Laker Nation News

The Lake Land College community is saddened to learn of the announced closure of the Mattoon LSC Communications Plant. According to a recent announcement by LSC Communications, this facility will cease operations by July 2020.

Dr. Josh Bullock, Lake Land College President, said, “As the full impact of this announcement is realized throughout the region, Lake Land College stands ready to assist our fellow community members who will be affected by this unfortunate news. The college offers a variety of educational and training opportunities and will work closely with impacted individuals to create a transition plan for their future career path. Lake Land will utilize its vast resources and partnerships to assist members of our local community during this difficult time.”

Lake Land College has begun collaborating with area partners including Coles Together, the cities of Mattoon and Charleston, the local Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and the Mattoon and Charleston Chambers of Commerce to serve the individuals and families impacted by the closure. Lake Land College also administers the dislocated worker services program through WIOA. These services can provide funding and support for impacted workers to attend a variety of training programs at Lake Land College.

“To the LSC Communications employees, we want you to know we have successfully assisted community members who have experienced similar workforce transitions and we are here for you,” said Dr. Bullock.

Laker Athletics announced members of the Student Athlete Leadership Council for the 2019-2020 academic year. The Student Athlete Leadership Council consists of one freshman and one sophomore student athlete representative from each Laker Athletic program.

The 2019-2020 Student Athlete Leadership Council members are Jadyn Princko and Adam Price representing men’s basketball; Ashlyn MacDonald and co-chair Kaitlin Creager representing volleyball; Riley Parsons and Madison Evans representing cheerleading; Bryce Lohman and Ben Schuler representing baseball; co-chair Kyrsten Darrough and Frankie Izard representing softball; and Lucy Smith and Josie Orris representing women’s basketball.

“These student athletes are the voice of Laker Athletics,” Bill Jackson, director of athletics, said. “They are selected by the coaches at the beginning of the year based on their leadership skills and their willingness to represent Laker Athletics in an outgoing and positive manner.”

As leaders both on and off the field, members of the council organize their team’s involvement with fundraisers and events throughout campus and the community, including the St. Louis Cardinal Caravan held on campus every spring.

This is the fourth year Laker Athletics has implemented the Student Athlete Leadership Council. Members of the council meet twice a month with Jackson to discuss ways in which to enhance the student athlete experience.

“Being chosen to be on the council has been a privilege, because I have been able to be a part of a group of student athletes that look to grow the presence of athletics on campus,” co-chair Kyrsten Darrough said. “We are looking to better the experience of the students involved in athletics at Lake Land College.”

For more information about the Laker Student Athlete Leadership Council, visit lakelandcollege.edu/athletics/student-athlete-leadership-council/.

What happens when you take some of the most brilliant minds from area high schools and put them under one roof? Nothing other than an academic face off, where teams are pitted against each other in eight subject areas in order to take home the Academic Challenge regional championship title.

The regional Academic Challenge will be held at Lake Land College on Friday, Feb. 7. Twenty-five high schools will come together to battle in biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering graphics, English, mathematics and physics.

Each high school will compete against other high schools in the same division, which is based on school enrollment, and awards will be given to both individual competitors and teams. Students advancing at the regional competition will compete at Eastern Illinois University with another round for advancement, which will be held at the University of Illinois.

During the event, students will be tested from 9:20-11:10 a.m., with an awards ceremony following at 1:30 p.m.

For more information about the Academic Challenge, contact Lisa Shumard-Shelton, director of dual credit and the honors experience, at 217-234-5044 or email DCP@lakelandcollege.edu.

Lake Land College Athletics and Mattoon High School Baseball are sponsoring the St. Louis Cardinal Caravan on Sunday, Jan. 19 at 12 p.m.

The event will be held at the Lake Land College Field House. Doors open at 11 a.m. There is no preferred seating. Tickets can be purchased in the Laker Athletics office in the Field House or at Washington Savings Bank.

The cost of the ticket is $10 and includes a hot dog, chips and drink. Tickets will also be available for purchase at the door.

According to the Cardinals Caravan website, the first 400 children, 15 and under, through the door on the day of the event will receive a free Autograph Ticket which guarantees one autograph from each current and former player. Due to high demand, autographs will only be available for fans 15 and under. All attendees have a chance to talk baseball with current players, alumni and broadcasters.

The 2020 Cardinal Caravan is presented by Missouri Farm Bureau Insurance and is sponsored by Lake Land College Athletics and Mattoon High School Baseball.

Attending players for the Mattoon stop will be announced closer to the event date.

For more information, visit mlb.com/cardinals/community/caravan or contact Wrobria Roberts, administrative assistant to field house operations, at 217-234-5333 or at wroberts52500@lakelandcollege.edu.

Lake Land College is offering a Painting with Oils or Acrylics class at the Kluthe Center in Effingham. The eight-session class is available to register and will be on Wednesdays beginning Feb. 12 through April 1 and will meet from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The class will be taught by Vera Keplar, who has a master’s degree in art from Eastern Illinois University and has taught art at K-12 and adult level for many years. In addition, Vera has been a judge for several art competitions.

Beginner and experienced artists are all welcome to attend. Students will paint on canvas using oil or acrylic paints and will be able to choose their own subject matter. Students will need to bring their own paint supplies. The supply list includes: basic colors of oil or acrylic tubes of paint, variety of sizes of oil or acrylic paint brushes and 16” x 20” minimum size canvas panels or stretch panels. The cost is $52 for the class.

To register, go to lakelandcollege.edu/learn. Drop date for a refund is five business days prior to the class.

For more information, contact Jackie Wake, professional development support, at 217-234-5087 or email jwake@lakelandcollege.edu.

Lake Land College Adult Education will hold an orientation for free manufacturing skills classes on Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 9 a.m. at the Lake Land College Workforce Development Center, room 105.

Classes begin March 23, 2020 and run Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., for qualified applicants. The classes count as college credit and there is no cost to attend. Registration is limited to the first 12 applicants.

For more information contact Adult Education at 217-238-8292 or adulteducation@lakelandcollege.edu. Visit the Adult Education Facebook page at Lake Land College Adult Education.

Lake Land College will offer a two-day Introduction to Concealed Carry class at Accuracy Firearms in Effingham on Saturday, Feb. 1 and Sunday, Feb. 2 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The 16-hour course, taught by Illinois Concealed Carry Instructor Dwayne Beccue, is designed to educate students about handguns best suited for personal defense, how to carry handguns safely and how to deploy and use them efficiently in the context of a dynamic critical incident. The course will also cover the laws pertaining to the appropriate and lawful use of carrying handguns in public.

Enrollment in the class is $150. To register, go to lakelandcollege.edu/learn and click on the class link. Drop date for a refund is five business days prior to the class.

Accuracy Firearms is located at 1300 S. Raney St., Effingham.

For more information, contact Jackie Wake, professional development support, at 217-234-5087 or email jwake@lakelandcollege.edu.

With the fall semester at a close for students and the holiday season well underway, Lake Land College will have varied office hours for the upcoming winter holiday season.

The following are important upcoming dates and hours of operation:

• Dec. 24-Jan. 1 – College closed.
• Jan. 2 – Services resume.
• Jan. 8 – Textbook pick-up begins.
• Jan. 10 – 10 a.m.-7 p.m. extended registration. Offices closed from 8-10 a.m.
• Jan. 13 – First day of classes for spring semester.

Students can enroll over the holiday break by going to lakelandcollege.edu/enroll.

Three Lake Land College students were awarded a $1,000 Illinois Community College Faculty Association (ICCFA) Student Scholarship each at the 2019 ICCFA Teaching and Learning Excellence Conference in East Peoria. Tanner Clark, Strasburg, Lara Owens, Windsor, and Jacob White, Mattoon, were three of seven students selected throughout the state to receive the scholarship.

The criteria for the scholarship includes a brief letter explaining the student’s academic and personal goals, as well as a description of all voluntary work on campus and in the community. Additionally, the applicant packet must include a letter of recommendation from a community college faculty member.

All three students are members of Lake Land College’s Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), which is an international honors society for two-year colleges that concentrates on scholarship, leadership, service and fellowship. For two years in a row, PTK at Lake Land College has reached the highest distinction as a 5 star status chapter.

“Tanner has been an outstanding leader at Lake Land College since he stepped foot on campus as a freshman in fall 2018. Not only does he maintain an outstanding GPA as an engineering science major, he is president of PTK, participates in other clubs and activities on campus and volunteers in his local community,” Krista Burrell, academic counselor, said. “Lara held a leadership role on campus most recently as a PTK member. She chaired the Girls on the Run committee for PTK that included marketing, recruitment and leading the group to participate in a successful event at the Mattoon YMCA. She has a strong work ethic and is talented at motivating others to do their best.”

“Jacob is a great student who works hard and always seeks out counsel. He is professional, always prepared and an example to his classmates,” Casey Hoenes, nursing instructor, said.

“Jacob is eager to learn and very caring,” Maria Nohren, nursing instructor, said. “He is a great student and will be a great nurse.”

For more information about ICCFA and its role in higher education within community colleges, visit www2.iccb.org/iccfa/.

For more information about PTK and other honors opportunities at Lake Land College, visit lakelandcollege.edu/honors-program/ or contact Burrell at 217-234-5042 or kburrell@lakelandcollege.edu.