By:
On:
In: Campus Life, Community, Events, Student Spotlight, Students

Honoring students: 2020 Honor and Awards Virtual Recognition During spring term, 55 exceptional students were chosen by UCC faculty and staff to receive Outstanding Student awards.  This year the awards were given to students at the 2020 Honors and Awards Virtual Recognition on Thursday June 4, 2020 at 3 p.m. Honored students are chosen by staff or faculty according to three basic criteria, as well as any additional criteria that the nominators wish to use. “The student must have a concentrated focus or exhibit interest in the award area. The student must show evidence of significant creative growth,” says Marjan Coester, UCC’s director for studentRead More →

By:
On:
In: Campus Life, Community, Events, Graduation, Students

Commencement 2020 to take place as vehicle parade due to pandemic Graduation will look a little different this year with the June 12 commencement taking place in vehicles as graduates parade in cars through campus. Students are encouraged to decorate their cars for the event. The event will be livestreamed on the college’s YouTube channel, as well as being broadcast on Brooke Communications. If necessary, graduates can also tune in to i101 to hear the ceremony. The event will be recorded on YouTube for later viewing. The change is UCC’s response to a national effort by schools to mark their students’ important milestones without jeopardizing their safety because ofRead More →

By:
On:
In: Campus Life, Community, Events, Students

The Impact of COVID-19 on Nursing Students Moving classes online has been hard on UCC nursing students who are parents. Nursing student Nicole Johnston, mother of a 10 year old, has dealt with the challenges of K-12 schooling being shut down, childcare options being limited as well as medical facilities suspending clinical opportunities. Closure of the K-12 schools meant Johnston was required to teach her own daughter while also trying to handle difficult nursing classes. “Returning to school online as a parent is a balancing act at best. I often am working on schoolwork eight to 10 hours a day,” Johnston says.“Now, my studying isRead More →

By:
On:
In: ASUCC, Events, Students

Meet the ASUCC officer candidates This year’s ASUCC election will have newly-elected officers dealing with the impact of reduced funding for the coming school year and a tumultuous time with the potential of another all-online term. Faced with these prospects and the questions of their peers each candidate, running unopposed, took to Facebook live to participate in a “Meet the Candidates” forum hosted by Vyla Grindberg, a current ASUCC officer.  Elected officers of the Associated Students of Umpqua Community College act as a conduit to the UCC board, and each ASUCC officer’s position fills a pivotal role in the campus ecosystem as officers sit on working campus committeesRead More →

By:
On:
In: Community, Environmental, Events

Preparing for Zoom job interviews Online interviews can be a big fail if done poorly. Being prepared is the key to success. Students preparing for summer jobs can wrap up their video conference call interviews feeling successful by using these five tips. Knowing where to look is arguably the most difficult aspect about a Zoom interview. Look directly at the camera so that it captures your eye contact for them like a regular conversation. If you only look at the camera, however, then you will not see the interviewer’s important body language and facial expression cues. The solution is, while you are talking, look intoRead More →

By:
On:
In: Community, Events, News, Students

Join student media: paid and non-paid positions open Many of the current UCC student newspaper The Mainstream’s staff are moving on. Five merit award students who were paid to work on staff this year shared the benefits.  These merit awards pay up to 12 credits worth of tuition per term. Q: What does your position entail? “Being the managing editor means that I am responsible for all facets of our publication. I run our meetings, assign stories, supervise revisions and give editing feedback on stories. I work with the design editor to make sure our print issues are formatted correctly and each story has a strongRead More →

By:
On:
In: Campus Life, Events, Students

Attending summer term: the advantages and disadvantages UCC students who need to get back on track so they can graduate on time or students who must work ahead should apply now for summer school. “I think students should consider what their goal is for taking a class or classes; do they have other obligations that will get in the way, do they have time management skills, and what is the right number of classes for them?” says Melissa (Missy) Olson, the dean of enrollment management at Umpqua Community College. For those planning to attend UCC in the fall for the first time, the more casualRead More →

By:
On:
In: Campus Life, Events, Students

Automotive Program Downsizing and Reduction in Force Used to Cut Costs The automotive program at UCC is being downsized. Voted by the UCC board of education at the May 13 board meeting, the one year automotive program will remain in place and the Toyota T-Ten and two year automotive degree will be canceled. “This comes from the decrease in enrollment, increase in costs for full time equivalents (FTE) and the decline in need for associate degree students in the automotive program,” Debra Thatcher, UCC president, said. “It is a painful thing to downsize but the auto program is not going away. We feel we willRead More →

By:
On:
In: Events, Staff, Students

Change is never easy, especially rapid, unexpected change. For many of us UCC students, spring term bears little resemblance to winter. Doing classes online requires a new set of skills and tools to succeed, many of which we have had to learn on the fly. Added to the mix is uncertainty about employment and increased demands from having schools closed and children at home. The challenges we face are significant. Now more than ever it is important to keep focus and encourage each other. To that end, I want to remind everyone of three things. First, you are not the only one who may beRead More →

By:
On:
In: Entertainment, Events, Opinion

Guest Opinion Women and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) Media are notorious about sending out messages to the masses intended to avoid representing women and people of color and lack of representation is having negative impacts.  Marginalized groups, namely women and communities of color, are greatly impacted in ways such as having less access to resources, less networking opportunities, more experiences of tense and fragile societal relationships, and discrimination increases. It’s 2020, and American history books are still filled with male photographs.  Studies show that less than 11% of history textbook references are devoted to specific women. We should all be concerned about our adolescent children whose identities areRead More →

By:
On:
In: Events, Students

How to stay on track with school: study schedules Studying can be a challenge in more ways than one, as any student knows.  One of the biggest issues is procrastinating on homework; this is where study schedules come in.  Not only do they help keep students from procrastinating, they also help to keep students on track with their homework. Students should start with a schedule that plans out their entire day for a week in hourly segments. As this schedule is used, students can add incentives for keeping the schedule to avoid the temptation of procrastination. After a couple weeks, some students might find thatRead More →

By:
On:
In: Events, Health

Low Impact Exercises For Students During COVID-19 The Center for Disease Control (CDC) suggests working out for 30 minutes five days a week or a total of 150 minutes per week. While staying inside many of us have succumbed to the sedentary lifestyle. Students in particular are sitting more than usual and for prolonged periods of time. While students sit at the computer working on homework and assignments lower back pain from sitting too long and wrist pain from typing and writing may occur. While gyms and natural areas are currently shut down many students are looking for ways to get a workout while at home.  ForRead More →

By:
On:
In: Community, Events

Oregon Stay at Home Order 1 Although violating Oregon’s “Stay Home” order issued by Gov. Kate Brown is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail, a fine of up to $1,250 or both, Sheriff John Gautney of Crook County, Oregon as well as others such as Sheriff Adam Fortney of Snohomish County, Washington have joined a growing trend of sheriffs across the country refusing to enforce coronavirus stay-at-home orders. 2 Gautney made his announcement on Facebook, and so did Fortney. 3 J.D. Raymond, Washington’s Franklin County Sheriff, also wrote that neither he nor his office would enforce any arrests or fines regardingRead More →