from the Broadway musical The Pajama Game will open the concert with a blast of “Steam Heat!” The choir will sing an updated arrangement of the “Ukrainian Bell Carol” and a setting of “Patapan” with piano four-hands accompaniment, as well as a breathtaking piece combining “O Holy Night” and “Silent Night.” Traditional carols such as “Good King Wenceslas” and “Bring a Torch, Jeannette Isabella” will round out the program. A trumpet and drum combo with Amanda Moloney, Vandalia, and Alek Mann, Mattoon, will join the choir for jazzy settings of “We Three Kings” and “Ding Dong Merrily on High.” The concert will close with “Glow,” written and made famous by Paris, Illinois native Brett Eldredge.

A reception will follow in the dining area at the College.

Under the direction of Nancy Caldwell, music instructor, the Community Choir is a choir of mixed voices including students from the college as well as members of surrounding communities such as Mattoon, Charleston, Effingham, Neoga, Arthur, Sigel and Lovington. Randy Imig of St. Elmo accompanies the choir. The Community Choir was formed in January of 1998 and performs two concerts annually.

The concert is free and open to the public.

For more information about the holiday concert and the Lake Land College Community Choir, contact Caldwell at 217-234-5464 or ncaldwel@lakelandcollege.edu.

World-renowned human genetics educator Sam Rhine will host a Genetic Update Conference at Lake Land College, Tuesday, Nov. 26 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Luther Student Center Theater.

The conference will focus on genomic medicine including growing organs in a lab and gene editing to cure disease. The conference, sponsored by the Lake Land College Math and Science Division, will be open to students, teachers, parents and the community. Many schools bring their AP and honors biology students to the conference. The cost is free to Lake Land College students, faculty and staff and $20 for other attendees.

Described by experts in the human genetics field as the most effective human genetics educator in America today, Rhine is the director of the Genetics Education Center near Indianapolis. He received the “Honorary Membership Award” by the National Association of Biology Teachers. The award is recognized as the highest honor bestowed on members of the profession and is awarded annually.

Rhine has made more than 8,500 presentations to more than 3.75 million teenagers in the United States, Canada and Europe.

Rhine is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Indiana in Bloomington in the Department of Applied Health Science where he teaches a summer class on “Causes and Prevention of Birth Defects.” He also teaches summer classes at the University of St. Thomas in Houston and the University of Texas Pan AM campus in Edinburg, Texas. He has lectured in Toronto, Montreal, London, Prague, Vienna, Tokyo, Nairobi, Kenya and St. Petersburg, Russia.

Registration will be accepted through the morning of the conference. Attendees are not required to stay for the entire presentation and can enter the theater at any time. For more information or to register call 800-727-2315 or visit samrhine.com.

Contact Lake Land College Biology Instructor Brenda Hunzinger with any additional questions at 217-234-5365 or bhunzing@lakelandcollege.edu.