Fifelski

“By any means necessary,” is what Emporia State’s debate team captain Kurt Fifelski abided by to achieve the status of an All-American from the Cross-Examination Debate Association.

Fifelski graduated from Wayland Union High School in Wayland, Mich., and is now a senior who plans on graduating with bachelors degrees in political science and social sciences, emphasizing in philosophy.

“I chose these majors because they are my passions and will help better my career.” Fifelski said. “Also, I am enthralled with reading and research, something these departments offer me.”

Multiple articles and essays written by Fifelski were published through the Best of ESU and West Coast Publishing. Fifelski was also named the 2008-2009 outstanding philosophy student by the ESU Social Sciences Department.

Four years debating has taught Fifelski lessons that he can achieve only through experience.

“I’ve learned a lot about argumentation, analysis, rhetoric and research,” Fifelski said. “More importantly, I have learned a lot about myself as it has taught me about personal reflection.”

Fifelski has participated in approximately 400 debates.

Fifelski draws his inspiration to debate purely out of his drive to be successful, with each win fueling his passion.

“Each win feels better than the last,” he said.

Fellow teammate Yao Chen, senior molecular and cellular biology major, said that Fifelski is the fastest speaker, an undefeatable debater and has the highest Grade Point Average.

“He is the absolute spirit of the whole squad,” Chen said.

Two-year debate partner, Chris Loghry, junior communications major, commented on Fifelski’s cross-examination method (a three minute questioning period following each constructive speech).

“He’ll regularly embarrass people in cross-examination, but he does so in the nicest possible way,” Loghry said.

Fifelski and Loghry have made it in the finals of two national debate tournaments this year, the University of Northern Iowa and the University of Northern Texas. It is the second time Fifelski has qualified to the National Debate Tournament, something most debaters never make it to.

Fifelski has competed against individuals from debate giants such as Harvard and Dartmouth.

Fifelski’s last debate performance with debate team was at the University of Dallas. He and his partner went 5-3 and qualified to the National Debate Tournament.

Recently, Fifelski had the honor to be nominated for the Harry S. Truman scholarship “The Harry S. Truman Scholarship is one of the most prestigious public affairs scholarships out there,” Fifelski said. “Each university has the opportunity to nominate a few students and typically 650-700 students apply. My goal has been achieved just by knowing my professors feel comfortable enough to support me in such endeavors.”

Not only is Fifelski a successful collegiate debater, he is also an accomplished high school coach. Being the varsity coach for the Emporia High School, Fifelski coached the most successful team in the state over the past year by winning the most prestigious debate tournament in Kansas, the Debate Coaches Invitational.

“Ultimately, Kurt is incredibly nice in debates and during work sessions and is always very respectful with people even when he’s schooling them,” Loghry said.

Fifelski was a champion even as a child. He participated in kart racing, winning multiple championships. He also shows great interest in boxing.

Fifelski’s ultimate goal is to achieve a doctorate degree. But first he plans on attending graduate school for communication at Berkley or Wake Forest. He also envisions himself living in Europe for a good portion of the next decade.

“He strives for excellence in everything he does and that really shows both academically and in terms of debate success,” Loghry said.

Send article as PDF to

ΣΦΕ (Sigma Phi Epsilon)

Tanner Monroe, vice president of programming and crime and delinquency studies major, and Kyle Farmer, vice president of finance and secondary social studies education major pose with the Sig Ep house dog. SiSi Huang/The Bulletin

Sigma Phi Epsilon was founded at Richmond College on November 1, 1901 with the cardinal principles: Virtue, Diligence and Brotherly Love. ΣΦΕ has grown to more than 280,000 lifetime members, including over 14,000 undergraduates on 241 campuses in the United States.

“We are currently the largest fraternity in terms of undergraduate enrollment in the nation,” said Tanner Monroe, vice president of programming and crime and delinquency studies major. “We set up the highest GPA standard at the national fraternity. Maximizing members’ academic abilities is the number one priority of our fraternity. ”

The founders of Sigma Phi Epsilon set high standards for all brothers to follow.

”We sent three SigEps to Greece to learn about our balanced men because gracefully with balanced mind in balanced body, you will become a better person,” said Kyle Farmer, vice president of finance and secondary social studies education major. “The experience in SigEp helps me focus on money to balance the budget, and how to manage my time and realize who you are and become a better person.”

The fraternity also provides opportunities for motivated members to become leaders.

“We have a lot of leadership conferences that we are able to attend, and we get a lot of support from our alumni,” Monroe said. “There is so much you can do here.”

Farmer said he’s had many opportunities for leadership as well.

“All the fraternities help people develop leadership, but we are different in that we focus more on leadership,” Farmer said. “When I attended the leadership conference in St. Louis, where we gave out the ideas about how we help ourselves in different ways, I learned how to become a leader by uniting everyone under one rule and trying to make our fraternity a great place on the campus and in the community.”

In 2009, Sigma Phi Epsilon was responsible for 800 hours of community service activities, which accounted for almost one-third of the total reported hours within the Greek Community. 

“We will hold ‘Teeter-Totter’ every fall beginning in October and raise money for CECE,” Monroe said.

When asked about his attraction to Sigma Phi Epsilon, Monroe said they are “thirteen guys working for one common goal and we help each other out.”

ΣΣΣ (Sigma Sigma Sigma)

Whitney Wiebe, president of Sigma Sigma Sigma and secondary social sciences education major stands in front of the Tri Sig house. SiSi Huang/The Bulletin

 

A sisterhood called Sigma Sigma Sigma was formed in Farmville, Vir., in 1898.

“We are a sorority containing 58 members and aiming to help college girls to become better women,” said Whitney Wiebe, president and secondary social sciences education major.

Sigma Sigma Sigma holds the mission of establishing among its members a perpetual bond of friendship, to develop strong character and to impress upon them high standards of conduct.

“The advantage is that I know a lot of women and I can establish friendship and be close to them,” Wiebe said.

As part of the mission statement, Wiebe emphasized that what she learned most about was conduct.

“Through character and friendship, you really get to develop how to become mature women, like being a president – I have a lot of leadership responsibilities and encourage others in the house,” she said. “That’s kind of cool.”

Wiebe encourages all girls to come out and see what being a part of a chapter and a university is all about.

“Sigma Sigma Sigma has introduced me to amazing young women which some have become my best friends,” said Kalyna Nelson, vice president and sociology major. “My sorority has offered me many opportunities and has helped me become involved at ESU.”

 As a new director for Up’til Dawn, Nelson always keeps busy with her classes, practice, work and leisure time.

“Tri Sigma is a home away from home giving the opportunity to be an individual while transitioning through life in college,” she said.

Looking back over the entire experience and the support Sigma Sigma Sigma has given her, Nelson said, “I believe character and friendship are important because any person should be unique while representing themselves in a positive way and friendship is key to a happy life and will help any person become a strong and better person.”

While a Greek chapter may be the answer for finding a place to get involved on campus, determining which fraternity or sorority to join can be a tough choice. Sigma Sigma Sigma has set up a detailed goal for GPA achievement and also encourages member to do certain community service projects every semester.

“Tri Sigma is a sorority that is really trying to get women who want to become better women and are trying to live better lives, developing leadership go out around the sorority and experience lives together,” Wiebe said.

Send article as PDF to

Camara

A fan of traveling, Evandro Camara, associate professor of sociology, has been to Europe, France, Paris and Mexico. He is originally from Brazil and perfected his English while studying abroad in America and has since learned French and some Italian. Camara said his interest in culture and social studies made it easier to learn languages and is an asset to his teaching.

“I learned a lot of culture things from (my travels) that I can use in my teaching,” Camara said.

Even though Camara now lives in the United States and has taught sociology, ethnicity and other courses in the Sociology, Anthropology, and Crime & Delinquency Studies department for 16 years, travel is still a huge part of his life.

Since Camara’s family is still in Brazil, he goes back to Brazil once every two or three years. This summer, Camara plans to go back in May and will stay for two weeks with his mom. In addition, he frequently takes trips to Chicago to visit his wife who is a professor there.

Outside of teaching and traveling, Camara has great interest in movies and Brazilian music.

As a Brazilian, Camara conveys “the tradition of soccer.” Not only does he watch it, but according to one of his students, he also plays.

“When he was younger, Camara played soccer and was a body builder,” said David Hamman, sociology student who has taken six classes with Camara. “He really enjoys athletic activities, and he still works out certain times a week to build good health.”

There are tons of pictures of his favorite soccer teams hanging on the walls in his office at Butcher Education Center.

“There will be World Cup this year, and it is once every four years,” Camara said. “We have the best soccer team in Brazil.”

According to Jenna Schmidt, senior sociology major and student assistant in the sociology department, professor Camara is friendly and easy to get along with.

“I have taken three or four classes with Camara over four years, and his classes have many topics which interest students and that we all get involved in,” said Schmidt.

In addition to a fun class atmosphere, Hamman said Camara is always willing to assist students and is friendly outside of class.

“I no longer have his class,” said Hamman. “But even seeing him in public, we normally say hi and stop to talk to each other about how my classes are going and things.”

Deja Jackson, junior rehabilitation education major said she is enjoying her two classes with Camara this semester.

“Professor Camara is a pretty good teacher, who knows how to include humor into his teachings,” said Jackson.

Send article as PDF to

Chi Omega members; Kristin Wood, junior elementary education major, Brook Hoover, junior English secondary education major, Kaile Teeter, junior nursing major, and Ashley Bonjour, junior health promotion major, enjoy dinner together Tuesday night at Casa Ramos. Jonathan Elliott/The Bulletin

In Greek life there is a saying, “From the outside looking in, you can’t understand it. From the inside looking out, you can’t explain it.”

Chi Omega

Greek life is one of the best organizations to be involved in on campus, according to Kristin Wood, Chi Omega president and junior elementary education major.

“Greek life does a lot of community service in the community, has the highest GPA on campus, and has taught me great leadership skills that I can take with me when I become a teacher,” Wood said. Wood has been a member of Chi Omega for three years.

The Nu Zeta Chapter of Chi Omega was founded on April 8, 1961, at Emporia State University. Ladies must be full-time students at ESU with a 2.0 GPA or above to join. Now, Chi Omega has 44 active members and 2 new members.

“We have women from all majors in the chapter from elementary education, nursing, sociology, premed, accounting, business administration, theater, and a bunch more,” Wood said.

Chi Omega has six purposes: scholarship, campus activities, sisterhood, career and personal development, community service and social/friendship.

Laura Bosiljevac, freshman of biology major, joined Chi Omega at the beginning of this year.

“I have had so many wonderful experiences and opportunities from being in Chi Omega and just through Greek Life in general,” Bosiljevac said. “I have also met many amazing people and learned more than I ever hoped to…my sisters in Chi Omega have been great and if possible even more fantastic than I thought when I first joined the house… many of the people in other Greek houses have turned into great friends and mentors as well, and have been just as wonderful.”

Bosiljevac said she feels that the sorority life is a special connection to the girls, and she likes the values and energy of it.

Chi Omega meets every Tuesday night. They have sisterhood events, Mom’s Day, Dad’s Day, Siblings & Best Friends Day, along with events with other sororities and fraternities on campus. And also involve in Relay For Life and Rebuilding Together each spring.

“Greek life has been nothing but positive for me,” Walter said. “It is a network of opportunities, both social and scholarly that can build a successful future.”

Members of Phi Delta Theta fraternity participate in a formal dinner together Tuesday night at the Phi Delta Theta house. Jonathan Elliott/The Bulletin

Phi Delta Theta

Phi Delta Theta President and senior crime and delinquency studies major Jeremy Walter says Greek life is a way for men and women to grow and mature into more well-rounded people than they would otherwise be.

Phi Delta Theta Fraternity was founded in 1848 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. The Emporia State University chapter was founded 120 years later in 1968.

According to Walter, Phi Delta Theta was founded on the principles of friendship, sound Learning and rectitude.

Phi Delta Theta now has 22 members right now, with three of them not initiated into full membership. New members must attain a 2.5 GPA, be of sound moral character and complete the new member program with their fellow Phikeia, or pledge.

This program includes planning and executing a community service event, a fundraiser, a house improvement project and a social event.

“We have a lot of music majors right now, but the composition of the house changes constantly. We encourage diversity in our studies as much as possible,” Walter said.

Phi Delta Theta has a formal dinner for the chapter every Tuesday.

Matthew Crome, freshman management information systems major, joined Phi Delta Theta this semester.

“I agree with not only the values of the fraternity, but I instantly made friends with the men who were already members,” Crome said. “My grandfather, along with several other family members, had been involved in Greek life, so they helped alleviate any fears that I had.”

After joining, Crome said he met so many more people. He had assumed everyone was involved on campus and active in events, but he said he didn’t realize that so many of the most active people were Greek.

Send article as PDF to

Boyle

When it comes to safe sex, Jessica Boyle, sophomore environmental biology major, takes it seriously.

“I just want everyone here at Emporia State to know there are options available to them, no one has to have unprotected sex,” Boyle said.

Boyle is a member of the Great American Condom Campaign, a national movement aimed at promoting awareness about safe sex on university campuses.

As a way to promote this campaign, Boyle, her boyfriend, Garrett Nekuda, junior chemistry and physics education major, and others give out condoms to students at student events on campus, and also by way of her dorm room door in Southeast Morse Hall.

At the recent Zoiks! improv comedy event in the Fredrickson Theater in Roosevelt Hall, Boyle offered 1,000 free condoms to students who attended the event.

“The Zoiks performance was really cool. We showed up with 1,000 condoms and left with about 350, so it went pretty well,” she said. “I think it kind of got the word out about safe sex and the benefits of practicing it.”

According to Boyle, there are around 1,000 advisers for the Great American Condom Campaign, residing in all 50 states. These “safe side advisers,” as they are called, promote safe sex on their campuses and in their own communities in much of the same way Boyle does.

Boyle initially found out about the campaign from a link she found on her Facebook page. The link took her to amplifyourvoice.org. The site features campaigns for many different issues currently prominent in the U.S. and elsewhere. The “issues” tab on the site contains links for campaigns ranging from abstinence programs to body image, from human trafficking to social justice and human rights.

Boyle advocated going to amplifyyourvoice.org if students are interested in finding out more about an issue, or are interested in getting involved.

“There are a ton of different causes: safe sex, gay marriage, you name it,” she said. “It is a good source for those who are interested but don’t know where to start.”

Nekuda expressed why Boyle is so passionate about the Great American Condom Campaign.

“Because it’s important,” he said. “Safety is important to me, and safe sex is important to her. It should be important to everyone. It’s a good thing.”

Boyle, a Salina native and graduate of Salina Central High School, is also passionate about environmental science, and specifically marine biology, a field she plans to study more exclusively after graduation.

“I’d like to move to the coast, any coast really, but probably California, and continue my education by getting a master’s in marine biology. I just love the ocean,” Boyle said. “To quote a movie we watched in class, our knowledge of the ocean is a raindrop on the surface.”

Boyle said that the marine biology class in the Science Department has been her favorite class she has taken at ESU, and was what initially sparked her interest in the field.

“We studied all of the parts of the field, and I just loved everything about it,” she said. “There isn’t one part I particularly like more than others. I just like the mystery of it, and how little we know about it.”

Send article as PDF to

Summey

Terri Summey, head of Access and Children Services in the William Allen White Library and associate professor of library services, has been worked at Emporia State for more than 22 years. And she is still passionate about her time with libraries and archives.

“Helping people use the library and helping people do research is sometimes like doing detective work,” Summey said.

Summey grew up in Nebraska and received her bachelor’s degree from Dana College, a master’s degree in library science from North Texas State University and a master’s degree in history from ESU.

“I really enjoy what I am doing, I never have change my mind of devote my career,” Summey said. “The nicest thing of my job is that I work a lot with students, that is why I become a librarian and an professor ,and I really enjoy the peace of working with people.”

Currently, she is working on her doctorate in library information management at ESU. In 1987, she took her first career-related position in the White Library.

“I wanted to be a librarian since I was in the high school,” Summey said. “I am interested in exploring history. It showed the different perspectives of the world.”

During college, Summey came across knowledgeable professors and the interaction with the professors and the vigorous atmosphere made her determined to become a librarian.

“Throughout our lives, a lot of people have influenced us” she said, “you pick up a little bit here and there, that all those experiences are what makes people who they are”

Terri emphasized that her job was not teaching students how to use the library but teaching students how to find the useful information they need.

“For the library, my job includes managing the department of Access Reserves which is circulation in the Reserves Inter-library loan, monitoring the operation of the coffee shop, check the supply or shortage of books,” she said. “As a manager, I help make day to day decisions to make the department run fluently. As a faculty member, I do research in my field. I try to do presentations and publish articles in journals on the research that I am doing.”

Summey also teaches on a part-time basis on the National Faculty for the School of Library and Information Management. She has taught one class for the library school for 13 years called on print and electronic resources and services.

“To be a good role model and a good mentor to people who want to be in this field, sharing my knowledge and my enthusiasts for what I do,” Summey said. “Things are always changing, there is a lot of things going on. The ability to influence my teaching profession seems to be passed on in my knowledge and my experience to new people who want to become librarians.”

Students that work with Summey said they benefit a lot from her teaching style which takes them out of the classroom and into the libraries to put theories into practice.

“She is a great boss to have,” said Dana Carter, SLIM graduate teaching assistant. “She is very dedicated with students, always being in contact with her students and always available to inspire you with professionalism.”

Summey also does story time to the primary school student four times a month.

“Reading to them, getting them excited about books is something new we are trying to do. They grow up and they will know how to use the library,” Summey said. “It is probably like teaching which allows me to mentor those kids, let them know that the library is a fun place.

“Some people are scared by libraries. If we can take some fears away and have people want to be in the library, it is good. We can make the library a comfortable place for people to come, with children, we can open a world of reading, a good place to escape. Open up a book you can go to a different world and you could learn something”

Colleagues of Summey’s remarked about her focuses on the job.

“She is very helpful to the students, she does good job with kids and the kids really like her,” said Candy Johnson, interlibrary loan supervisor. “She is always in good mood and full of energy. She is very knowledgeable, usually up to date on what is going on in the access world.”

Summey also had some advice for students about how to choose a career to pour their heart into.

“Find out what you really like with your passion, sometimes you need to not listen to the outside influences,” Summey said. “I am not getting richer being a teacher. But I am rich in another way – teaching in the classroom, being able to help people and teaching students is a good reward. Looking good and positive things in our lives, then you will be happy in doing that career.”

Send article as PDF to

Wike

Cassie Wike, senior secondary education major, has wanted to be a teacher for as long as she can remember.

“My mom loves to tell the story of how I used to teach my teddy bears,” Wike said. “I would even assign them homework.”

Wike, originally from Highland Ranch, Colo., is completing her secondary education degree and student teaching in the social sciences this semester at Emporia High School. She is slated to graduate this May.

“I was excited to go back to high school,” she said of her student teaching experience. “I loved high school.” 

During one teddy school session, Wike’s mother found a teddy bear out in hallway, upon asking her daughter why, Wike responded that the teddy bear was misbehaving.

While Wike’s students are no longer teddy bears, they can still be ornery.

“Certain students try to test the boundaries,” she said.

Wike has had to handle challenging behavior from high school students as a student teacher and that as a 21-year-old, there is not as much distance (in years) between her and her students as with some other teachers. But even at 21, Wike admits that it is “hard to remember what it’s like to be a high schooler.”

She said that motivating students is one of the more difficult aspects of her job.

Wike said that she picked up a lot of useful tools in her education classes that are helpful for student teaching and beyond.

“I use Kagan activities a lot,” Wike said.

Kagan activities are collaborative learning tools developed by Dr. Spencer Kagan.

Wike said she is also grateful that she learned from her instructors – Darla Mallein, associate professor of social sciences, in particular – that lectures are not the only way to get crucial information across in a social studies classroom.

“(She is) very passionate about teaching,” said Mallien. “She really wants to be the best teacher she can and she wants to reach that goal. She is willing to do whatever it takes to be creative.”

Her tip for student teachers?

“I think if you don’t plan ahead, it is a really daunting task to grade, learn the content and create a lesson,” Wike said.

According to Wike, it takes her under an hour to make a lesson plan, plus additional time to make handouts.

“But I enjoy making the handouts,” she quickly added.

Wike started the semester with three weeks worth of lessons. This has left her with enough time to hold an on-campus job, and work on wedding plans with her fiancé, Russell Medley, who is also a student at Emporia State studying to become a teacher.

Medley describes his fiancée as “very  self-motivated and creative, she likes to design lessons that go beyond lecturing.”

Wike says that the hardest thing about student teaching is going back to school full-time after having gotten used to setting her own schedule as a college student.

However, Wike said she is enjoying her return trip to high school because student teaching is “better than being a college student.”

Send article as PDF to

Follo

With 15 days until her baby’s due date, Associate Professor of Sociology Giovanna Follo says that the fatigue of keeping up with work and being pregnant has been a challenge, but it hasn’t affected her teaching.

“I don’t think I would have planned a pregnancy for the summer or any other down time,” Follo said. “You just take it as it comes.”

Follo came to the U.S. from Canada because she said it gave her the opportunity to work at a university where she could put more of an emphasis on teaching, rather than research.

“Canada has a lot of Research universities, so you really have to focus a lot on the research, where as in the U.S. there’s one, a lot more opportunities, but two, you have this ability to go to a university where you can still do your research, but really the bigger stress is the teaching,” Follo said.

Follo has worked at Emporia State for a year and a half and she says she likes it because she has the chance to teach a lot of different types of courses in her field. She says she dislikes the large sizes of general education courses, but she likes that the sizes of her upper level courses are smaller than most other universities.

“The smaller classes really do allow you to create a better report and better discussion,” Follo said. “I really love in class discussions and stuff like that but it’s just something that you kind of have to deal with and that’s kind of where things are going right now so you kind of have to just adapt.”

Eugene Terrell, chair of the sociology department and associate professor of sociology, said Follo has brought a new teaching style to the department where it is more group oriented and students discuss rather than listening to the professor. He said she also uses writing in exams as opposed to multiple choice questions.

“Since she’s from Canada, she doesn’t buy in to the traditional American school type of multiple choice exams,” Terrell said.

Follo received her bachelor of arts in sociology from the University of Western Ontario in Canada. She got her master’s degree at the University of Windsor and her Ph.D. at Wayne State University in Detroit. She said she planned on going into social work, but didn’t get into the program. She said sociology interested her in terms of deviance and social norms.

“The idea of sociology really intrigued me because of the areas that I was really looking at in terms of gender, deviance and stuff like that,” Follo said.

Sophomore sociology major Evan Dean said he likes Follo’s classes because she gets the students views and perceptions of what they learn and utilizes YouTube clips that are pertinent to the topic.

“She makes you think but she also lets you create your own theories and concepts of what she’s talking about,” Dean said.

Follo has done martial arts since 1989 and played rugby for four years.

“I’ve done rugby, not doing that anymore,” Follo said. “Martial arts really isn’t a hobby it’s more of a lifestyle and something I do practice.”

Having been involved in sports, Follo said her three favorite areas of study in sociology are sports, gender and the body. She said that because she has been involved in more male dominated areas of sports, gender and sport work together for her.

Terrell said that Follo has brought new courses like sociology of food and diet and sociology of the body that have to do with her areas of interest.

“Those three areas really have a kind of fascination for me, especially the way we perceive it, the way society really looks at it,” Follo said.

Dean said that Follo talks about the baby everyday and jokes that she’s going to have the baby during class.

“She doesn’t plan on it, but she’s been joking around with us freaking out that she’s having the baby during class just to freak the class out,” Dean said. “She makes class fun and that’s what I like the most.”

Send article as PDF to

Tina Herrera

Teaching math has always been something that Tina Herrera, senior elementary math education major with an emphasis in middle school math, wanted to do.

“When I first came to (Emporia State), I wanted to do secondary math (education) but I was having a lot of trouble with the math classes,” Herrera said. “But when I was younger I just wanted to be an elementary teacher.”

Herrera said that she did have some influences from her high school math teacher.

“My high school math teacher really got me to enjoy math,” she said. “That’s why I wanted to be a math teacher but I didn’t know that I had to take all of the really hard math classes. So that was a bummer.”

It wasn’t her first choice but Herrera decided that teaching elementary math while getting middle school certification as well would be a suitable choice.

“When I found out that I could do both elementary and middle school math, I thought that was pretty awesome,” she said. “Middle schoolers are pretty fun. Not that many people like them but I enjoy being around them.”

Currently, Herrera is interning at Timmerman Elementary School with second graders.

“She’s very dedicated,” said Laurie Kurzen, Herrera’s mentor teacher at Timmerman Elementary. “She’s a single mom and she’s so dedicated to her job. She’s definitely a secondary person so she’s a little nervous about being in a second grade classroom but she’ll do fine.”

While school takes up a lot of her time, Herrera makes time for her three-year-old son, Coda, tutoring at Project Challenge and running.

“Spending time with my son (is important),” Herrera said. “He likes to be outside so we are always outside playing.”

After going through college as a traditional student, this time around her experiences are completely different.

“Now it takes a lot of time management skills,” Herrera said. “I have to balance everything. I can’t do my homework until (Coda) goes to bed. I do it between 9 p.m. and 12 p.m. every night. And I have to get him up and ready in the morning. It’s not just me.”

As a tutor for Project Challenge, Herrera has gained some valuable experience.

“She’s tutored for the college program for the past two years and she’s doing a wonderful job,” said Trudi Benjamin, director of Project Challenge and Upward Bound. “Students really like her and she’s going to be a good teacher. She’s our star math tutor.”

When Herrera starts student teaching next semester, she will no longer be able to work at Project Challenge.

“We’ll really miss her,” Benjamin said. “She’s done really well with our students. A lot of students are scared of math and she’s really helped with that.”

Herrera has run a marathon relay and at least four 5 and 10Ks.

“I enjoy running,” she said. “Last April I did a marathon relay so I didn’t run the whole marathon but I ran part of it with my friend in Oklahoma City (for the Oklahoma City Memorial Run).

The Oklahoma City Memorial Run helps raise money for the upkeep of the Memorial for the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995.

“There was so many people there that it took twenty minutes for everyone to get past the start at the beginning,” Herrera said.

She will run in the Therapeutic Learning Center Underground race this weekend to raise money for the TLC children’s fund.

“It will be in the caves that they have in Kansas City,” Herrera said. “I know there are lots of tips out there for people about how to run any race but I just do what works for me. I run against myself. I’m actually trying to bet the time that I had from the previous day so I get kind of mad at myself if I don’t do it. I’m a little hard on myself.”

Even though Herrera also has a message license, she hasn’t quite found the time to take on any clients.

“I’m busy all the time,” she said. “People always ask me (if I’m taking any clients).”

Send article as PDF to

Sleezer

Being from a small town in Kansas, Richard Sleezer, associate professor of physical sciences, just couldn’t keep away from Emporia.

“I thought I might like to come back here some day but I thought that the chances that there would be a position open were probably pretty slim,” Sleezer said. “It just so happened that a position came open. Twelve years later, I’m still here.”

With an undergraduate degree in Geography and a Master’s degree in earth science from Emporia State, Sleezer came back to ESU after finishing a PhD at the University of Kansas.

“I had Richard Sleezer in class during the 1980s in Early American Litearture,” said Gary Bleeker, dean of graduate studies. “Even though he wasn’t an English major he was very interested in the class, participating in the class. He made teaching a pleasure because he showed so much interest in the class even though it wasn’t his major area.”

Although he doesn’t get thrills from being a storm chaser, Richard Sleezer, associate professor of physical sciences, does enjoy teaching students about natural weather occurrences.

“I’m not a thrill seeker,” Sleezer said. “I’m not the kind of guy that would jump out of an airplane. Chasing is either boring or too exciting. You’re either dodging hail stones and trying to get video tape or you’re running around and you can’t find anything to chase.”

Even students who just met him enjoy his class.

“I just met him a few days ago and I really like him as a teacher,” said Nadia Williamson, freshman undecided major. “He’s really knowledgable and you can really tell that he’s experienced in the class room. I really enjoy his class.”

He covers it all. From weather to soil to introductory courses, Sleezer enjoys teaching students what they are enthusiastic about.

“It’s not difficult to get students enthusiastic (about natural hazards),” Sleezer said. “You come in and you talk about earth quakes, volcanic eruptions and tornados and floods. People already have some interest. Who doesn’t want to see a tornado video?”

The recent earth quake in Haiti has been a topic for his current natural hazards class.

“A natural hazard is something bad that can happen,” Sleezer said, “as opposed to a catastrophe which is something that happens that causes a lot of loss of life and property damage. Earth quakes don’t kill people, buildings do. We talked about it in that context. We have a whole section on earthquakes and we’ll use that as an example as well as the one that caused the tsunami a few years back.”

As far as his life motto goes, Sleezer only has advice for his students.

“Experts are people who have already made all the mistakes,” he said. “When students are in a class, they are afraid to make a mistake. They are afraid to ask a dumb question. They are afraid to be shown up somehow. You can calm them down if you tell them, ‘You are in an environment where it’s okay to make a mistake as long as you learn from it.’”

Sleezer also has some advice about mistakes.

“Mistakes are only mistakes if you persist in them,” he said. “If you make a mistake and you learn from it, that’s experience. But if you don’t get experience you continue to make bad mistakes.”

Send article as PDF to

SIMONS

With a broad range of interests and experiences, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry Kim Simons has a lot to offer students.

Simons has a degree in biochemistry with a minor in computer science from the University of Dallas and lived in Texas, Seattle, Boston and Pennsylvania before coming to teach at Emporia State. He is originally from Hays.

“The university I was at didn’t have much potential for research,” said Simons. “There wasn’t a graduate program and here there’s just room to grow, room to do more.”

Though this is his first year teaching at Emporia State, Simons has already begun research on the process of mitosis using yeast cells which he said have a similar mechanism that causes the cell to divide, but are much more easily manipulated than human cells.

“What we hope to know is what proteins are responsible, what genes are responsible, how is that regulated,” Simons said. “So it’s sort of a very basic science question – how does it work? If we understood more of how a cell divides, we could understand more about how a cell divides improperly.”

Because biologists have researched the process of mitosis, Simons said there is now enough information to begin exploring it as a chemical process.

“It was an area that had been studied well genetically,” Simons said. “Now it’s ripe for a biochemist, it’s ready for chemistry and biochemistry, and that hadn’t been done yet, so I saw it as an open area.”

Junior chemistry major Richard Stephenson is one of four students assisting in Simons’ research.

“It’s very enjoyable, he’s very intelligent and very patient,” Stephenson said. “I always learn a lot from him. Every time I go in, I learn something new.”

Simons also enjoys the small class sizes at ESU.

“I know with the economy they’re trying to have larger class sizes and get more out of money, but I really think the best thing for students is to have individual time with professors,” Simons said. “My largest class is 15. I’ve been blessed. I get to speak with juniors and seniors one on one. There’s a lot of interaction. That’s what I enjoy.”

Outside of the classroom, Simons explores many interests and spends the bulk of his free time with his family. He has two young children, ages four and six.

“I have a full time job and I’m a full time dad,” Simons said. “I really enjoy hiking and being outside and now that they’re getting older and can walk on their own we’re returning to doing more swimming and outdoors things.”

His family was a motive to return to Kansas for a variety of reasons, one being that both he and his wife have family here.

“I really liked the big city,” Simons said. “I would love to live in New York or Boston, but it’s extremely expensive, with kids it was just very difficult.”

His experience living in different places is one that he encourages others to seek.

“What I always suggest to my students, because often you go to a college that is nearby, I’d like to encourage them, even if it’s just for two or three years, go out,” Simons said. “You can always come back, things won’t change that much, but get out, get a different experience, a new perspective, and come home. You’ll be enriched because of it.”

Sarah Shaw/The Bulletin

Send article as PDF to