Seminole State College’s Student Activities welcomed exotic animals to campus on March 4. Extreme Animals, of Oklahoma City, brought in various animals, including a wallaby, a lemur, various snakes and many others. Students were able to interact with the animals, under the supervision of Extreme Animals staff.
SSC freshmen Becca Williams of Cache, Emma Noey of Seminole and Kennedy Johnson of Stillwater hold a wallaby during the Extreme Animals event on campus. Wallabies are members of the kangaroo family and are native to Australia.
Administrators and staff from Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa, Enid and Stillwater visited with Seminole State College leaders on Feb. 26 to discuss Higher Learning Commission accreditation efforts. Representatives from both institutions learned about methodology and shared ideas about required criteria related to Mission, Institutional Integrity, Student Success and Planning. Pictured standing (left to right) are: Harli Dodge, NOC Director of Recruitment; Marc Hunter, SSC Director of Information Technology and Chief Information Security Officer; Dr. Mash Howard, NOC Stillwater VP; Kelli McBride, SSC Language Arts and Humanities Division Chair; Mechell Downey, SSC Director of Board Relations and Administrative Operations; Dr. Deanna Miles, SSC Accreditation Coordinator; Julie Huster Haney, NOC Academic Affairs Assistant; Dr. Kathleen Swain, NOC Director of First-Year Experience; Dr. Kathleen Otto, NOC Institutional Research; Emily Carpenter, SSC STEM Division Chair; and Cara Beth Johnson, NOX Business Faculty. Seated (left to right) are: Jeremy Hise, NOC Enid Vice President; Dr. Bill Knowles, SSC VP for Academic and Student Affairs; Dr. Shelly Mencacci, NOC Vice President for Academic Affairs; Lana Reynolds, SSC President; Jessica Isaacs, SSC Dean of Instruction; and Brad Schatzel, SSC Assistant Professor of Business and Education.
Seminole State College Concurrent Academic Advisor Cindy Nolen, Director of Enrollment Management Edith Cathey and Dean of Instruction Jessica Isaacs attended the Summit for Dual Credit Programs Feb. 15-17 at the South Padre Island Convention Center in South Padre Island, Texas. Hosted by South Texas College and the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships, the conference brought together K-12 and higher education leaders nationwide to share strategies and best practices to strengthen dual credit and concurrent enrollment programs, support student success and ensure college-level rigor in courses offered to high school students.
Members of the 1976 Seminole Junior College Belles, the NJCAA women’s basketball national champions, are recognized at halftime of SSC’s game against Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa on Feb. 16 at the Raymond Harber Field House as part of a 50th anniversary celebration. Pictured, from left, back row: Cindy Perkins Stuart, Hettie Davis, Sherri Hudlow, Sherri Salyer Peckham and Diane Ray. Front row: Carole Carter, Head Coach Dixie Woodall and Belinda Candler Copeland. Admission to the event was free due to sponsorships from Kontoor/Wrangler and Security State Bank, and commemorative T-shirts were created and donated to former Belles by TS&H Shirt Co.
Seminole State College women’s basketball Head Coach Rita Story-Schell was honored during the Belles’ home game Monday, Feb. 16, after earning her 450th career win with a Feb. 12 victory over Western Oklahoma State College in Altus. Pictured (left to right): Athletic Director Leslie Sewell, sophomore forward Alona Cooper-Rochovitz, Story-Schell and SSC President Lana Reynolds.
Seminole State College President’s Leadership Class students pose Feb. 10 at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City in front of “The End of the Trail,” one of the museum’s most iconic sculptures, during a leadership and cultural enrichment visit.
PLC students explore “The Cowboy: An Immersive Journey” exhibit. The 360-degree immersive exhibit uses larger-than-life projections and sweeping soundscapes to bring the landscapes and stories of the American West to life and includes narration by actor Tom Selleck. The group also took a docent-led tour of permanent exhibits and later toured the Route 66 exhibit and other museum galleries.
Two Seminole State College employees were recognized for their dedication and service during the Seminole Chamber of Commerce Forum on Thursday, Feb. 12. TRIO Office Manager Rejeanna Tidmore was honored as Staff Member of the Month, and Associate Professor of Nursing Christine Clay was named Faculty Member of the Month.
The Seminole Chamber of Commerce Education Committee, along with the Lions Club and Kontoor Brands/Wrangler, recognizes SSC employees several times during Forum each year. Honorees are nominated from across campus and selected by College administrators.
Seminole State College freshman Alivia Wapskineh, of McLoud, attended the George and Donna Nigh Leadership Academy held in Oklahoma City Feb. 7-10.
Wapskineh joined college students from across the state for the four-day academy, where she participated in leadership development programming, civic engagement opportunities and service-focused activities. The itinerary included attending an Oklahoma City Thunder game, sharing dinner with Donna Nigh, exploring leadership principles during a “Your Leadership Journey” session, visiting the First Americans Museum, touring the Oklahoma City National Memorial, and participating in a Super Bowl watch party at Chicken N Pickle.
Students also completed a volunteer service project at the Oklahoma City Zoo, met with state leaders and partners, visited the Oklahoma History Center, toured Express Personnel and the Clydesdale Ranch in Yukon, and concluded the academy with programming at the Oklahoma State Capitol and a session with the Women’s Legislative Caucus, followed by a Rotary lunch at St. Luke’s.
Seminole State College Assistant Professor of English Paul Juhasz has released his sixth book, Katabasis, a new collection of poems published by Turning Plow Press.
In Katabasis, Juhasz explores grief, memory and the complicated work of recovery, using the ancient idea of a descent “into the world below” as a lens for modern life. Turning Plow Press describes the collection as a journey through darkness marked by loss, hope and the reality that “healing is not linear.”
