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Our country, state and community are making important decisions now that affect you, me, and Lower Columbia College. Washington State faces its third consecutive huge biennial budget shortfall. In the “other Washington,” Congress is wrestling with record-breaking deficits and the administration has proposed crippling cuts to technical, adult basic education and English as a second language programs, as well as Head Start. Schools, colleges and cities are struggling only to fall further and further behind. These are times for hard decisions, both academic and political, but they center on something important to us all: the future. The future is what LCC is all about. Higher education, workforce training, Head Start, adult basic education and English as a second language are proven education programs that create informed citizens and employed taxpayers, earning our community, state and nation big dividends in the future. This isn’t just about individual futures and individual pocketbooks. It’s about all of us having better lives because we and our children—and our neighbors and their children—have what we all need to be productive and happy.Strong, accessible education is smart business, smart life—and essential to preserving a democracy.Even if I were only thinking of myself, I would still want qualified nurses to care for me, and well-trained firefighters ready to help in an emergency. I would want good police officers to catch the bad guys, and I’d want fewer bad guys. I would want a good mechanic to work on my car and great teachers in the public schools. I would want qualified people filling my prescriptions and running City Hall and the city water plant. I would want a strong local economy, good roads and clean, safe public places. I would want concerts, plays and art in my life. When I retire, I want plenty of younger people out there, making good wages and paying taxes to support retirees, as we supported those who came before us.One principle unites all of these things that you and I want. They all require education, training, and investment in public infrastructure. They all require strong community colleges.The crisis is happening now. Please speak up now and be a supportive, participating citizen. Talk to your neighbors and legislators. Better yet, find a cause or a program at LCC that you want to support. Your choices today affect not only today’s programs and services, but the well-being and freedom of generations to come.

Dr. Jim McLaughlin President Lower Columbia College

It’s all about the futureCatalystCatalyst is published by Lower Columbia College in coordination with the LCC Foundation. Please contact editor JoAnne Booth with your comments and information at:

Lower Columbia CollegePO Box 3010Longview, WA 98632Phone (360) 442-2111or email jbooth@lcc.ctc.edu

Would you prefer to receive the Catalyst elec-tronically? Are you receiving more than one copy? Are you changing your mailing address? If so, please contact Marcy Gilchrist at (360) 442-2132, or email mgilchrist@lcc.ctc.edu

Cover photos:

Reaching Higher Family Campaign captains teamed up with LCC President Dr. James McLaughlin to launch the LCC major gift campaign at the September All Staff Meeting. From left are Steve Jones, Don Correll, McLaughlin, Karen Kearcher and Darcy Smith.Jessica Burgoyne played Columbine, the nag, in the LCC Center Stage production of A Company of Wayward Saints. The mask is part of the commedia alla improvisio style.Germain Jordan went up for a dunk in the Northwest Athletic Association for Community Colleges playoff game. The Red Devils won their second straight NWAACC championship this year. Photo by: Jeffhinds.com

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Alumni news

We’d like to feature our alumni in Catalyst and help you stay in touch with your friends at LCC. Please let us know what you’ve been doing. Phone or write to JoAnne Booth at the address above.

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Traditional revenue sources have never met LCC’s needs in several critical areas and that isn’t likely to change. The answer: a plan to raise the needed funds ourselves. The LCC Foundation and Lower Columbia College have joined forces for the Reaching Higher campaign. The goal is to improve programs and facilities for our students and the community. The immediate needs are:

Academic Excellence, increasing library resources, scholarships for students, honors program, equipment and musical instruments for the fine and performing arts programs, and an expanded art gallery.Health Care and Science Program Expansion, which requires additional qualified professionals to teach along with state-of-the-art equipment in updated science laboratories.Technology and Instructional Equip-ment Updates, needed to train a high quality workforce with up-to-date knowledge and skills.

The Reaching Higher fundraising campaign began with a successful LCC “family” drive launched in September. Nearly 80% of our staff and 100% of the LCC Foundation Board and the LCC Board of Trustees are participating. “We are told that anything over 60 percent is outstanding!” says LCC President Jim McLaughlin. “I’m gratified to see that our people believe in LCC and care so much about our college.” Combined gifts and pledges from the family campaign have raised nearly $307,000.Many have chosen to sponsor a seat in the new Fine Arts auditorium, with 34 seats sponsored so far at $1,000 each. Name-plates will be attached to the armrests.Auditorium seats are just one of the many naming opportunities available. For example, donors can endow a named scholarship or program for $20,000, or a practice room in the new Fine Arts Building for $10,000. Donors can have the new Thrust Theatre and Lecture Hall named for them, or the entire new Fine Arts Building. Some naming opportunities are even available in existing buildings, such as the new gym floor we need. Contact Merlene York at (360) 442-2131 for details and more options.

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Reaching Higherfor LCC students

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Farewell to the Fine Arts BuildingImagine the walk-in closet of your dreams: 20 feet of hanging space; full of clothing for every occasion. Now, multiply that times ten, and you’ve got the costume collection of LCC Center Stage—and that’s just the costumes that are on hangers in the theatre’s basement storerooms. More are in boxes, cabinets and drawers, along with stacks and stacks of shoes, 600 women’s hats, 400 men’s and period hats; drawers and boxes full of tights, corsets and girdles, gloves, masks, stockings and more. Some costumes were donated or pur-chased, but costume mistress Mary Rayon and her helpers created many of them. Center Stage is ready for more, with several sewing machines, 150 bolts of fabric (much of it vintage) and the LCC Library’s old card catalog full of buttons, zippers, ribbon, hooks and rickrack.Two rooms are crammed to the ceiling with props and furniture, including a handmade 1940s fainting couch which Drama Director Don Correll reupholstered himself with vintage fabric.Center Stage also has 40 platforms, 12 sets of steps, 20 doors, 15 windows, 8 columns, boxes and cabinets full of props, 125 lighting instruments and two cabinets full of lighting gels, and about 6,000 feet of cable. Correll built up Center Stage’s costumes, props and equipment from “almost nothing” when he arrived at LCC in 1976.“Therein lies the rub”That’s great, but it’s also a problem. This summer, the Fine Arts Building (FAB for short) will be torn down to make room for a beautiful new fine arts center, and Center Stage needs somewhere dry and heated to keep these treasures for about two years. Correll will reduce their stock somewhat with a to-die-for sale this summer.The College is lining up performance space here in Longview, as well as rehearsal, costuming and set-building space. Correll is excited about the new building, but the drama program will need some adjustments during construction.For example, the new 125-seat theatre will have a “thrust” stage, surrounded on three sides by seats. “It will be a wonderful theatre in which to train actors, because they have to connect with the audience,” says Correll. The downside: no “fly” to raise and lower curtains, backdrops and tall set pieces.For now, Correll has one last show to put together: “The Eclectic, Electric House That Jack Built.” Center Stage first presented the show during Correll’s first year at LCC and did it again in the 1980s. The amalgamation of fractured fairy tales and nursery rhymes—with a strong message—will be Center Stage’s farewell to FAB.Correll is also planning a Center Stage Reunion, with a special performance of the last show.After that, he needs plenty of storage space, help packing, portable clothes racks and hundreds of moving boxes. Anyone?

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LCC welcomes new deanFran Zarubick joined Lower Columbia Col-lege as Dean of Instructional Programs in August, replacing Ann Kaneko, who retired.Zarubick is a former dean of the Preparatory, Adult and Continuing Studies and Elder-hostel at The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. She came to LCC after

two years as an indepen-dent process consultant. Before her 19 years with The Peabody Institute, she served 10 years as dean of the Commu-nity School of Performing Arts in Los Angeles.

She has a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Political Science from Immaculate Heart College, and master’s degrees in Applied Behavioral Science from Johns Hopkins and Human and Organizational Development from The Fielding Institute.She says she’s been interested in commu-nity colleges for some time and was espe-cially interested in Washington’s community colleges because they have many “forward-thinking” programs that other states don’t. She was especially impressed with Running Start, various progressive work force training initiatives created to meet community needs, and the state’s system for seamless transfer to 4-year schools.“I am very excited to be part of the College’s effort to be a learner-centered college,” she said. “Not every community college is a learning community,” she said, “and LCC is among the more forward-thinking commu-nity colleges.”She is also delighted that Head Start is part of her purview, “So you see the whole process, from Head Start through college.” Zarubick looks forward to being more involved with the faculty. As a flutist and the mother of a painter, she takes a special interest in the visual and performing arts.

Washington Governor Christine Gregoire honored Lower Columbia College students John Lynch and Kristy Burch and 59 other All-Washington Academic Team members from Washington’s 34 Community and Technical Colleges on March 24 in Olympia. “You’ve met the challenge and shown you are among the best and the brightest,” Gregoire said. She marveled at the many inspiring stories of 2005 team members. “We aren’t here to inspire you; you are inspiring us,” she said. Many college students have come far and overcome great odds, she said, including “John Lynch from Lower Columbia College who started out living in his car and is now a National Phi Theta Kappa Leader of Promise Award winner.” The $1,000 national scholarship from the 2-year college honor society went to only 30 students nationwide. Lynch is president of the LCC Chapter of PTK. He’s nearly done with his Associate in Applied Science degree in Chemical Dependency Studies. He has a 3.95 grade-point average and has been named to the National Dean’s List.But he says his greatest accomplishment is “getting clean.”Lynch entered residential drug rehabilitation in 1997 and worked afterward at the Drug Abuse Prevention Center, where he real-ized that he wanted to become a chemical dependency counselor. He started at LCC,

All-Washington Academic Team

John Lynch, left, and Kristy Burch, right, celebrate their award with LCC President James McLaughlin.

worked at various jobs and received the LCC Foundation’s Ruth West Scholarship. In January he became a counselor at Southwest Washington Safehaven. He’s continuing to work on general education requirements for a bachelor’s and plans a master’s in social work.Kristy Burch enjoys exploring the world and ideas. After seven years in the Coast Guard—including three years on an icebreaker—Burch was ready for a change. “I went to Antarctica twice and the Arctic Circle once. It was an amazing experience!” The 1993 Mark Morris graduate, 29, was interested in acting and attended the Actors Workshop in Laguna Hills, California in 2001 but found that she missed the Northwest, came home and enrolled at LCC.Originally, she planned to go into wildlife ecology, but found that she enjoyed English and social sciences more than math and physical science. She adds: “I really like people, and I enjoy helping them.”At LCC, Burch earned excellent grades (3.75 GPA) and became Phi Theta Kappa’s vice president for service and activities, and a chemistry, writing and math tutor. The Castle Rock resident finished her transfer degree in December and transferred to WSU-Vancouver. She’s aiming for a master’s degree and a career as a family or marriage counselor, or community college instructor.

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Red Devils repeat!The LCC Red Devils won their second straight Northwest Athletic Association for Community Colleges championship with a 73-60 victory over the Pierce Raiders at the Tournament, held in Kennewick.MVP Omar Krayem scored 16 points to lead the way. First team all-tourney Germain Jordan added 12 points and 15 rebounds. Steve Trotter made 13 points and 10 boards and Brett Tompkins, with 14 points and 7 boards, was named second team all-tourney. In April, Red Devil Basketball Coach Jim Roffler was named the NWAACC Coach of the Year. Roffler, who earned his 300th victory this season, has led LCC to back-to-back titles, and continues to show why he is one of the country’s great college coaches.The Lady Devils won the Western Division crown and placed fifth in the NWAACC Championship tournament, losing just one game—their first.

Take me out to the ballgameThis Spring, LCC’s six-time NWAACC Champion Lady Devils and Western Division Champ Red Devils are in the hunt again.Memorial Weekend, the Red Devils will host the NWAACC Championship Tournament.At Catalyst presstime, the Red Devils were 10-0 in their league, 20-4 overall. Paul Fisher was NWAACC position player of the month for March.The Lady Devils had lost just two games and were second in the Western Division, but looking to get tough as the season winds up. Melissa Norton was NWAACC position player of the month for March, and other players are posting outstanding performances too. “Both teams are excel-lent contenders again this year,” said Kirc Roland, LCC Athletic Director. Check the latest scores, standings and schedules at http://www.nwaacc.orgSchedules and more are available at (360) 442-2440 or on the Athletics Dept. website, http://lcc.ctc.edu/athletics

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Red Devil Basketball Team and staff celebrate their second straight championship of the Northwest Athletic Association for Community Colleges, following the title game.

The Lady Devils are hoping for a repeat too. That would be their seventh straight NWAACC championship.

The 2005 Red Devil Baseball Team will host the NWAACC championship tourney over Memorial Day weekend. The 2004 Devils won the Western Division crown.

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LCC Foundation Gift Highlights

Exceptional FacultyFund tops $1 million

‘Hot’ time in July Please join us July 15 to sample chili, enjoy other food and refreshments, and visit and dance with your friends at LCC’s second Chili Cook-off, 6–9 p.m. in the LCC quad.Seven restaurants — Applebee’s, Judy’s Restaurant, Hattie’s Catering, Monticello Hotel, Red Lion Hotel, Frank’s European Cellar, and Don Renato’s Italian Ristorante & Steak House — have signed up so far to share their unique chili. Tasters will get a chance to vote for their favorites.The Legacy Group is a major underwriter, and opsis architecture is sponsoring the band, Latin Expressions. State Farm and The Daily News are also sponsors.The LCC Foundation is lining up salsa dance demonstrations or lessons, as well as raffle prizes. Contact the Foundation Office at (360) 442-2130 for tickets, which are $25 each. Proceeds from the event will fund scholarships.

May �00� – March �00�

Miscellaneous Donations

Altrusa International, Inc. of Longview-KelsoDave and Linda AndrewCowlitz BankThe Daily NewsSusan EvansMrs. Marilyn HoehneJ & S FoundationJohn and Joan LemmonsLongview Junior Service LeagueLyle LovingfossFrank and Holly McShaneBill Mortimeropsis architecture LLPRandie and Mike OlsenRichard and Judi PetersKevin and Diana RahnThe Stanley B. and June L. Rose FoundationEd StoneWashington Mutual Matching Gift ProgramWeyerhaueser CompanyThe Wollenberg Foundation

Scholarship Endowment

John and Jenna AndersonMax and Karen AndersonMazie BerwindMary Paulsen BruceDemocratic Men’s Club of Cowlitz CountyMarcella MashinterJim and Chris McLaughlinCal and Kim MillerJim and Marianne Mitchell John J. and Cathy NattTerry L. ReinigerDr. John Richards and Mrs. Chris RichardsSid and Bette SnyderWashington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges

Scholarship Excellence

Dr. Phillip AvalonB-W Construction, Inc.Columbia State BankCongressman Brian Baird and Dr. Rachel NugentDavid and Nadine CoburnGoldie HegstadKaiser Foundation Health Plan of the NorthwestKelso Longview Chamber of CommerceKoelsch Senior CommunitiesLCC Faculty AssociationLongview Fibre CompanyLongview Junior Service LeagueLongview/Kelso Parent CommitteeLongview Monticello Lions ClubMelvin D. LoveNORPACPacific Rim Consulting, Inc.PEO Sisterhood, Chapter COPEO Sisterhood, Chapter ECSolvay ChemicalsUntouchables Car ClubBob VitousWeyerhaeuser Company Foundation

Material and Equipment

The Boeing CompanyThe Daily NewsTreasure DelashawPortland General ElectricDex Wesson

The LCC Foundation has directed another $100,000 to the Exceptional Faculty fund, which qualified for a match of $100,000 from the State of Washington. The LCC Foundation now has $1,000,000, and LCC has designated $200,000 for this program. Earnings from these funds provide awards to faculty for projects that promote student learning and take innovative approaches to teaching and learning. All full-time and part-time faculty are eligible to apply.“LCC has the largest Exceptional Faculty fund of all colleges in the state,” said LCC Foundation Executive Director Merlene York. “This shows our commitment to the Learning College model, and to our faculty.”

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Local students are ‘Reading Buddies’

‘Foster Grandmas’ give kids special loveThe Foster Grandparent Program at Lower Columbia College Head Start / Early Child-hood Education and Assistance Program has nine foster grandmothers who volunteer up to 40 hours each week.Ranging from 67 to 84 years old, these grandmothers must meet income guidelines (125% or less of the federal poverty level) to qualify for a small ($2.65 per hour) stipend from the Foster Grandparent Program.Grandma Helen Hanson of Longview (in the back row, with yellow flowers on her blouse) received the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for 7,474 hours of service. At the same Jan. 27 ceremony, held in Vancouver, gold awards for more than 500 hours of service were presented to four others: Myrtle Musso of Longview, Virginia Gohn of Kelso, Thoi Nguyen of Longview and Gwen Boss of Castle Rock.

New nursing grad wins national grant

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It’s been an amazing spring for Mike Hoel.The Centralia man was hired as an operat-ing room nurse at Providence Centralia Hospital March 21, took his Nursing Boards the 28th, found out the next day that he had passed and took part in the LCC Nursing Program’s Spring Pinning Ceremony. Then he was off to New Orleans, thanks to a grant from the American Operating Room Nurses Foundation to attend the AORN Education Congress April 2-7.Hoel was one of only 10 people nationwide (out of 350 applicants) to win a grant, and the only man.The father of five is an exceptional man. He worked in aerospace for 23 years, until Sept. 11 pulled the bottom out of the industry and he found himself jobless. Hoel had a bachelor’s degree in animal biology and some graduate school too, and decided to return to his early interest in health care (except people this time, instead of veteri-nary medicine). His college days were so far behind him that he had to retake his nursing prerequisites, but he enrolled at Centralia College and was soon ready. He entered the LCC nursing program and did great.“It’s very challenging, but a very good pro-gram. My instructors were excellent.”Worker Retraining funds and scholarships such as the J&S Nursing Scholarship kept his family afloat while he retrained.The new RN got the most from the New Orleans AORN Congress. “It was quite an experience—a real eye-opener as far as all of the cool equipment that’s available for operating rooms.” He had a full day of classes each day, with topics ranging from body piercing to laser surgery.

Reading to little ones is more than story-time. It’s a chance for mentorship, social interaction and building language skills. Recognizing the benefits for everyone involved, LCC Head Start got a special grant this year to link youth mentorship and literacy.According to Reading Buddies program co-ordinator Tracy Beard, more than 50 students are reading to Head Start preschoolers, from:

Kelso High School’s Life Skills class with teacher Nancy KarnofskiFifth graders from Joel Zehe’s class at Wallace Elementary School, and Mr. Davison’s class at Barnes Elementary SchoolHigh school youth from Longview School District who are learning English as a second languageHigh school students from Mark Morris, Kelso and R.A. Long

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“I love it, because the kids like us,” said Katie Goff (pictured), a 5th grader from Mr. Davison’s class at Barnes Elementary. “They can’t wait for us to come. They give us hugs and hold our hands....Actually, we volunteer to read instead of go to recess.”

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Thuy Vo joins LCCBoard of TrusteesThuy Vo, owner of VO Printers Inc. in Longview, joined the Lower Columbia College Board of Trustees on Dec. 16. He replaces Gary Healea, who retired from the board after 11 years of service.“It is a great honor for me to serve on the Lower Columbia College Board of Trustees,” said Vo. “With my family’s personal connec-tions to LCC, I am especially pleased to be able to help guide the College through the next steps of its future. I am very excited to work with the other Board members, the staff and the community in my new capacity.”Vo was a law student and then Air Force helicopter pilot in Vietnam before immigrat-ing to the United States in 1975. He worked as a press operator, janitor, gravedigger, peanut mill loader and finish carpenter before starting his printing business in his garage with his brother in 1983. Vo and his wife, Anh Nguyen, who works for Lower Columbia Head Start, have two grown children, both LCC alumni. Daughter Betsy is an attorney and son Daniel a computer science engineer.

University honors Mike DugawLower Columbia College Forensics Coach Mike Dugaw received a special honor in early December when The University of Portland renamed its forensics tournament The Dugaw/Iverson Speech and Debate Tournament.“Mike is an alumnus. He debated for UP. But more than that, Mike is truly a legend in the forensics community,” said Dr. Bohn Lattin, UP’s Director of Forensics. “He and Orv Iverson are like Bear Bryant and Woody Hayes.”Dugaw came to LCC in 1973 from Washing-ton State University, where he also coached forensics. Dugaw also teaches history and speech/forensics classes. He has a 1968 bachelor’s degree in American History from the University of Portland and a 1970 master’s degree in Speech Communication from WSU.

Kim Le believes in peace, education, and new beginnings—for the entire world.Le, the daughter of Vietnamese parents, was born, raised and educated in Laos. She arrived in Longview in 1976 as a refugee following the War. Although she had a French bachelor’s degree in natural sciences and had studied English for eight years, she needed to improve her English conversation skills. English as a Second Language classes at LCC gave her the boost she needed, and she found work with her ESL and English instructor, Rita Fontaine, as the ESL program expanded to serve the wave of Southeast Asian refugees.After taking many classes at LCC, she transferred to Portland State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in foreign languages and did graduate work in diversity education. All of her LCC college classes transferred, and she appreciates the community college’s open door. “LCC was an opportunity for me to go back to school….In many countries, you cannot go back to college. Here, I can go back anytime….To be always learning, that is one of the keys to happiness.”Her drive to help her fellow refugees led her into social services work in 1992. She is executive director of New Americans Social and Cultural Assistance, which she founded in 1995. NASCA, based in Vancouver, serves refugees and immigrants.

Kim Le, left, and LCC English Instructor Rita Fontaine are working together for peace through Peace Builders International and the U.N. Circle of Reflection.

Peace, education go hand-in-handShe and Fontaine are among dozens of people around the world who are earning Doctor of Peace Administration degrees through the Circle of Reflection of Nations. Both women believe that education—and the hope, skills, knowledge, attitudes and pure joy that come with it—will help bring world peace. The doctoral program requires each candi-date to complete a “project for peace.” Fontaine’s project was to sponsor a Peace Conference here at LCC in October. The conference focused on the key role that community colleges can play in building peace through cooperation. Last fall, Peace Builders International received official non-profit status. This spring, Fontaine is finishing her PhD and getting ready for the real work. Le’s project builds on this concept. She has traveled to Vietnam twice, laying the groundwork to found a community college in Hue, Vietnam’s old capitol. She and Fontaine met with LCC President James McLaughlin in January, seeking LCC’s cooperation with the project. Now, Peace Builders International has linked with a nonprofit organization in Hue interested in providing education services. In addition, Hue Industrial College hopes to establish a sister college relationship with a technical college here.“Things are changing so fast now in Asia,” Le said. Workers will need to be lifelong learners to be good employees and citizens.

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Red Devils gone blue?

Grant transforming LCC student experience

Math Instructor Rick Swee uses the Smart Board’s calculator program.

Did you ever wish you had a copy of all the information the teacher was writing on the board, so you could really listen in-stead of madly scrib-bling notes? Did you ever lose the course syllabus and need another—at midnight Sunday? Would you be braver about asking questions or sharing your opinion if you could do it with time to think, and without everyone staring at you?

As technology advances, new possibilities open up. A five-year federal Strengthening Institutions grant is helping LCC to transform learning and teaching, as well as record- keeping, and communication among staff, faculty, students and the community. The grant also is helping us to develop better programs to help students progress from developmental education to college level classes, and smooth the student placement, advising and financial aid process.We’ve been able to create more “Smart” classrooms, with computer/projector setups for the instructors. The “wow” factor is highest, however, with Smart Boards, which function like a traditional dry erase or chalkboard, but also can do everything a computer can do. The instructor can write on the board but can also pull up a website from the Internet, play a movie, freeze frame the film and write on it right on the board. The grant will fund more than a dozen Smart Boards.We’re now using ANGEL (stands for A New Global Environment for Learning) to enable instructors to easily post online syllabi, reading lists, PowerPoint presentations, Web links, practice tests, grades and more. They can host discussion forums and answer questions online. So far, 45 instructors and more than 1,000 students are using ANGEL each quarter. Most instructors use it to enhance regular courses with online materials. Some, such as English Instructor David McCarthy and Nursing Instructor Kathy Mauser, are using ANGEL to teach fully online courses.Faculty, student developmentThe grant is also funding faculty development seminars, films and books. So far, more than 300 books are available for faculty to borrow. The seminars are gaining support, and instructors have begun volunteering to share what they’ve learned. College readiness is a special emphasis, as many students come to LCC without the reading, writing or math skills they need to do college level work. The grant has funded development of new courses, such as INDV 085 College Readiness, which will help first time LCC students whose reading and writing skills that are not yet at college level. They’ll not only improve those skills, but learn how to work in groups, do research in the library, take lecture notes, prepare for exams, and manage stress. Students also have time to learn about resources available at LCC such as daycare and offerings by the Associated Students of Lower Columbia College. In other words, students who are in their first year experience at LCC will have another avenue to learn how to be successful in college.

The mountain logo is blue now? Red is out and blue is in for LCC publications? Wait —we’re still the Red Devils, aren’t we? Yes, the Red Devils are still red (in fact, they’re red-hot) and while LCC publications have a new look and new colors, the College’s core commitment to students and the community remains the same. In preparation for a new website—made possible by a Federal Department of Education grant—LCC took time this year to develop its “brand” or identity to apply to the website. First, we asked people what they thought about LCC. We asked about their experiences with LCC, about our strengths, weaknesses, and both positive and negative perceptions. We gained valuable information from students and the community during that process. We learned that LCC is recognized as an educational leader focusing on serving the community, a catalyst and resource for personal and economic development, and a logical stepping stone for local high school graduates. Next, we took people’s current image of LCC and solidified it to create a long-standing brand. Focusing on the positive and unique attributes identified in the focus groups and surveys, we tested themes that would capture people’s imagination and speak to LCC’s core identity. “Take Yourself Higher and Hire” rose to the top. Whether you attend LCC for “higher” education, with your eye on a four-year degree, or you want “hire” education to improve job skills or start a new career, you are “taking yourself higher” or “hire” and LCC will get you there. The new theme also included a new look, with a blue and gold color palette. So why isn’t red the main color? While we are very proud of our Red Devils, the mas-cot didn’t need to drive our color scheme. We also determined that our logo, which depicts the surrounding mountains and rivers, would look more natural in outdoorsy blue, instead of red. So, have the Red Devils gone blue? Not at all, but they are going “higher and hire.”

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Top left: Photography Instructor Judy VanderMaten.Top right: Biology Instructor Dr. Clint BenjaminBottom right: Biology and Chemistry Instructor Rhonda MeyersNext page: Nursing Instructor Susan Brookhart

NISOD to honor LCC Master Teachers

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Excellent programs; excellent instructors. Four LCC instructors will receive national honors in May for their contributions to teaching and learning. The 2005 National Institute for Organizational Development Master Teacher Awards will be presented at NISOD’s annual international conference.Three of LCC’s recipients are key to the College’s healthcare profession training: Dr. Clint Benjamin, Rhonda Meyers and Susan Brookhart. Photography Instructor Judy VanderMaten will also be honored.Dr. Clint Benjamin is teaching Anatomy and Physiology, and General Microbiology to his second generation of nursing students. His students do very well on the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society national exam, with 70 percent placing in the top 25 percent last year.“I’m preparing students for their professional program,” says Benjamin. “My goal is to maintain academic credibility and academic standards, and at the same time I’m trying to make the courses interesting and personal for the students.”Rhonda Meyers chairs the Math, Science and Engineering Department, teaches Human Biology, A&P, General Microbiology, and Human Genetics and Society. She also teaches a Chemistry class in Nutrition.

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Serving students and the worldMany people choose to work in education because they want to help people, so it’s only fitting that LCC people often go the extra mile. Some examples:LCC Nursing Instructors Rita Catching, Jeanne Hamer, Tamara Norton, and Karen Ke-archer were part of a team of 24 who provided free medical, dental, and eye care in small villages in Honduras over spring break. Their fellow employees, friends, and local churches and medical and dental offices donated supplies (and small toys for the children).The Associated Students of Lower Columbia College pitched in too, raising money for tsunami relief and Habitat for Humanity, stocking Thanksgiving food baskets for needy families, and collecting food for Community House and children’s books for a reading program.LCC employees’ holiday party December 9 was not only fun, it raised more than $2,300 through a raffle and auction of 25 theme baskets and other gifts provided by employees.

The money brightened the holidays for 24 LCC students and their children.In November, LCC employees presented their popular Cornucopia of Crafts Bazaar in the LCC Student Center. Between the bazaar proceeds and a related raffle, the affair raised $1,500 for the LCC Foundation’s Emergency Scholarship Fund. The 2005 bazaar will be November 12.

Bazaar chairman Sharry Hilton sold woodcrafts at the bazaar.

Nursing Instructor Karen Kearcher, who coordinated the Spring Break medical mission to Honduras, tends a child’s wound.

”My teaching is a continual metamorpho-sis,” says Meyers. “The vast age range at a community college keeps me energized as each student has a tremendous amount of knowledge to share. Tapping into this resource allows the students to become part of their own education.”Susan Brookhart has taught Nursing at LCC since 1984, specializing in advanced and surgi-cal nursing. The Nursing Program is known for its quality, with LCC gradu-ates posting a very high first-time pass rate on their licensure exams.“I may do it for my students who inspire me. I may do it for my colleagues who sustain me,” says Brookhart. “I really think I do it for my profession. I’m dependable, I’m prepared, and I’m tenacious. I keep doing the best I can. I am a nurse. It’s what we do and it sort of falls over into teaching.”Judy VanderMaten has taught Photography at LCC for 10 years now. Her students excel, with three of them landing photo-graphs in recent Best of College Photogra-phy Annuals.“The students, themselves, are always my greatest inspiration,” she says. “Their excitement in discovering a new ‘vision’ by exploring the world with a camera and the line, “I never saw it that way before,” keep me going. I am very gratified by their sense of accomplishment in creating powerful and expressive images.”

NISOD to honor LCC Master Teachers