Lake Land College instructor earns Teacher of the Year award Posted on April 25, 2023 Business Instructor/Program Coordinator of Accounting Cynthia Phipps earned the Eastern Illinois Business Education Association (EIBEA) Teacher of the Year award for 2023. Phipps has been an active member of EIBEA and IBEA for many years, and one of her nominators said she “is always quick to step up and volunteer to help plan, organize, proofread, provide morale support or whatever else needs to be done for EIBEA meetings and activities.” Pictured are Marcy Satterwhite, business instructor/program coordinator of desktop pub/graphic design as well as EIBEA president and Phipps. “She is supportive of all of her co-workers at Lake Land College and truly cares about her students,” Marcy Satterwhite, EIBEA president and business instructor/program coordinator of desktop pub/graphic design, said. “She has proven herself to be a dedicated and caring teacher who has earned the respect of her students and peers.” Phipps can often be found spending extra time outside of class with her students to help them understand concepts and be successful. As a program advisor, she helps her accounting majors stay on track towards successfully completing their graduation goals. Those who nominated Phipps for the award include Satterwhite, Business Instructor/Program Coordinator of Office Professionals Kathleen Daugherty and Division Chair Business/Business Instructor Tynia Kessler. Phipps has also served as the EIBEA treasurer for many years and helps to organize all of the EIBEA meetings, keeping track of meeting registration and maintaining financial records. “Cindy is very deserving of this award, both professionally and personally,” Satterwhite said. “EIBEA is so fortunate to have had her serve as our treasurer, and she continues to serve year after year. As the current EIBEA President, I don’t know what I would do without her in the Treasurer role.” For more information about Phipps or the Accounting program at Lake Land College, visit lakelandcollege.edu. -30-
Eastern Illinois University, Lake Land College pen exclusive “Transfer Back” agreement; arrangement simplifies re-entry for students who have temporarily put their college education on hold Posted on April 20, 2023 (Mattoon, IL) – Leaders from Eastern Illinois University and Lake Land College signed an agreement today that will provide students who have paused their college education a unique pathway for returning to the classroom. In this collaborative program, students who meet the criteria will have the opportunity to complete an associate degree at Lake Land College and then transfer to EIU to complete a bachelor’s degree. Lake Land College Vice President for Academic Services Ikemefuna “Ike” Nwosu, Lake Land College President Josh Bullock, Eastern Illinois University President David Glassman and Eastern Illinois University Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Jay Gatrell celebrate a “Transfer Back” agreement at a signing event on Thursday. “This is a magnificent arrangement for EIU and Lake Land College, but more importantly for the diverse students and communities our institutions serve,” said Dr. David Glassman, president of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. “We value this partnership with Lake Land College and the opportunities it will create for students at both institutions.” “Lake Land College and Eastern Illinois University have a long history of working together to provide seamless options for students to transfer and earn a bachelor’s degree locally,” added Dr. Josh Bullock, president of Lake Land College in Mattoon. “This innovative agreement creates additional onramps for paused students to complete their educational pathways that lead to rewarding careers.” “This partnership program for adult students in our area offers the traditional benefits of acquiring knowledge and skills while emphasizing personal enrichment, lifelong learning, and networking opportunities which can be instrumental to their career trajectories,” Lake Land College Vice President for Academic Services Dr. Ikemefuna Nwosu said. According to the agreement, EIU and Lake Land College will work together to identify targeted populations of EIU students who have temporarily paused their education but whose academic history demonstrates a strong propensity toward successful completion. To be eligible, candidates within that pool of temporarily paused students—academically recognized as “stop-outs”—must: not have been enrolled at either institution for the past two semesters have not earned an associate or a bachelor’s degree have completed at least 45 hours of undergraduate work with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher be in good standing with regard to each institution’s student conduct policies. These qualified students will be invited to enroll in Lake Land College to complete an associate degree. Upon completion, participants will be encouraged to enroll in an EIU program, either online or in person, to complete a bachelor’s degree. Participants will enjoy benefits of both institutions who will work together to facilitate a seamless transfer between Lake Land College and EIU. Distinct benefits unique to the partnership include enhanced credit and transcript transfers, in addition to specialized financial supports from EIU. In addition, EIU and Lake Land College will provide reciprocal assistance to its partner institution intended to enrich student success outcomes. Degree completion and retention rates have historically been important metrics for institutions of higher education in Illinois. While “stop-outs” can be common even in routine years, the number of students in Illinois and across the nation who opted to temporarily put their educations on hold rose significantly during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a response, Illinois colleges and universities are working with their respective partners at the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) and Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) to enhance degree completion and retention rates across the State, with an enhanced focus on adult students. The agreement signed today is another step toward helping Eastern Illinois University and Lake Land College in meeting and exceeding those State goals and extending their services to an even broader population.
Lake Land College mystery activity concludes; resolutions revealed Posted on April 14, 2023 Lake Land College hosted a mystery event in which more than 534 high school students from 22 schools as well as more than 250 Lake Land College students and even a few community members participated. The event consisted of a two-week mystery project to solve, including activities in which participants sought out sources of information by utilizing their own resources and inquiring among a predetermined group of people to draw conclusions based on evidence. Many participants took part in a survey about their findings, leading to the fictional arrests of Division Chair Agriculture/Agriculture Instructor Ryan Orrick, President Josh Bullock and Dean for Workforce Solutions & Community Education Chris Strohl. “We’ve seen really great engagement from a lot of the people participating,” Philosophy/English Instructor Tara Blaser said. “It’s really great to see how they are analyzing situations and thinking critically to deduce things on their own. It’s very exciting for us to see the participants get so excited about the project.” Students from local high schools including Altamont, Beecher City, Brownstown, Casey-Westfield, Dieterich, Kansas, Marshall, Mattoon, North Clay, Okaw Valley, Pana, Ramsey, Shelbyville, South Central, Stew-Stras, Sullivan and Windsor came to campus to participate in the mystery while five schools took part in the activity virtually including Effingham, Teutopolis, Faith Bible, St. Elmo and MAPS. Several participating characters in the mystery shared their thoughts on what it was like to play such a crucial role in the activity. President Josh Bullock said, “I was so honored to play an active role in the College Mystery. I enjoyed meeting so many inquisitive and engaged students and community members, who asked thoughtful questions and demonstrated strong critical thinking skills. The opportunity to interact with high school and Lake Land students in such a creative way was a fun and memorable experience.” Dean for Workforce Solutions and Community Education Chris Strohl said, “This was truly a great experience for staff and faculty at Lake Land College. We were able to interact with high school and college students, hear some really great questions, and see students flourish as we played our parts in the murder mystery. It was both a privilege and an honor to be part of the Lake Land College Murder Mystery 2023! I can’t wait until next time!” Director of Student Success Services Kim Hunter said, “For me, the experience was phenomenal. Seeing students so engaged and entertained with an activity was really rewarding as someone who is engaged in the academic side of things at the college. It also stretched my own acting skills! What a fun opportunity for everyone involved.” Sociology Instructor Katie Parrish said, “The mystery was so much fun to participate in. It was wonderful seeing so many students engaged in this mystery and how much fun they were having with it. I really enjoyed seeing where the clues took the students and watching them use critical thinking trying to piece it all together. This mystery was definitely one of the most fun and rewarding projects I have been a part of.” Several students from participating high schools shared positive feedback, including their favorite aspects of the activity and how much they enjoyed the participating suspects’ acting. Biological Science Instructor David Turnbull was also able to utilize new Anatomage table technology for the activity, allowing participants to interact with a realistic virtual cadaver. “The Anatomage table is a good way for students to familiarize themselves with different aspects of the human body before beginning to work with real cadavers and such,” Turnbull said. “There are some people who have very strong negative feelings about cadavers, and this is a good way to accommodate and help prepare them. Also, the table has things like color coding and the ability to zoom in or rotate, so this helps students to see concepts firsthand and become familiar with the shapes, sizes and areas of organs and things before seeing them firsthand.” For more information or to catch up on the mystery, search #LLCMystery on social media or visit youtube.com/@LakeLandCollegeIL to see all of the video updates. -30-
Lake Land College presents Business Partnership Award to EJ Water Posted on April 12, 2023 Lake Land College presented the 2023 Business Partnership Award to EJ Water Cooperative of Dieterich at the regular board of trustees meeting April 10. Lake Land College and EJ Water have enjoyed a long-standing relationship by partnering on a number of curriculum, economic and community development projects since 2008. EJ Water’s CEO Bill Teichmiller has been a key partner in assisting Lake Land College with developing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) through volunteering staff to participate in DACUMS to improve curriculum, sponsoring a paid internship program and regularly hosting site visits for students and other community organizations developing GIS technology. These projects and innovations have created jobs and millions of dollars of economic development projects with expansion of water services across the state of Illinois. In 2012, Teichmiller secured and developed a GIS internship program with Lake Land College. These interns would later become employees of the EJ Water GIS Department. This model not only produced an active model for interns within the district, but as well developed and built a multimillion-dollar GIS database for a water utility that has been replicated both regionally and nationally through his work and partnership with Lake Land College. As a result of this success, Teichmiller has produced and created multiple full-time positions for GIS managers, analysts and technicians from Lake Land College. His current manager, Bill Carr, was a graduate from Lake Land College and was a veteran of multiple tours with U.S. Army in the Airborne Infantry Unit. To date, Techmiller has sponsored more than eight paid internships and created three full-time jobs filled by Lake Land College GIS Certificate graduates. At all levels of curriculum development, such as hosting conferences for related technologies like drones or Unmanned Aerial Systems as well as donating staff and equipment resources, the partnership with EJ Water has been critical to establishing Lake Land College’s GIS Program. Community colleges work with businesses, industries and economic development entities throughout the state to recruit and train workers, retain existing businesses, and bring new businesses and jobs to Illinois. The ICCTA’s Business/Industry Partnership Award was established to recognize these successful workforce-training alliances. The ICCTA congratulated all of their 2023 Outstanding Business/Industry Partnership nominees, in which Lake Land College’s nomination of EJ Water Cooperative was included. The recipient of the ICCTA 2023 Business/Industry Partnership Award will be announced at the ICCTA’s June 2 awards banquet in Normal. -30-
Lake Land College celebrates Community College Month Posted on April 11, 2023 Lake Land College is joining community colleges throughout the state of Illinois and the entire nation in celebrating National Community College Month this April. As does Lake Land College, community colleges provide opportunities for people to change their lives through the power of an education. Lake Land College helps people transform their lives, and in turn, their families and their communities. “We are very excited to be joining community colleges throughout the state of Illinois and the entire nation in celebrating National Community College Month this April,” Lake Land College President Josh Bullock said. “Just as we do here at Lake Land, community colleges provide opportunities for people to change their lives through the power of an education. We help people improve their lives, and in turn, their families and their communities. “ Governor JB Pritzker recently issued a statewide proclamation for April 2023 to be Illinois Community College month, highlighting the valuable role community colleges have in Illinois. Some highlights from this proclamation include the following: “The Illinois Community College System is the third-largest in the nation, with 48 community colleges and 39 college districts located through the state.” “According to the Illinois Community College Board, Illinois community colleges educate 60% of the students enrolled in public higher education.” “Illinois is first in the nation in bachelor’s degree completion rates among the 54 percent of community college students who transfer.” “Nine of out 10 of the state’s community college graduations live, work, pay taxes and raise their families in Illinois.” “Earning an Associate of Applied Science or long-term certificate from an Illinois community college adds more than $570,000 in lifetime earnings.” “Nearly 74% of Illinois employers have hired a community college graduate.” The Lake Land College Board of Trustees expresses gratitude to the administration, faculty and staff for always putting students first. To learn more about Lake Land College, visit lakelandcollege.edu. -30-
Lake Land College to purchase facility from Patterson Companies in Effingham, IL Posted on April 6, 2023 Partnering on building for our community EFFINGHAM, IL — Lake Land College and Patterson Companies officials announced today that the college is expected to purchase the nearly 100,000-square-foot building and lease back a portion of the space to Patterson. Lake Land College President Josh Bullock and Vice President and General Manager of Dental Software Business at Patterson Companies Cecile Schauer celebrate the partnership. “This partnership is truly a win-win for Patterson, Lake Land College and the Effingham region,” Lake Land College President Josh Bullock said during a press conference at the Patterson building in Effingham. “This collaboration opens the door to new programming and learning opportunities that provide pathways to sustainable careers and a highly trained workforce.” “Patterson Companies is committed to the success of our community. As we have transitioned to a workforce of the future with a significant remote work population, we are invested in keeping a physical presence in the area. Therefore, we will be leasing back space from Lake Land on an annual basis,” Patterson Dental President, Tim Rogan said. “We look forward to the opportunities this arrangement will provide to our community.” At Monday’s regular meeting, the Lake Land College Board of Trustees is expected to approve the use of $12.5 million in bond funds to go toward the purchase of the Patterson building at 1201 Althoff Drive, a 99,216-square-foot, LEED-silver certified building and 20 acres of land. The college will be using a combination of the recent bonded funds and existing building funds to complete the $15.5 million purchase. This will have no impact on the student tuition rate or the college’s property tax levy rate. The Board is also expected to approve a long-term agreement for Patterson to lease back employee and technology workspace to continue their operations and presence in the community. As part of the agreement, Patterson has generously offered to donate the contents of the building to the Lake Land College Foundation, excluding equipment necessary for Patterson’s ongoing operations. Contents include a variety of office furniture, technology and equipment. Originally, the Lake Land Board of Trustees issued $12.5 million in bonds to fund the construction of a new 20,000-square-foot Rural Development Technology Center (RDTC) to house the Effingham Regional Career Academy (ERCA) and to remodel the existing 24,000-square-foot Kluthe Center in Effingham, among other capital projects. This was all done without an increase to taxpayers. Lake Land College will no longer be constructing a new facility for the ERCA, nor further renovating the existing Kluthe Center. Instead, Lake Land will be moving all programming from the Kluthe Center to the facility purchased from Patterson, as well as locating the ERCA in the facility. The building will be named the Lake Land College Effingham Technology Center and will be highly visible from Interstate 57 which has an average daily traffic count of more than 45,000. President Bullock added, “Purchasing the Patterson facility is a much wiser use of the bond funds that were allocated for constructing a new space and renovating the Kluthe Center. With this use of the taxpayer funds, the Effingham Technology Center will provide the college with nearly double the square footage than would have been available with the renovation of Kluthe and construction of the RDTC. This puts Lake Land on a path to continue meeting the educational needs of the region and positions the college for future growth and expansion of innovative programming in Effingham.” The college currently plans to retain the Kluthe Center and is considering alternative uses for the building and surrounding land. Recently, the college installed a new HVAC system and roof at the center. Lake Land College anticipates the Effingham Technology Center will be fully operational for classes by Fall 2024. ### About Patterson Companies Inc. Patterson Companies Inc. (Nasdaq: PDCO) connects dental and animal health customers in North America and the U.K. to the latest products, technologies, services, and innovative business solutions that enable operational and professional success. Our comprehensive portfolio, distribution network and supply chain are equaled only by our dedicated, knowledgeable people who deliver unrivaled expertise and unmatched customer service and support. Learn more: www.pattersoncompanies.com www.pattersondental.com About Lake Land College Lake Land College District No. 517 is a community college that serves almost 9,500 students a year. Founded in 1966, Lake Land College serves the second largest geographic community college district in the state of Illinois, comprising all or part of 15 counties and 31 public school districts in rural east central Illinois within a 4,000 square mile area. The 317-acre main campus is located in Mattoon, Illinois, with three extension centers in Effingham, Marshall and Pana. Lake Land offers education and training from associate degrees and certificates, to short-term training to incumbent workers, to adult education and general equivalency diploma classes, English as a Second Language classes and community education and resources. The college also provides educational services to 23 Illinois Department of Corrections sites and two Juvenile Justice Centers. Learn more at www.lakelandcollege.edu.
Lake Land College broadcast students complete Illinois Broadcasters Association training Posted on March 13, 2023 Several Lake Land College broadcast sales students recently earned certification as broadcast sales professionals from the broadcast training company, P1 Learning, in partnership with the Illinois Broadcasters Association’s Sales Training Program. Seated L to R: Lucas Oakley, Casey; Mahala Van Hise, Charleston; Standing L to R: Blake Aldrich, Teutopolis; Ethan Berger, Effingham; Anthony Vonderheide, Stewardson; Konner Remlinger, Martinsville. These students include Blake Aldrich, Teutopolis; Ethan Berger, Effingham; Mahala Van Hise, Charleston; Lucas Oakley, Casey; Konner Remlinger, Martinsville and Anthony Vonderheide, Stewardson. Over the course of four weeks, students completed a variety of online video courses, tests and assignments as part of the broadcast sales class in the Broadcast Communication program at Lake Land College. P1 Learning is a nationally recognized training company that administers training for hundreds of broadcast stations, corporations and state broadcaster associations to provide content in the topics of sales, leadership, management, on-air, compliance and more. Broadcast Communication Instructor and Station Manager of WLKL 89.9 FM Greg Powers assisted students in preparing for the certification and explained the benefits of receiving the broadcast sales certification. “For students entering the broadcast workforce, this certification can be extremely beneficial to their careers,” Powers said. “Broadcast employers are searching for employees who have experience in multiple areas, so the students who have completed this training are very marketable.” Each of the professionals will be honored on a plaque displayed alongside those of previous year’s students. The Illinois Broadcasters Association (IBA) funded the initiative. “I am extremely grateful to Dennis Lyle, president and CEO of the Illinois Broadcasters Association, and the IBA board for their financial support,” Powers said. For more information about Lake Land College’s Broadcast Communication program, contact Powers at 217-234-5335 or visit lakelandcollege.edu/high-demand-programs/radio-tv-broadcasting or 899themax.com. The Broadcast Communication department will also be hosting an open house on March 24 from noon to 2 p.m. Attendees will have the opportunity to check out the college’s student-run FM radio station WLKL 89.9 The Max Alternative, TV studio and production control room, professional audio equipment and state-of-the-art camera and video equipment as well as industry-standard digital editing software. For more information about the Broadcast Communication open house, visit lakelandcollege.edu/visit. -30-
Academic Challenge regional competition held at Lake Land College Posted on March 6, 2023 The regional Academic Challenge was recently held at Lake Land College and several local schools came together to battle in biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering graphics, English, mathematics and physics. The St. Anthony, Sullivan and Mattoon high schools were victorious in the 300, 700 and 1500 divisions respectively and took home the regional championship titles. Lake Land College also awarded several participants across various categories tuition waivers for outstanding performances. The waiver recipients include Tobin Morrison, Colin Griguhn, August Siemer, Mason Tegler, Conner Yates, Paul Bates, Marshal Tipsword, Lincoln Wheeler, Sam Deters, Ryan Rich, Keenan Kersh and Sydni Waidelich. The following students earned individual awards in the respective categories. Chemistry 300 Connor Yates Casey-Westfield High School 1st Pierce Verdeyen St. Anthony High School 2nd Michael Beaumont Cumberland High School 3rd Faith Brown Cumberland High School 3rd Chemistry 700 Paul Bates Sullivan High School 1st Brent Helmuth Sullivan High School 1st Will Templeton Paris High School 2nd Isaac Chambers Shelbyville High School 2nd Aydan Fisher Shelbyville High School 3rd Chemistry 1500 Dalton Short Mattoon High School 1st JD Sullivan Mattoon High School 2nd Capone Matthews Mattoon High School 3rd Biology 300 Laney Brandenburg Neoga High School 1st Will Hoene St. Anthony High School 1st Logan Cornett Altamont High School 2nd Ellere Repp Cumberland High School 2nd Megan Baker Neoga High School 2nd Dylan Curry Windsor High School 3rd Biology 700 Sydni Waidelich Sullivan High School 1st Paul Bates Sullivan High School 2nd Isaac Chambers Shelbyville High School 3rd Biology 1500 Sarah Creel Mattoon High School 1st Jessica Evans Mattoon High School 1st Thomas Towle Mattoon High School 2nd Logan Samuelson Mattoon High School 3rd Computer Science 300 Ryan Rich Dieterich High School 1st Will Hoene St. Anthony High School 2nd Mitch Blade Cumberland High School 3rd Computer Science 700 Devin Milner Paris High School 1st Bryce Mcgrath Paris High School 2nd Madix Weddle Marshall High School 3rd Garrett Endsley Shelbyville High School 3rd Beau Fleming Sullivan High School 3rd Computer Science 1500 Keenan Kersh Mattoon High School 1st Lincoln Wheeler Mattoon High School 1st Capone Matthews Mattoon High School 2nd Dalton Short Mattoon High School 3rd Engineering Graphics 300 Tobin Morrison Martinsville High School 1st Benji Folkers Windsor High School 1st Connor Flach Dieterich High School 2nd Korbin Baird Martinsville High School 2nd Andrew Rodriguez Casey-Westfield High School 3rd Braden Pardi Oakland High School 3rd Engineering Graphics 700 Colin Griguhn Marshall High School 1st Ethan Smith Sullivan High School 2nd Adam Lustig Teutopolis High School 2nd Jesse Helton Shelbyville High School 3rd Engineering Graphics 1500 Chris Carter Mattoon High School 1st Mitchel Gergeni Mattoon High School 2nd English 300 Haley Lindsey Neoga High School 1st Lillian Ryan Cumberland High School 2nd Joanna Mitchell St. Anthony High School 3rd Gracie Passalacqua St. Anthony High School 3rd English 700 August Siemer Teutopolis High School 1st Manson Tegeler Paris High School 2nd Bentley Delp Marshall High School 3rd English 1500 Hannah Stroud Mattoon High School 1st Berit Haldorsen Mattoon High School 2nd Thomas Towle Mattoon High School 3rd Math 300 Connor Yates Casey-Westfield High School 1st Marshall Tipsword Cumberland High School 1st Haley Lindsey Neoga High School 2nd Sam Deters St. Anthony High School 2nd Pierce Verdeyen St. Anthony High School 2nd Cara Hancock Casey-Westfield High School 3rd Michael Beaumont Cumberland High School 3rd Adrian Stewart Neoga High School 3rd Laney Brandenburg Neoga High School 3rd Briar Smith Stewardson-Strasburg High School 3rd Math 700 Brent Helmuth Sullivan High School 1st Bo Hilbert Shelbyville High School 2nd Brooklyn Bender Marshall High School 3rd Iker Cruz Marshall High School 3rd Brennan Hemrich Paris High School 3rd Noah Dundas Paris High School 3rd Math 1500 Lincoln Wheeler Mattoon High School 1st Keenan Kersh Mattoon High School 2nd JD Sullivan Mattoon High School 3rd Physics 300 Dagon Smith Cumberland High School 1st Sam Deters St. Anthony High School 1st Denton Nebel Cumberland High School 2nd Marshal Tipsword Cumberland High School 2nd Elliott Frisbie St. Anthony High School 3rd Physics 700 August Siemer Teutopolis High School 1st Randall Robinson Marshall High School 2nd Isaac Vahling Teutopolis High School 3rd -30-
Lake Land College Spring enrollment up; Increases in Workforce and Short-Term Certificates Posted on Lake Land College enrollment in workforce ready and non-degree programs are up by almost 12% at Lake Land College, following a positive Spring Enrollment Report. The report also indicates Lake Land College remains the top choice for in-district, college-bound seniors. Enrollment in short-term certificate programs increased by 26% and enrollment in technical/trade degrees increased by 8.64%. Both of these options prepare students to enter the workforce following completion of the program. Students enrolled in non-degree courses saw a 3% increase. Overall, Lake Land College saw a 2% increase in FTE or full time equivalency and nearly a 1% increase in headcount with 3,680 students enrolled this spring. These figures are reflected in the 10th Day State report and are a snapshot in time. Enrollment continues to grow throughout the semester. “We are excited to see students taking advantage of our short-term programs involving trades and other high-demand careers,” President Josh Bullock said. “The value these programs bring to both our students and the community is unparalleled when we look at the services our graduates provide to the community within these careers.” The college has seen enrollment increase in several programs, such as Automotive, Building Construction Technology, Cosmetology and Welding. Early Childhood, which is in high demand locally, saw a significant increase with the addition of a new grant program. Programs that saw enrollment increases include technology programs such as Automotive Technology, Building Construction Technology and Welding. Fall 2022 was the first fall the college had both freshmen and sophomores in Dental Hygiene since 2020, thus that program also saw an increase. Cosmetology also saw an increase. Lake Land College remains the top choice among the in-district class of 2022 high school graduates that enrolled in college. Of those attending college, 59% are going to Lake Land. The next college on the list saw 13.5% of the enrollment, followed by several with 1-3%, according to data from the National Student Clearinghouse. -30-
Lake Land College to host district-wide mystery activity Posted on February 27, 2023 Lake Land College will host a mystery activity open to Lake Land College students as well as area high school students beginning March 13 and continuing through March 24. Participants will take part in a fictional scenario in which a Lake Land College faculty member has gone missing. This scenario will include many aspects of a genuine crime drama, such as mock press conferences, suspects to interview, clues to uncover, lab work and many more elements that will contribute to the realism of the activity. Each participant will receive a T-shirt and workbook to use throughout the mystery to gather and store information pertaining to the mystery. Lake Land College faculty and staff have coordinated with Campus Police to ensure that the campus community is aware of this fictional scenario and the safety of the college will not be disrupted by the activity. Those who plan to participate include more than 534 high school students from local high schools including Altamont, Beecher City, Brownstown, Casey-Westfield, Dieterich, Kansas, Marshall, Mattoon, North Clay, Okaw Valley, Pana, Ramsey, Shelbyville, South Central, Stew-Stras, Sullivan and Windsor. Five schools will also have students participating in the activity virtually, including Effingham, Teutopolis, Faith Bible, St. Elmo and MAPS. The activity will also include more than 173 Lake Land College students as participants. “I think this is going to be really exciting for everyone involved,” Philosophy/English Instructor Tara Blaser said. “We’ve been working on this for more than a year, and we have all put a great deal of time and effort into making this a fun and educational experience for all of our participants.” Those interested can check the hashtag “#LLCMystery” to stay up to date on the latest information participants have to share on social media. For more information about the event, those interested can contact Blaser at 217-234-5321 or tblaser@lakelandcollege.edu. -30-